Imagine an ad for a hospital that focuses entirely on how good the cafeteria food tastes. No mention of the quality of care. No mention of types of services provided. Just the food. It might catch your attention, but chances are, if you were planning to have a major medical procedure, you wouldn’t be convinced to put your life in that hospital’s hands.
The point is, in marketing, messages matter. And getting the most out of your marketing messages requires a strategic approach.
Before we dive in, it’s worth noting that for the purposes of this article, messages are not the exact words that appear in your marketing materials — instead, they are the key ideas behind those words (and imagery, graphics, etc.). In other words, messages are the takeaways you want your audiences to have as a result of your marketing campaign.
Consider Your Goals
The first step in developing effective marketing messages is defining your goals for the campaign. Are you try to build brand awareness? Change opinions? Boost sales? Whatever your goals may be, your messages should support them.
For example, if your goal is to increase online sales, but your messages primarily focus on the highlights of your new brick-and-mortar location, you might wanted to reconsider your approach. Messages that center around the convenience of your online ordering system, exclusive online-only products or digital discounts would be much more productive.
Do Your Research
Guesswork can only get you so far when it comes to your marketing messages. It’s important to put in the time to gather data before launching into your campaign.
Consider what types of messages have worked well for you in the past. Consider what your target audience cares about most. Consider what your competitors are saying. Then analyze the information you’ve collected to make informed decisions about the messages that are most likely to make the desired impact.
Play to Your Strengths
Even the most compelling marketing messages will only get you so far if they’re inauthentic. If your messages don’t align with your audiences’ experiences with your brand, you may end up doing more harm than good.
Think about the genuine strengths your organization, product or cause offers, and see where those strengths match up with your audiences’ biggest priorities. This intersection is a great starting point for developing messages that will resonate strongly and support your success in the long term.
Pick the Right Platform
Say your organization is trying to spread the word about its efforts to help the environment. Sending the word out via thousands of postcards (especially if they’re made from nonrecycled paper or other environmentally damaging materials) could directly undermine the message you’re trying to send. You’d be much better off using a different method to deliver your messages.
Consider how your marketing platforms might complement or take away from the messages you are trying to communicate. The right messages are that much more compelling when they are delivered via the right platform.
Speak Your Audience’s Language
As you are translating your messages into actual words and visuals, be sure to take your audiences’ personalities into account. Stay true to your own brand, but adapt your approach to communicate in ways your target audience will be able to understand.
For instance, if you are using images of people in your creative, consider using real photos of members of your audience, or choosing models that are similar to your audience in age, style, etc. When you are crafting copy, be mindful of how your audience talks, and modify your wording and tone as appropriate to improve the relatability of your messages.
If you start with clear goals, do your research, play to your strengths, choose the right platforms and adapt to your audience, you’ll be well on your way to maximizing the effectiveness of your marketing messages. Want some extra support along the way? That’s what we’re here for — tell us how we can help!