If you are considering starting a business, there is one very important thing you should consider before you even so much as make an Instagram page. Every successful company builds itself on the foundation of a business message, otherwise known as its “why”. Plain and simple, if you don’t understand why your company is in business, no one else will either. However, making a business message that resonates isn’t the easiest task. Or at least it can be difficult if you don’t have the right directions. Let’s talk about what makes a great business message that can help you to build your brand.
Define your target audience
Who are you trying to reach with your message? Understanding your target audience will help you tailor your message to their needs and interests. Defining your target audience involves identifying the specific group or groups of people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. The good news is, a little audience research can go a long way. Let’s talk about how to find it!
- Gather data: Use customer data, market research, and demographic information to gain insights into your current audience. This can include information such as age, location, income, education, and interests.
- Create buyer personas: Based on the data you have gathered, create a few hypothetical profiles of your ideal customers. These profiles should include information such as their goals, challenges, and values.
- Consider your existing customers: Look at your current customer base and identify common characteristics. This can help you refine your buyer personas and target audience definition.
- Evaluate your market: Consider factors such as market size, competition, and consumer trends when defining your target audience.
- Refine and test: As you start to reach and interact with your target audience, continue to gather data and refine your target audience definition. This will help you ensure that your marketing efforts are targeted and effective.
- Try and try again: Remember, defining your target audience is an ongoing process that should be reviewed and updated regularly based on new insights and market changes.
Identify your unique selling proposition (USP)
What sets your business apart from others? If you can’t answer that question, you might be further from your goal than you would like. No worries, it’s easy to learn how your company compares to others in your industry. You can then use what you learn your USP is and communicate it in your message.
- Conduct market research to understand your target audience and the competition.
- Analyze your product or service offerings to determine their unique features and benefits.
- Determine what sets your product or service apart from the competition, such as better quality, faster delivery, or a more personalized experience.
- Identify what problem or need your product or service solves for your target audience
- Refine and communicate your USP in a clear and concise way that resonates with your target audience.
- Continuously evaluate and refine your USP as needed to ensure it remains relevant and differentiated in the market.?
Your brand values should inform your message and help you create a consistent tone of voice. A good brand offers the same thing to a customer that a good friend does. They are honest, open, and always there in your time of need. What sort of friend do you plan to be to your customer?
- Conduct a self-reflection on your brand's purpose, mission, and beliefs.
- Research your target audience and their values to understand what resonates with them.
- Brainstorm a list of potential values that align with your brand's purpose and resonate with your target audience.
- Narrow down the list to a few core values that are unique to your brand and easily communicated.
- Test and validate your values with your target audience to ensure they resonate and align with their expectations.
- Communicate and live your brand values consistently in all aspects of your business operations and customer interactions.
- Continuously evaluate and evolve your brand values as needed to ensure they remain relevant and aligned with your brand's mission.
As we mentioned earlier, your competition is one of the best ways to examine how your company compares to them. Look at your competitors and see what messaging they are using. This research can give you ideas and help you create a unique message. Market research is the process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data about a market, including information about customers, competitors, and the overall market environment. To conduct market research, follow these steps:
- Define the research objective: Clearly state the purpose of the research and what information you want to gather.
- Identify target audience: Determine who you want to gather information from (e.g. customers, industry experts, etc.).
- Choose research methods: Select the best method for gathering information, such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, or secondary research.
- Collect data: Gather information using the chosen research method.
- Analyze data: Organize and analyze the data you have collected.
- Present findings: Present the results of your research in a clear and concise manner, such as a report or presentation.
- Take action: Use the findings of your market research to make informed business decisions.
Once you have a draft of your message, test it with a small group of people in your target audience. Often we forget that people in our close social circles are also part of our target audience. If they are, have some friends over for dinner and get their take. Ask for feedback and refine your message based on their input. Testing your message is crucial in ensuring that it effectively conveys the desired information and resonates with your target audience. To test your message, follow these steps:
- Define your target audience: Clearly identify the demographic you are trying to reach with your message.
- Choose a testing method: Select the best method for testing your messages, such as focus groups, surveys, or A/B testing.
- Create test messages: Develop variations of your message that you can test.
- Conduct the test: Use the chosen testing method to gather feedback on your messages from your target audience.
- Analyze the results: Carefully review the results of your test and compare the effectiveness of each message.
- Refine your message: Based on the results of your test, make changes to your message to improve its effectiveness.
- Repeat the process: Test your refined message and repeat the process until you have a message that effectively communicates your desired information to your target audience.
Your business message should be clear, concise, and memorable. It should effectively communicate what your business does, what sets it apart, and why your target audience should choose you. Whether your business is old or new, if your message doesn’t do that, it’s time to return to the drawing board. No business can find success if they don’t know why they are doing what they do.
