7 Beginner-Friendly Frameworks To Master Brand Messaging
A pretty logo can make people look, but it's the brand messaging that makes people remember.
Brand messaging is all about connecting with people. Having a cohesive message across different channels makes sure everyone gets the same understanding of your brand, no matter where they see it.Plus, when your content marketing strategy aligns with this message, it strengthens your brand's voice, making it more recognizable and trustworthy.
So, if you want your brand to stand out and be remembered for the right reasons, getting your brand messaging right is key. In this guide, I'll break down how to do just that with messaging frameworks even a marketing novice can apply in real life.
We'll cover the basics, from writing a brand purpose statement, to pin pointing unique selling proposition, to how to make sure your brand's voice is heard loud and clear. If you're looking to understand branding better or want to make your brand's message stronger, you're in the right place.
Is Brand Messaging Important For Small Business?
For small businesses, brand messaging is more than just words; it's a direct connection in a distracted world.
Unlike mammoth corporations that rely on their longstanding history and big marketing budgets, small enterprises need a strong, clear message to carve their niche. This unique voice doesn't only set them apart from competitors, but it also fosters trust and paves the way for lasting customer relationships.
Every newsletter, Instagram post, or website click can offer maximum impact with the right message, ensuring that tight marketing budgets are spent wisely. Moreover, when customers genuinely connect with a business's message, they evolve from mere buyers to loyal brand advocates, championing the business in their circles.
In a sense, clear brand messaging isn't just communication; it's guidance, ensuring every decision aligns with the brand's heart and soul.
How Messaging And Content Strategy Fit Together
At their core, brand messaging and content strategy are about effective communication. They're two sides of the same coin, working hand in hand to ensure that your brand not only reaches its target audience but also resonates with them. Here's how they intertwine:
Foundation vs. Execution:
Brand Messaging provides the foundational elements: your brand's purpose, values, promises, and positioning. It's about defining who you are, what you stand for, and what unique value you offer.
Content Strategy takes this foundation and decides how to best communicate it. It's about planning, creating, and sharing content that embodies your brand messaging.
Consistency & Cohesion:
Strong brand messaging ensures that all your content, whether it's a blog post, video, or social media update, speaks with one voice and carries the same core messages.
A well-executed content strategy ensures that this consistent message is tailored and optimized for different platforms and audience segments.
Engagement & Conversion:
Effective brand messaging connects emotionally with your audience, making them more receptive to your content.
A strategic content plan then engages these connected audiences, guiding them through a journey—from awareness to action.
Feedback Loop:
Content strategy often involves monitoring audience feedback and engagement metrics. This feedback can be used to refine and adjust brand messaging over time.
Similarly, as brand messaging evolves, the content strategy must be tweaked to reflect these changes, ensuring alignment.
In essence, while brand messaging gives your business a clear voice and identity, content strategy decides how, where, and when to use that voice. They're a dynamic duo, ensuring that every piece of content you produce not only aligns with your brand's identity but also effectively engages and serves your audience.
Messy Brand Messaging Can Show Up In Different Ways.
For you, it may feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall, just trying to see what will move the needle. And your audience doesn't understand what you’re about, which slows down your ability to connect with them.
Messy Message Red Flag #1
Running Out of Content Ideas Regularly — Or Having Too Many Ideas But Aren't Sure How They All Fit Together.
Messy Message Red Flag #2
You're Blending Into The Crowd. Use the brand messaging framework prompts below to unlock what makes your brand unique. Fix this messaging problem by crafting messaging around the brand statement framework.
Messy Message Red Flag #3
You're Attracting The Wrong People — Or No People
People come to your account to get YOU. The caveat, of course, is it's all about your audience. You can use the prompts below to make sure your message is attracting clients you want to work, not people who just pay the bills.
Messaging Framework One: Brand Purpose
Think of your brand like a book. The brand purpose is the main idea or theme of your story.
It answers the question, “Why does your brand exist?” It's more than just selling products; it's the reason your business started in the first place. Maybe you saw a problem and wanted to fix it, or you had a unique idea no one else was doing.
When people understand and connect with your "why", they become more than just customers. They believe in your story, and they want to be a part of it. So, before you work on any fancy slogans or ads, make sure you know your brand's purpose. It's the foundation of everything else.
Brand Purpose Prompts:
Why did you start?
Think back to the beginning. What motivated you to create your brand or business?
What problem are you solving?
What gap or need in the market does your product or service address?
Who are you helping?
Envision the people who benefit most from what you offer. Who are they?
How do you want to make a difference?
Beyond profits, how do you hope to impact your customers or the world?
Messaging Framework Two: Brand Statement
Your brand isn't just a logo or a catchy tagline; it's a promise, a commitment, a feeling. Central to this is your brand statement, which captures the essence of what you bring to the table and the positive change you promise to deliver.
Unlike a mission statement that paints a broader picture of your brand's goals, the brand statement zooms in. It speaks directly to your target audience, signaling that you see them, understand them, and are here for them.
Consider the statement: “As experienced bookkeepers, we give small business owners the support and tools they need to take control of their books and never fear tax season again.” This doesn't just convey expertise—it promises empowerment, relief, and confidence to a very specific audience: small business owners.
