Stop and think for a bit about where your brand would be if it was not effectively delivering its message. If you stopped and said maybe out of business, there is a good chance you’d be right.
Although your brand’s message should always be targeted to reaching as many consumers as possible, the content of the message is so important. If the message is positive and shows consumers why they should do business with you, you stand a good chance of earning their trust.
On the other hand, a message that is weak and/or misguided, that’s a message giving you a recipe for disaster.
As you assess your brand heading into the New Year, take some time to clearly focus on if the message and/or the messenger are being heard. If one or both are not, it is time to think about necessary changes moving forward.
Messenger Plays a Pivotal Role
What can get lost many times in delivering a brand message is the messenger themselves.
While you may not have huge marketing/advertising dollars available to speak to consumers constantly or even your own team about the importance of message and messenger, do your best to get the job done.
For example, there are many men and women nationwide with communication skills that are second to none, especially those in the media business.
Your brand can benefit from those individuals and their skills by having such figures come and talk to a networking event you are heading up. In doing so, more consumers (and other businesses for that matter) will look at you and your brand as a leader in your respective industry.
Whether you turn to well-known TV personalities such as Anderson Cooper, Joe Scarborough, Dana Perino, Jake Tapper or others, the point is that you go after well-qualified individuals. Such men and women have backgrounds in not only being in front of the camera, but also telling stories. Those stories can ultimately revolve around how best to communicate to consumers why your brand is the best option out there.
If you’re hosting a major networking event or your brand is participating in such a gathering, having qualified individuals with critical communication skills present there is a major plus.
Determining What Message You Want to Send
So that you are able to keep your financial health as an individual (and business owner for that matter) positive moving forward, focus on the various aspects of the message too.
Among the areas of focus:
- Audience – Who is your target audience for each and every message you are trying to translate? Make sure you are clear on not only the messenger as mentioned earlier, but the message you want to convey. Consumers literally get bombarded with dozens and dozens of messages on a daily basis, so yours has to stand out from the crowd. In order to do just that, know who your audience is and what they are likely going to want to hear;
- Products and/or services – What sets your brand apart from the competition? Are your products and/or services better than anything else others have to offer? If so, you have to point that out with conviction in your messaging. Sure, most companies will say they are better than others, but most consumers are not dumb. They will take the time to weed through all the different messages being sent their way, determining which ones are truly worth their time and ultimately their dollars;
- Moving forward – Finally, you need to show consumers that you have a message moving forward. That message must encompass how your brand will be a business leader in the months and years to come. To accomplish such necessary goals, you want to show consumers how you will lean on technology, employee training etc. to get the most out of your business efforts. Brands that are presently focused on today, yet still have an eye on where they are headed tomorrow, typically succeed and avoid failure.
If your brand wants to better deliver its message, take some time now to see if both the message and the messenger are always in sync.