Coming up with one sentence that conveys the value that a product or service delivers to customers and how it is different from competitors can be very challenging. So challenging in fact, that many companies skip this step altogether. As someone who creates messaging and positioning statements for a living, I’m always trying to see if I can reverse engineer a company’s marketing message by looking at their website content. More often or not, as much as I try, I cannot find that single sentence that tells me:
- What is the product or service
- Who is the product or service intended for
- What benefit is delivered
- What results can be expected
Put like that, it seems pretty simple, right? Believe me when I tell you that it takes focus and discipline to craft a marketing message that resonates with customers. This is particularly true if your product is not yet in the market.
Having a messaging framework is REALLY important
Once in place, though, a messaging framework is an invaluable tool for content creators. Not only does it provide the structure and high level content for creating web copy, data sheets and customer presentations, but it ensures that all derivative content created by other roles in your organization and/or partners is aligned with core messaging. And it is critical that customers and other stakeholders receive a consistent message about the value of your product or service each time they interact with your organization.
Creating messaging is not a ‘once-and-done’ exercise
But messaging is not a one-time exercise. Market conditions change. The way customers use your product or service over time may change as you add more features/benefits. Your sellers are talking to your customers every day. They know what ‘works’ and what does not ring true. Your Customer Advisory Board and user groups are also an invaluable source of intelligence that can inform your messaging over time.
Run messaging by SMEs and sellers
Boost! recently had the opportunity to help a client with a decades old highly profitable offering reboot messaging. First, we constructed a messaging framework by working from existing web copy and datasheets. Predictably, there was little messaging consistency across the various channels and writers had drifted from the framework over time. We also reviewed the marketing messaging of key competitors.
Next, we created a new straw man messaging framework based on interviews with the core marketing team. Then we set up a Content Reviewer’s Board which included relevant subject matter experts and more importantly, key members of the sales organization. We worked iteratively with the Reviewer’s Board until everyone signed off on the new framework. Finally, we asked the sellers to test the messaging with customers.
Use the framework to create new content
Once the final messaging framework was in place, we created a brand new set of customer-facing sales tools including new web copy, customer presentation and datasheets. Of course, we ran each piece of content we created through the Reviewer’s Board to ensure that it would have the maximum impact with customers. We also made sure that the messaging framework is available to other content creators within the organization as well as partners who resell the offering.
Take the challenge
I am challenging you to look at your own website and customer collateral. Call us if you messaging is outdated or inconsistent. We’d love to bring some focus and freshness to this critical part of your marketing mix. Learn how else Boost! can help your organization today.
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