Is Your Messaging Missing?

 

An entrepreneur has a lot on her plate. Between developing her products, fine-tuning her services, securing funding, finding reliable suppliers, and landing customers, going through an in-depth branding exercise often falls by the waysides.

She goes to market with her product, a stylish logo, a simple yet slick website, and all the passion in her heart, but it’s not long before she realizes something is missing…

SCENE 1 // The first clue comes when she meets up with old colleagues who ask about her exciting new venture. She shares about it enthusiastically but quickly realizes she’s rambling and Can’t. Quite. Cut. To. The. Chase. She leaves drinks feeling like she undersold her passion and wonders why it was so difficult to talk about her expertise. {Ugh}

SCENE 2 // The next clue comes when she sits down to write her weekly blog post. She opens up her laptop, finds home row, stares at the blinking cursor, and… nothing. She has nothing to write. It seems her launch excitement has given way to a bad case of “bloggers block.”

SCENE 3 // To break the tension and “search for creative inspiration,” she heads over to her trusty friend Instagram. She remembers that she needs to update the description on her profile tab. As she scans her pictures, she’s struck by how her posts are a messy mash up of quotes in contrasting fonts, fuzzy day-in-the-life captures, #annoyinglylonghashtags that are unrelated to her business or audience, and far too many food pics [fine if you are in the biz, not fine if you are selling stationary like she is.] Most troubling is that she secretly wonders if she’d follow her own account if given the chance.

These scenarios have our intrepid ‘trep wondering: “What on earth am I really trying to say???”

Does this sound familiar? If I’m honest, I know this has been me on more than one occasion. I’ve found myself asking, “What’s my point?” “What’s my big idea?” and “What did I just communicate about my brand…really?”

I have found that a common culprit in these situations and others like them is missing-in-action brand messaging.

When our messaging is MIA...

1. We tend to undersell our value

2. Content creation becomes a chore and

3. Our audience is confused about who we are and what we do.

None of this helps our chances at business success.

This begs the question, what is brand messaging and how do I create it?

Technically speaking, brand messaging is a collection of written statements that form the foundation of a business’ communication strategy. Over the years marketing scholars and practitioners have developed many different frameworks for arriving at messaging and formatting it, but at a minimum your statements should articulate:

1. Why you do what you do
2. What you care about
3. How you work your magic
4. Who your magic helps or delights
5. How you differ from the competition
6. The language used to describe your products and/or services and
7. How you share [tone and voice] about all of the above

Solid brand messaging is your first port of call on the journey towards creating a meaningful brand. This matters because, as Simon Sinek says, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

In other words, people buy your purpose.

Smart messaging articulates your purpose, which is what gives meaning to what you do and sell [not to mention your logo and visual identity].

Everyone who shapes your brand – that’s actually everyone who works in your business [and even some that don’t] – must know your purpose and messaging in order to “sell” and build the right thing. Codifying your meaning into a living, breathing, working brand messaging document will go a long way in helping you get everyone on the same page.

There is much more to say on this topic, so I’m starting the multi-part Articulation Series here on The Ampersand. In each post we will unpack how to translate the heartbeat of a brand into words.

You will learn:

1. Tips for uncovering and articulating your purpose and vision.
2. The essential elements of a brand messaging guide (e.g. positioning statement, brand values, essence, etc.) and what each is intended to accomplish.
3. How to write your product or service key messages.
4. How to practically use your brand messaging to create content for your brand [because it is not okay to just copy and paste your messaging onto your website].
5. And much, much more!

This just might be my favorite topic to read and write about, so I hope you’ll join me as we explore the heartbeat of our brands because if you want to get clear on your business' purpose and meaning, brand messaging is what will get you there.

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Tired of going solo?

This series will be a great primer for DIYing your own brand messaging, but if you have tried going solo before with less-than-stellar results Stark & Splendor’s Articulation Intensive might be just for you.

