As busy digital agency owners and web designers, our own company’s needs fall to the bottom of the to-do list far too often.
It’s only natural. You’ve got to look after client needs as they come in – they’re keeping your business afloat, after all!
But if you can step off of the hamster-wheel that is the working week long enough to think about your own branding, you’ve gotta grab that opportunity by the reins and run with it.
I get it, it’s hard to justify your own internal jobs when you’re so busy. But with our industry becoming more and more (over)saturated by the day, it’s more important than ever to find the time to figure out what makes you unique and communicate that clearly with both current clients and new leads.
People are constantly bombarded with a truly immeasurable amount of options online, making it increasingly difficult for small businesses like us to reach the right people at the right time. We need to stand out, we need to speak directly to our ideal client, and once we have their attention they need to instantly know why we’re the best choice for their needs. How do we do this? Brand messaging.
What is brand messaging for web designers?
Your brand messaging is a core element of your company’s identity, its humanity, its personality, and a key part of building the connection between you and your audience.
It not only helps you convey who you are and what you do, but also what you stand for as a company: your unique positioning and what makes you different..
Brand messaging can come in the form of:
- Taglines
- Slogans
- Mission statements
- Value propositions
- Elements of website copywriting
- Anything that shapes brand perception!
Now, it’s important to note that your brand should have both internal and external brand messaging.
As each name suggests, internal brand messaging is how you and your team communicate within and about your company, whereas external brand messaging is how you communicate with the outside world about your company and your work.
While you should aim to keep the two in line with each other, there is usually a difference between them – internal messaging around motivations and profits etc. aren’t usually shared with clients.
Does your agency really need brand messaging?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: strong brand messaging helps establish your brand and improves your content marketing efforts overall. If you don’t define, develop, and create your own brand messaging, you won’t have as much control over how your business is perceived and the type of clients it attracts.
Let’s get into the details of this a little more.
1. Define your unique brand identity
Brand messaging is a powerful tool. It’s the foundation of your brand image and identity – your values, mission, and unique selling proposition. These are the unique elements of your business that your target audience will connect with the most.
A well-crafted and thought-out brand message clearly communicates to consumers what sets your brand apart, making it clear why they should choose you over competitors.
Think about companies that go viral on social media. Brand personality and identity can really shape how your business is perceived.
I live in Ireland, so I’m going to use the budget airline Ryanair as an example. They’re known for offering cheap fares and a very “you get what you pay for” travel experience.
They’re stingy when it comes to space and baggage allowance, and up until (too) recently, canned applause and triumphant trumpets would sound throughout the plane upon landing. But they’ve managed to leverage the reality of their company by crafting a very clever brand identity on social media.
They’re funny, responsive, and self-aware, and it means people give them a little more leniency around those super annoying parts of traveling with them. They’ve established themselves as the lovable rogue and managed to pull it off through brand messaging alone.
2. Build customer trust and loyalty
Another valuable thing your brand messaging can earn you is customer trust and loyalty.
Especially when you’re operating as an online business, it’s absolutely essential that your audience feels they can trust you. In fact, 81% of consumers won’t buy from a brand unless they’re sure they can trust them – those numbers speak for themselves!
Consistent brand messaging allows you to build a sense of familiarity and reliability that’s crucial for online businesses. When consumers are met with the same messaging across different platforms, it reinforces your brand identity, strengthens your brand perception, and deepens the sense of connection between you and your audience.
By being clear and consistent with your brand promise, there’ll be no question in the audience’s mind of how you can deliver real value to their lives. This will make them much more likely to get on board with your brand and to return to your business as a repeat customer.
3. Helps you stand out from the crowd
In an industry where everyone is trying to replicate the success of other agencies, you’ve got the upper hand.
Yes, you! How, you ask? Simply by being YOU!
I know, I know. “Be yourself” is such a cliché. But try not to roll your eyes – stay with me, please!
Competition is rife online these days. Audiences are fatigued. But you need to produce content to get noticed online. So, what can you do?
Instead of trying to follow the patterns of other businesses online, offer your audience something genuinely fresh and exciting to pull them out of the content-consuming funk they’ve inevitably found themselves in.
It can be difficult to see your own brand objectively, so try to take a step back. Think about your business as though it were your friend. What are the specific things you like about your nearest and dearest? What makes them so special?
Pick out those things about your brand. They’re the very things that your audience is going to love, too! By really leaning into what makes your brand so unique in your messaging, your brand will stand out a mile from all the others tip-toeing around and trying to fit into a “successful” mold. (A moment for the shady quotation marks, please.)
Showcase your USPs and how your business is so utterly and irresistibly relevant to your audience. Whether you offer the most innovative solutions, are incredibly dedicated to sustainability, or you’ve got an unparalleled sense of humor – let it be known!
Think catchy slogans, captivating headlines, and engaging messages that make your brand memorable.