Why is this so crucial? Because in a world saturated with brands vying for attention, people want clarity. They want to know, "Is this for me? Will it solve my problem?" Your brand statement answers these questions, cutting through the noise to resonate with those who will benefit most from what you offer.
In essence, a brand statement is an invitation to your ideal audience, letting them know they're in the right place.
Brand Statement Prompts:
What makes you different?
How benefits most from your offer?
What transformation do they experience as a result of your offer?
Once you have all of that, add in context where applicable and reshape it into one sentence.
Messaging Framework Three: Brand Vision
Your brand vision is like a roadmap for your business. If your mission talks about what you're doing today and your brand statement explains how you're doing it, your vision shows where you want to end up in the future.
Why is this vision so important? For you, it's like a goal post. It keeps you moving forward, especially on tough days. For your customers, it gives them a reason to stick with you. They see where you're going and feel like they're part of something bigger.
Consider this vision: “To help restore financial power and stability to every small business owner in America.” It tells customers that the goal isn't just about business—it's about making a real difference.
So, when thinking about your brand vision, ask yourself: What big change do I want to make with my service? If everyone in my field adopted this, what would that world look like?
Messaging Framework Four: Brand Values
With your purpose, statement, and vision under your belt, your brand should feel like it’s popping off the page! But you have more work to do.
Your brand values are the ideas and beliefs your business stands on. They might not be clearly stated in your brand message every time, but they should be evident in any copy you create or any moves you make within your business.
Brand values can be as simple as:
We believe in quality customer service.
We believe in making eco-products.
We believe in creativity, innovation, and exploration.
Or they can be as intentional as:
We believe in diversity.
We care about building up our community.
We’re dedicated to working outside the box.
Like any part of your brand messaging, your values are vital. They're something your audience will weigh heavily when they consider working with you: Studies have shown that 77% of consumers buy from brands that share the same values as them.
Prompt to find your brand values: What are some things you always want to prioritize giving to your customers or giving back to the world? What experiences have you had with other companies that made you want to stop working with them?
Messaging Framework Five: Brand Voice
Mastering your brand voice is one of the most fun parts of brand messaging. That's because your brand voice is something you’ll constantly tap into. Your brand voice is the way you speak to your audience. As the CEO or owner, I want to be clear that your brand’s voice is not necessarily your voice, although your voice may influence it. This voice pulls together aspects of your values and vision, and how you want to be with your audience.
And your brand voice matters because it’s used to seal the deal with your audience. By deciding on a tone, structure, and elements of your brand voice, you create a persona that your audience can relate to, resonate with, and connect with. A well-developed brand voice will make your business more relatable, human, and trustworthy.
Brand Voice Copywriting Exercise
Create a Dos & Donts List. When you're trying to figure out what your brand voice is, think about the words you'd always use.
Also considered the words you'd never use. If you're ever feeling lost for words, try thinking about what you would never say.
Chances are, whatever you come up with will be exactly what you're trying to communicate.
Take a minute to think about the common terms in your industry, and the ones you use on the daily. Then consider the ones that make you cringe — Why do they bother you?
Is there a value or belief that is important to you that isn't being represented in that phrase?
This exercise not only strengthens your voice but also infuses your brand values in your copy.
Messaging Framework Six: Brand Story
We’re getting to the end, but this piece is so important it’s worth taking extra time to construct: your brand story.
Your brand story, at its core, is simply a story of your journey. It explores your emotional ups and downs and fills in the gaps that your brand’s purpose, statement, vision, or values might not have told or might not have had the space to share.
Brand storytelling gives all the beautiful details about what it took to start your business, the struggles you’ve faced in your industry, and the testimonials and feedback you got along the way that motivated you to keep going.
Your brand story is important because consumers LOVE storytelling. Readers want to be wrapped in the emotions of your fight, your perseverance, and the transformation they’re about to achieve. They WANT to connect with you. They want you to tug at their heartstrings.
Trust me when I say the more emotion, the better. It’s a copywriter’s best tip.
Brand Storytelling Prompts:
What made you decide to take the road less traveled and jump into entrepreneurship?
What made you decide you couldn’t let your community go without your product or service?
What obstacles have you faced that are relatable to your ideal client and the transformation you provide?
What testimonials made you feel it was all worth it?
Messaging Framework Seven: Tagline
Not every business has a tagline, so don’t feel too pressured to develop one. (A bad one is sometimes worse than none at all!) But a good brand tagline can sum up everything we’ve just covered and keep your brand top of mind.
Taglines are typically short. They consist of a few words to two sentences at most.
The goal is to keep it catchy, easy to remember, and reflective of your brand. Some famous brand taglines you probably know are:
Nike: “Just do it.”
Allstate: “You’re in good hands.”
Disneyland: “The happiest place on Earth.”
Capital One: “What’s in your wallet?”
Dunkin’: “America runs on Dunkin’.”
Coming up with a good tagline can be difficult, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself here. If something comes to you, great! If not, keep it in the back of your mind and play around with it from time to time.
Brand messaging is the secret sauce that makes a small business shine in a sea of competitors. Creating content that really speaks to the audience and reflects the brand's values and mission builds loyalty, trust, and engagement, which ultimately drives conversions. Keep these brand messaging frameworks handy. Your content, and your audience, will thank you.
Happy Creating!
Cyndi, Owner of Ascent StoryCraft
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