Creating a brand message can be overwhelming for small business owners. The reason being is that the majority of us aren’t marketing experts, we’re experts in what we do, which leaves us playing the guessing game when putting together our brand’s marketing strategy.

So, naturally, we follow the lead of everyone else starting a small business:

We hire a graphic designer to create our logo and color palette. Check.

Then, we spend thousands on a web designer to create a beautiful website for our brand. Check.

Because that’s the fun stuff, right? The marketing materials we like to show off.

But, what happens next is something new and old business owners alike soon come to terms with – they realize their logo and website isn’t selling their products or services.

Which, is exactly why in order to create a successful marketing strategy, we need to first cover what a marketing strategy is not.

Marketing Strategies Aren’t Just About Your Logo & Color Palette

As you may already be able to guess, your brand’s strategy isn’t just your logo, color palette, website, or business name. While these components are necessary visual elements of your brand’s marketing strategy, they’re not the only elements that help you effectively market what you do.

In fact, waiting to invest in these creative elements until you’ve fleshed out your full marketing strategy will save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the long run.

Let’s dive in.

What A Marketing Strategy Is

Your brand’s marketing strategy is simply:

01. Your brand’s message and how you’ll communicate it (via brand voice).

02. Knowing your target market (get specific).

03. How you position your brand in the marketplace (the marketing platforms you’ll use).

04. How you’ll measure those results.

For today’s 101, we’re going to hone in on your Brand’s Message, aka the foundation of all great marketing. Establishing this piece will give you a serious competitive advantage in the marketplace while saving you time and money before investing in any design elements.

The Importance of Your Brand’s Message

To create a successful marketing strategy, we first need to start with the way you communicate your brand’s offer to the world – in other words, your brand’s message. This is the most important thing you can do in terms of marketing. Why? Because the goal of a strategy is to position your brand to get noticed in a crowded marketplace so you win more business and increase your revenue (aka people buy what you sell).

We accomplish this through clear and compelling communication, aka our words.

Remember the problem we talked about above where business owners invest thousands of dollars in their logo and website only to realize that’s not what sells their product/service?

This is why we start with our brand’s messaging. Words sell things, period. Using the right words on our websites and marketing platforms produces lots of commas – catch my drift?

How to Craft Your Brand’s Message:

In order to create a brand message, you first need to start by identifying these main elements that make up your brand’s story.

*Keep in mind – our brand’s story is where our customer’s desires and our ability to help them meet.

Open up a new document or notebook and answer these questions:

1. What does your customer/client want as it pertains to your brand?

2. What problems does your brand solve for them – physically, emotionally, and philosophically?

3. What is your brand’s solution to those problems (your product/service)?

4. How will you deliver that solution (a plan or sales process)?

5. What words will you use to call them to action (“buy now”/”book now”)?

6. What failure do they risk in not engaging your brand?

7. What is the success they’ll experience if/when they engage your brand?

8. What transformation will they experience after engaging your brand (ex: from frustrated to confident)?
   

Take time to answer the bullet points above before investing in a website or writing any sales copy for landing pages, ads, or even your blog posts and Instagram captions. Put it all together and you’ll have a brilliant brand message that helps you get noticed in the marketplace.

Remember, your brand’s message is the way you’ll communicate your offer and why it matters.

It’s the foundation of all great marketing. It helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace so you can increase your sales. Remember, always start with your words and go from there!

If you’re really struggling in your business, book a free clarity call with me, (no strings attached,) for me to help you pinpoint your biggest roadblocks. 

Then, if you decide it’s a fit and you NEED us to work together stat, we can totally proceed with a mentorship and get this education party started! ?

I wholeheartedly believe that if you’re here and reading this page, it’s not by accident, girl. I’ve been praying for this years mentoring clients, and for God to truly equip me with the knowledge and resources, tailored just for you, to project you into your next season and help you to be more confident – because THIS is your year.

It’s time. No more excuses. Let’s do this, and rise up to who God has called us to be in both our lives and businesses. ??

Looking for more helpful photography tips? Feel free to binge on these blog posts, or pin ’em on Pinterest for later! ??

If you’re short on time, follow me on Pinterest – and you’ll get these kinda tips delivered straight to your feed! You know… when you’re scrollin’ through Pinterest with coffee in hand, ready to take on the day… or, procrastinate.

Whatevs. Pinterest biz sesh, anybody!? ??