In this 4-to-6-week program we craft words and ideas that powerfully express your brand's purpose and personality to rally your teams and audiences around why you matter.

To chat about your brand messaging needs, contact me at steph@starkandsplendor.com.

Brand Crush: Draper James

A few weeks ago, I was delighted to learn about Reese Witherspoon's new southern lifestyle brand, Draper James, via PureWow. While my fashion preferences lean more towards modern silhouettes and bohemian touches, I was quite taken by the launch of this decidedly pretty and preppy brand. Reese and her team are doing a wonderful job of using brand language, savvy copywriting, and storytelling to carve out a solid positioning in the upscale women's sportswear category.

Draper James is a well-funded, celebrity-backed outfit, but that doesn't mean that you can't apply some of their swift branding moves to your own small business. To prove it, I've rounded-up four brand language ideas to inspire you straight from the Draper James playbook.

1. Get a clear brand essence.

Just a moment on the Draper James site is all it takes to capture what this brand is all about: a celebration of the South.

I consider a brand essence to be a punchy and powerful phrase that summarizes everything a brand stands in just a few words.

"Celebrating the South" seems to wink at you from every corner of the Draper James homepage -- from the monogrammed logo, to the sky and navy blue brand colors, to the "Grace and Charm" tag line, to the sweet tea in Reese's hand. Emblems of the American South are everywhere.

As if that weren't enough, the brand essence is also beautifully summarized on the About Us page. Check out these last two paragraphs.

Pinpointing a brand essence is one of the fundamental things I do with clients in Stark & Splendor's Articulation Intensive. The purpose of this processes is to give their brand a "north star." All branding and content decisions flow from there. It is a critical step to developing a strong brand, and Draper James has clearly nailed it.

Do you feel like your brand has a north star or essence? If not, consider what two-or-three-word phrase you might use to describe everything your business stands for.

2. Share a personal narrative.

While skimming through the website, you get the sense that Draper James is more than just another celebrity fashion project. Instead, you feel like it emanates from an authentic love and respect for the people, places, and customs of the South. How did Reese and her team manage this?

I think it has a lot to do with storytelling.

Reese's personal narrative on the About Us page lets us in on the inspiration for the brand -- her grandparents.

Through old portraits, cute family anecdotes, and a heartfelt video, Reese does a great job of telling the story of her romance with the South.

Check out the video here:

How can you use storytelling to inject heart and authenticity into your brand? Start with the "About Page" but don't limit yourself to that space only!

3. Use clever colloquialisms.

Try reading the Draper James site copy aloud without inserting your own coquettish drawl.

Betcha you can't! 

That's because the brand's copywriters have done a wonderful job of using colloquial language to make us feel like we're a part of their big, happy Southern family.

Here's some examples of how Draper James has used informal language to infuse the brand with real grace and charm.

Notice, that using slang and colloquialisms doesn't mean sloppy copywriting or writing exactly how you speak. Instead, this style of writing borrows key phrases and imagery from spoken language to add meaning and emotion to otherwise polished copy.

Would using regional slang, a relaxed tone, or informal language help you better connect with your audience?

4. Give your audience reasons to believe.

WWD reports that 40% of Draper James' line is manufactured in the South. The company partners with artists and makers in Charleston and Savannah, amongst other Southern cities, to produce items such as homeware, silver and stationary. By doing so, Draper James shows that it's not just appropriating Southern culture, but it actually celebrates the South by investing in the economic and artistic vibrancy of the region.

This is a prime example of how branding has more to do with what companies do, then what they say. Draper James gives consumers a solid reason to believe the brand essence.

What can your business do, operationally and concretely, to live the brand essence? How can you better share what you are already doing with your audiences?

Now I'd love to hear from you. What brands are you crushing on these days? Who's doing a great job of using language and copywriting to elevate their brand?

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In this post, I mention Stark & Splendor's Articulation Intensive. It is a first stop for clients that are fuzzy about what their brand stands for or how to communicate that to the world.

