Figuring Out Your Marketing Message
Figuring Out Your Marketing Message
Your marketing message is made up of 4 different components:
1. a description of the target market/niche group you are marketing to
2. the main problem or issue they need help with
3. what solutions and benefits you can offer to your target group
4. what is unique about you, your company, and your products or services – your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Once you’ve got this information you are ready to create your marketing message.
There are a few things to keep in mind while you write (and re-write!) your marketing message, that will help you make it as powerful as possible. Your message needs to be:
• simple to understand
• clear and concise
• easy to remember
You don’t need to have a catchy slogan or a "cute" phrase. It just needs to strike a chord with your market – which it will because you’ll have identified everything that’s important to them.
Take a look at what you've written down under each of the four components and brainstorm a number of sentences that encompass all four components. Don't worry about the wording yet- focus on the meaning of what you're saying.
Usually the first thing you’ll come up with ends up being pretty long in length and too wordy. The core idea is there but you'll probably need to tighten it up. Remember you’re trying to be as clear and succinct as possible – so that it is easy to remember and repeat.
So start paring it down to the essentials: who you work with, their problem, your main solution and benefits, and anything that's unique about how you do it.
Just a note, some marketing messages do not clearly state what their USP is. Sometimes it's inherent in the words that are used: sass, savvy, dynamic, innovative. Don't worry if you can't easily fit your USP into your marketing message – you'll use that information in lots of different ways in your marketing communications.
Write down several different sentences and then come back to them in a day or so. Say it out loud a few times and practice it with family and friends. Once you feel you've got a marketing message that feels comfortable and right to you, start testing it out with prospects, clients and other business people (peers, vendors, strategic partners).
You'll know if your marketing message really does communicate your core message, by people's reactions. If most of the people say, “that’s interesting, more companies/people need that,” or “you ought to talk to our (fill in the blank),” then there’s a very good chance you have a winner.
If, on the other hand, everyone says, “what do you mean,” or “why would someone need that?” then you may be off track. Don't be disheartened – most people work and re-work their marketing message several times. Hey, I'm not totally satisfied with mine yet either!
Now that you feel you've settled on a marketing message that you feel captures the essence of your business and your offerings, you'll want to use it everywhere you possibly can!
Figuring Out Your Marketing Message - To learn more about this author, visit Jody Gabourie's Website.
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Your marketing message is the central message in everything you do and say about your business, products and services.
Your marketing message is made up of 4 different components:
1. a description of the target market/niche group you are marketing to
2. the main problem or issue they need help with
3. what solutions and benefits you can offer to your target group
4. what is unique about you, your company, and your products or services – your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Once you’ve got this information you are ready to create your marketing message.
There are a few things to keep in mind while you write (and re-write!) your marketing message, that will help you make it as powerful as possible. Your message needs to be:
• simple to understand
• clear and concise
• easy to remember
You don’t need to have a catchy slogan or a "cute" phrase. It just needs to strike a chord with your market – which it will because you’ll have identified everything that’s important to them.
Take a look at what you've written down under each of the four components and brainstorm a number of sentences that encompass all four components. Don't worry about the wording yet- focus on the meaning of what you're saying.
Usually the first thing you’ll come up with ends up being pretty long in length and too wordy. The core idea is there but you'll probably need to tighten it up. Remember you’re trying to be as clear and succinct as possible – so that it is easy to remember and repeat.
So start paring it down to the essentials: who you work with, their problem, your main solution and benefits, and anything that's unique about how you do it.
Just a note, some marketing messages do not clearly state what their USP is. Sometimes it's inherent in the words that are used: sass, savvy, dynamic, innovative. Don't worry if you can't easily fit your USP into your marketing message – you'll use that information in lots of different ways in your marketing communications.
Write down several different sentences and then come back to them in a day or so. Say it out loud a few times and practice it with family and friends. Once you feel you've got a marketing message that feels comfortable and right to you, start testing it out with prospects, clients and other business people (peers, vendors, strategic partners).
You'll know if your marketing message really does communicate your core message, by people's reactions. If most of the people say, “that’s interesting, more companies/people need that,” or “you ought to talk to our (fill in the blank),” then there’s a very good chance you have a winner.
If, on the other hand, everyone says, “what do you mean,” or “why would someone need that?” then you may be off track. Don't be disheartened – most people work and re-work their marketing message several times. Hey, I'm not totally satisfied with mine yet either!
Now that you feel you've settled on a marketing message that you feel captures the essence of your business and your offerings, you'll want to use it everywhere you possibly can!
Figuring Out Your Marketing Message - To learn more about this author, visit Jody Gabourie's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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