As a business, you need to clearly explain why you exist and what unique value you provide. And you must do so in a way that resonates with your target audience.
This is called brand messaging, and it’s crucial to differentiate your brand from others in a crowded marketplace.
Spending the time to create strong brand messaging can serve your internal teams in all types of customer interactions. Done well, it can strengthen customers’ relationship to your brand and ultimately increase sales and retention.
But first, you need to create a brand messaging document.
What Is a Brand Messaging Document?
A brand messaging document, or framework, is a structured document that is meant to serve as the foundation and source of truth for how your brand communicates.
Brand messaging is how you tell your brand’s story and showcase your brand identity to your target audience.
Great brand messaging should convey the emotion behind your company’s existence and show how you’re different than any other company on the market—by highlighting your unique selling points (value).
You should consider creating—or revising an existing brand messaging framework— if you are:
Starting a new company
Undergoing a merger or acquisition
Overhauling your brand
The Value of Brand Messaging Framework
A shared messaging framework can benefit your entire internal staff.
At its most basic—yet crucial level—a brand messaging framework ensures your employees will be able to succinctly answer the question, “What does your company do?”
If your employees are consistent in representing your brand, that can have a positive impact on revenue. A brand messaging framework helps them nail customer interactions the first time, using words and phrases that fit your brand voice.
And effective brand messaging sets you apart from your competition by forcing you to examine what differentiates your brand from your competitors.
What to Include in a Brand Messaging Document
The great thing about a brand messaging document is that you can tailor it to your company needs. You can include as much information on your brand and company as you would like. Remember, this will serve your employees as a source of truth.
When complete, your brand messaging document should be:
Educational
Memorable
Actionable
At Refactored, we have helped numerous brands with messaging. Based on our proven experience, we recommend including these key sections in your brand messaging document.
Mission statement and value proposition
Your brand exists for a reason. You build a unique product or execute a special service—now you just need to communicate how you’re different than others.
In a direct way, explain why your brand exists and who you are serving.
Services and products
Your teams likely already understand what you do—whether it’s building an awesome, game-changing product or providing an unmatched service.
However, you can’t make assumptions that everyone knows how to properly position your offerings in an engaging way. Providing this information in a brand messaging document can elevate your team’s conversation with potential buyers, enabling them to overcome common objections and position your brand over competitors.
Buyer profile
This section should help your teams understand the top stakeholders who are involved in a buying decision for your products or services.
Include common job titles, their role in the buying process, their objections, and how your brand can overcome these objections to meet their needs.
Boilerplate
Boilerplate messaging is commonly used by those most involved in your content generation efforts, but the language can also be leveraged by other teams in communication.
Market positioning and landscape
Always connect your brand back to your target audience’s needs. Go a step further and consider adding information about the current market landscape your customers are in.
This helps your internal teams understand present market challenges and needs. That leads to better, empathy-driven customer conversations, where your teams can then address how your brand is best suited to solve challenges.
Let’s Elevate Your Brand Messaging
Are limited internal resources or lack of time holding your organization back from developing effective brand messaging? Do you want to unify your company with brand messaging that your target audience will relate to?
Then contact us to learn how we can help elevate your brand messaging.