Are you confident that your brand has a unique and compelling identity? Do you have trouble talking about your services or products because you don't know the best words to use to communicate your uniqueness? Perhaps you have a logo and visual branding, but you still feel that your online presence is all over the place and you need clarity and consistency in your comms.

The Articulation Intensive addresses these common issues and so much more. It is ideal for small businesses, creative entrepreneurs, and consultants preparing to grow. Email me at steph@starkandsplendor.com for more information.

6 Web Copy Mistakes Start-Ups Make

 

When it comes time to write the web copy for your new site, it can feel more than a little overwhelming. Staring at a blank screen, trying to decide what to say, how to say it and in what order — it’s enough to send anyone running (or at least, running for our Articulation Intensive).

There are a lot of things to keep in mind while trying to craft clever and compelling web copy and we’ll continue to offer advice on this blog. But for now, we’ve put together six common mistakes start-ups and entrepreneurs make when drafting the wording for their sites.

1. Using generic language

Is your product "innovative and unique"? Great, so is everyone else’s. Using generic or jargon-y terms to describe your product or service won’t do you any favors. It won’t help you stand out from your competitors and won’t get potential customers excited about your brand.

Instead, think of the truly unique aspects of your brand and use that language to describe it. And once you’ve drafted a version of your web copy, go through and highlight any words that seem generic or off-brand. Take some time to consider alternatives that speak more authentically to who you are and help differentiate you from the crowd. The thesaurus is your friend here, since it can help you find words with similar meaning to those generic terms but that speak much more strongly to your brand experience.

2. Not including your "why"

Talking about the products or services you provide is fantastic, but it can also be hugely helpful to explain why you launched the brand you did. What makes you so passionate about this industry? What are you hoping to accomplish? What struggles got you to this point?

All of these "whys" help paint a clearer picture of your brand and let customers feel like they know you. If they can relate to your passion or struggles it creates a connection, which in turn makes them more engaged clients and brand evangelists.

3. Making it all about you

That said, while you definitely want to include information about yourself and why you created the company you did, your website copy shouldn’t be all about you and what you do. You also want to address why your customers should care about the product or service you provide.

What’s in it for them? What benefits (whether financial, emotional, physical, etc.) will they receive from buying from you? Make this as clear as possible so customers can feel confident in their purchases.

4. Trying to be all things to all people

We get it, you want as many people as possible to buy your product or service. But trying to appeal to a wide, general audience is generally a recipe for disaster. It forces you to water down your language (and remember, we don’t want generic) or bounce around from idea to idea, trying to cover all your bases. Neither tactic gives audiences a clear vision of what you can offer them. There’s a saying: "In trying to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one." Keep it in mind and focus on writing web copy specific to your target audience only.

5. Word vomiting on your homepage

It is important to let people know what you’re all about, why they should buy from you, etc. But loading up your homepage with massive blocks of text will only scare people away. Think of your homepage like a trailer for a movie. You don’t want to give away all the good stuff, but you do want to entice people enough to keep scrolling or clicking.

A smart tagline that clearly conveys your brand, a short paragraph or bullet point list that explains what you’re about and clear instructions on how to learn more is a great starting point for the top of your homepage. And if you do want to include more text, just be sure to break things up visually with photos, bullet points, icons and more to keep readers’ eyes moving down the page instead of glazing over.

6. Keeping things too vague

On the flip side, if your homepage or website in general doesn’t clearly convey what you’re offering and why people should buy from you, then you need to keep working.

Some start-ups merely give a brief overview or show a flashy-but-unclear video and then ask potential customers to contact them for more information. And while this might work with some people, most will simply move on to another website that doesn’t make them work for information.

Remember that there are an endless amount of sites out there and you have competition no matter what industry you’re in. So make your site quick and easy to read, and make sure you web copy clearly conveys who you are, what you do and why they should care. Doing so helps ensure that your customers stay on your site and don’t head elsewhere out of frustration or boredom.