Brand Messaging: Stop “Sharing Your Story”
Brand messaging is a critical component of your marketing strategy. But recently, brand message development has morphed into “Sharing Your Story”.
The thought behind this approach is that it helps companies connect with their target market in a more personal way. After more than a decade in to the wide-spread use of social media, having a direct connection to customers is a given. So, some people argue, sharing your story is a natural progression in the company / consumer relationship.
However, the purpose of marketing for most businesses is to grow revenue. Making people like you – by simply sharing your story – and motivating them to buy your product or service are two different things.
The difference between brand message development and sharing your story is more than just semantics.
When sharing your story, the focus is typically on you – why you do what you do; how you do what you do. But with brand message development, the emphasis is on what value you can bring to the customer. And, if you don’t know what your prospective customers value, ask them.
Simply telling people what you want them to hear is like making them watch your home movies. They may politely suffer through it, but they won’t call you back moving forward.
To be effective, your brand messaging has to be crafted to resonate with your target market. Think about what your company does within the context of why a prospect would care:
- What can you do for me?
- How can you make my life / job better or easier?
- Why should I choose you over your competition?
- Can you really deliver on your promises?
That’s the story you need to be telling.