Does Your Messaging Stand Out to the Right People?

One of our main focuses in our marketing is to connect with the right people – aka our target audience. This is done through a combination of being in the right places (where our audience likes to hang out) and through our messaging. Even if we’re always in the “right place,” we won’t stand a chance connecting with our ideal clients if our messaging doesn’t resonate with them (and neither will you). 😉

How do you know if your messaging is standing out to the right people? Because, if it’s not, how do you make sure it will?? 

If your messaging is standing out to the right people, you’ll know. You’ll see this in the results of your marketing efforts. Ask yourself these questions:

• Does your audience engage with your marketing content? 
• Do the majority of people reaching out about your products or services fit your description of your ideal client? 
• Are you measuring a positive ROI from your marketing efforts? 

Did you answer “no” to any of those questions? Then let’s look at ways you can improve your messaging to better attract and connect with your target audience. 

How to improve your messaging to connect with your target audience

Whether it’s through your website, social media platforms, emails, or blog, your messaging matters. Because every touchpoint you have with your audience is a chance to build connections and trust with that person. To improve your messaging, let’s take it back to the foundations – your ideal client, your positioning, and your brand. 

Ideal Client 

Who is your ideal client? Because by better understanding who this person is, you can create more meaningful content that will stand out to them. 

(I know…I know… You’re thinking “I’ve done this before. Do we really have to go over this again?” The answer is YES!) Your ideal client’s preferences can change over time, so it’s always helpful to go back through the process of identifying and defining who it is you serve and want to connect with.

There are many activities out there to help you define your ideal client, but what really matters is knowing who they are, what they believe, and what motivates them. Go through this list of questions to clearly define who your ideal client is and to get more clear on how you can serve them better. 

• Who is your ideal client? (Don’t overthink this – describe who they are) 
  • For Example: A female professional who has worked her way up the corporate ladder
• What are their values? 
• What are their desires? 
• What drives them in their decision making process? 
• How can you serve them? What do you have to offer them to help them achieve their goals, dreams, or desires? 

After getting really clear on who it is you serve and how you can serve them, you’re ready for the next step! Your positioning. 

Market Positioning & Messaging

What exactly does “market positioning” mean? Your market positioning is how your target audience perceives your brand and your products or services in comparison to your competitors. 

This is all about how you differentiate your brand from your competitors. How are you different? What makes your offers unique compared to similar offerings in the industry? What about your product, service, or client experience makes your brand the obvious choice for your ideal client? 

A great exercise can be to create a graph where one axis focuses on one aspect that influences your ideal client’s purchasing decisions (say, quality) and the other axis is for another aspect (say, cost). Then plot your brand and some of your competitors on this graph. Where do you land compared to your competitors? How can you position your brand to stand out from the crowd? 

This will influence your messaging! When creating content or writing copy, you want to make sure you’re writing it with your ideal client and your positioning in mind. The vocabulary and style of speech that is used by a luxury brand will be different than that of a non-luxury brand. 

Brand Voice

Your brand voice will also affect your messaging. This is also how you communicate with your audience. It’s also how you show your brand’s personality. 

A brand’s voice will be different for every brand. The way you speak to your target audience will depend on your brand’s values, your positioning, and your overall brand strategy. 

• What are your brand’s values? 
• How do you set yourself apart from competitors? 
• What makes you unique? 

This all influences your brand voice, and ultimately your messaging. For example, how your messaging makes your audience feel – the tone, the emotions it creates, etc – will be different for a brand that prides itself as a family brand versus one that sets itself apart as a brand made for thrill-seekers. (Think Coca-Cola and its focus on “happiness in a bottle” versus Redbull and its marketing focus on “giving you wings” and showing wild daredevil stunts.)  

The goal of defining your brand voice is to create a clear understanding (and guidelines) on what it is your brand does and doesn’t say, the emotions it does and doesn’t want to invoke, and so on. I highly recommend you create a set of brand guidelines that includes what you define as your brand voice and your brand personality. This will serve as a great reference and tool for you and others on your team as they create content for your business. 

With your ideal client, positioning, and brand voice clearly defined, you’re ready to jump into crafting the best messaging and content for standing out to your target audience! 

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