Brand messaging refers to the sum total of the language, phrasing, colors, images etc. used to promote your products and the brand itself.
Slogans, taglines, logos, are all part of brand messaging or branding. Let’s look at the most important elements of a great branding strategy.
Knowing your USP
Unique Selling Proposition is what makes your brand stand out from others, and why customers should buy your products rather than those of your rival companies. Think about what makes you different. For example: Domino’s USP is delivered within 30 minutes or your pizza free. This makes it very attractive to prospective buyers. USP could be a feature of the product or exceptional customer service; some problem of the customer that your product can solve. It’s a good idea to check out the USP of your competition, and then decide on yours.
Knowing your Audience
You have to know your audience – your target market; only then will you be able to develop the ideal branding strategy.
You must know:
● Your ideal customers – their demographics like age, location, gender, income level
● Their preferences, fears, likes, values
● The language they are comfortable withFor example, if you’re selling beauty products, your target is most likely women aged say 16 to 60, from specific income groups, and in professions where they are required to be well-groomed.
If you’re not sure of the audience, you can collect data from your Facebook page, or through Google Analytics. Another easy way to do it is getting the data of audiences of competing brands with tools like Follow. Depending on your product range, you may have multiple buyer profiles or target audiences; just repeat the steps for each target, and plan your branding message appropriately.
Tell a Story
Every brand has a story to tell, and if it’s told in an interesting manner, you will be able to connect emotionally with users. To know what your story is and how you can tell it, ask yourself the reason you made the product, what it means to you, and your customers. You can also take a look at how other brands are telling their stories. Remember that how you tell your story is very important, as it will have an effect on your target audience.
Establish a Goal
This refers to things like your values, what matters to you, what you stand for. It’s good to showcase the things you care about beyond money, and create a branding message around that goal.
Consistency
You have a goal, a story to tell, along with your values, and USP to your target audience – great! Now you need to maintain consistency across all of your branding channels: websites, printed materials, videos, etc. Use the same tone, color schemes and type of language everywhere.
Once your guidelines are set, make sure every team member knows and follows them – because when you use the same approach in selling as well, that is when you achieve perfection in branding.