4. Connect with your audience on a human level
Consumers are never simply buying products or services. They’re buying so much more than that: a feeling, an experience, an emotion.
Your brand message is the key to connecting with your audience on an emotional, human level. And trust me – it’s never been more important than now, with more bland AI content being pumped out than ever before.
Your target audience should be able to see a piece of themselves in your brand – and your brand message can really help fuel this essential connection.
Making that emotional link with your audience makes it significantly easier and more natural for them to trust your brand. It helps them see you as a part of their lives long-term, growing together and sharing the same values.
Brand advocacy and loyalty is absolutely everything when it comes to futureproofing your success – whatever success looks like to you. By having a solid group of customers who trust your process along for the ride, you can feel free to explore new elements of your business and really push to deliver the best you possibly can.
Bold advertising that’s direct and self-assured is an excellent way to evoke the kind of emotional response you’re after. Simply tap into your inner Don Draper from Mad Men when trying to crack this emotional code. (Except maybe without all the drinking, infidelity, and lying about your identity.)
How to create your very own brand messaging framework
Now it’s time to learn how to craft brand messaging that helps you achieve all of the above and so much more!
1. Know your target audience
The first and most fundamental element of your brand messaging is a clear understanding of your target audience – who they are, what they want, and what they need.
So, before you get lost in the fun part of dreaming up your brand message, pause for a moment and ask yourself who your target market is. What do they actually care about?
Once you’ve identified your key demographics, gather as much information and insights as you can so you can get a crystal-clear image of their needs, preferences, and pain points.
Create buyer personas and profiles to help you relate to them on a personal level. This way, you can get super specific in crafting a brand message that resonates with them.
Unsure? Think of your favorite client. Write down everything you love about working with them and why. There’s your user persona for future clients you’d love to work with.
2. Define your brand’s core values
Now it’s time to do a little inward reflection. Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to sit cross-legged on the floor, incense burning, while chanting some ancient mantra.
Take the time to properly get to the bottom of your brand’s essence and its defining factors by asking yourself:
- What are my company’s values?
- What does my business stand for?
- What is the true purpose of my brand?
- What principles guide how I do business?
These answers will serve as the foundation for your core brand message and brand positioning statement – ultimately, what your brand is, what it stands for, and who it serves.
Top tip: Stuck on core values? Write down everything you dislike about this industry and shady stuff you can’t stand your competitors doing. Now flip that round and BOOM those are your company’s guiding principles.
3. Find your brand voice
This is where the real fun begins if you ask me: figuring out your brand’s personality!
Everything you’ve learned up to this point is going to inform your brand voice and tone.
Just like your favorite recipes, your brand voice is all about balance. Communicate your message in a way that resonates with your audience, but still paints an accurate picture of who you are as a company.
Do you want to inspire your audience to make the world a better place? Make them feel taken care of? Or fill them with a sense of pure luxury? Whatever your goal is, find your brand voice and use it to deliver your message loud and clear.
It doesn’t matter whether your tone of voice is super formal or it’s a little quirky and left-field, so long as it’s instantly recognizable as your unique voice.
4. Be clear, concise, and consistent
You don’t need me to tell you that our collective attention spans are dwindling fast.
Getting to the point has always been an essential part of effective copywriting – and that’s truer now than ever!
That’s why your brand messaging must be clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Steer away from overly-complex vocabulary and industry jargon. Instead, keep your language simple and direct. You’re not going to impress anyone with a pile of excessive adjectives – let your incredible brand do the talking instead!
It’s also super important to keep your brand messaging consistent across all channels and throughout different marketing campaigns. Of course your tone might vary slightly depending on the platform, but always make sure the voice you’re using is easily recognizable as yours to help encourage that sense of familiarity and trust with your audience.
5. Be authentic
This is my copywriting golden rule.
Your audience is extremely media literate. They can tell when you’re not being sincere – whether that’s trying to be something you’re not, jumping on a bandwagon, or preaching a cause you simply don’t buy into.
If you really want your brand to stand out while effortlessly connecting with your target audience, communicate in a way that feels genuine and reflects your brand identity.
At the end of the day, you want to create a brand that you’re proud of. Your brand strategy and brand message framework should be no different.
Continue the brand messaging strategy conversation with The Admin Bar community!
Ready to create a successful brand messaging framework to help you achieve your business goals?
Sometimes, you just need to talk to other like-minded digital agency owners and freelancers to make sure you’re on the right track.
Join The Admin Bar Facebook group today. Everyone is welcome to join, ask questions, and share their experiences. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Abby Wood
Originally from Cambridge, England, Abby now lives in Ireland with her partner Nick and their border collie Bosco. A content strategist and copywriter for over 12 years, she's founder of The Content Lab (a white label content agency) and Content Goodies (providing white label content templates for agencies). She's also co-founder of Ireland Website Design (a full service eCommerce agency) and LearnRight (a white label LMS solution).
