A lot of times when we dive into marketing, we immediately start thinking about content ideas, promotions, or campaigns. And while that’s great (and we’d certainly never want to discourage business owners from thinking about marketing), today we want to talk about why every small business owner should sit down and figure out their core marketing messaging. 

By figuring out your core marketing messaging, you can figure out the key value propositions and positioning that will apply to all of your marketing, not just an individual social media post or ad campaign. 

Without it, you could end up with really inconsistent messaging that’s confusing to potential customers, or worse, you could be reaching an audience that isn’t even relevant to you. 

Documenting your core marketing message and staying true to it will make your marketing strategy easier to develop and more successful in the long term! So today, let’s take a look at: 

• What is core marketing messaging?
• Signs your marketing messaging needs work
• The core components of marketing messaging
• How to define your core marketing messaging
• Common mistakes to avoid when crafting core messaging
• Refining your messaging over time

What Is Core Marketing Messaging?

First, your core marketing messaging makes up the central, consistent information that you’re communicating through all of your marketing efforts. The core parts that make up your messaging are things like: your value proposition, your brand promise, your positioning or differentiation, and your tone and voice. 

Altogether, this is what makes your marketing cohesive, professional, and strengthens your brand. 

Signs Your Marketing Messaging Needs Work

You might think that you have this down already but let us share a few signs that despite how you feel, your core marketing messaging needs work.

First, are you struggling with sales? Getting a ton of questions from potential customers? Maybe you’re not happy with the type of clients you’re getting? All of those signs mean that you’re core marketing messaging probably isn’t working for you. 

It’s possible that your messaging is confusing, which can lead customers to purchase elsewhere. Or maybe they’re not really understanding the value behind what you’re offering. If your messaging isn’t strategic (which really just means intentional and coordinated), it can also resonate with audiences that aren’t right for you, causing a disconnect once they purchase or book with you. 

This is a very, very, common problem among small business owners so don’t worry, you’re not alone. Taking the opportunity to work on your marketing messaging isn’t as difficult as you might think, so keep reading, we’ve got you.

The Core Components of Marketing Messaging

If you’ve been nodding your head so far, now it’s time to get out a pen and paper. As you’re developing your marketing messaging, you should start to build out a:

• Value proposition: This should be a single statement that communicates the benefits and solutions you provide for your customers. 
• Brand promise: This is what customers can expect when they work with you, including the emotional benefits. 
• Target audience: This is who you’re reaching with your core messaging, including the pain points that you’re speaking to and addressing.
• Differentiators: Like your value proposition, these are the key points that make you different from your competitors, positioning you as the best solution for your audience. 
• Voice and tone: This is the personality behind your messaging and how you communicate it, which should resonate with your target audience. 

How to Define Your Core Marketing Messaging

It might seem like a lot to tackle, but don’t forget: you know your business better than anyone! As long as you have a bit of time and space, you’ll probably find it’s easier to develop your messaging than you think. 

If you’re just starting, think about where you want to be as a business in the next year and develop your messaging based on your goals. If you’re a more established business and have already had a good amount of customers and clients, spend some time looking back at those experiences. 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

• Which customers did I love working with, and why?
• Which customers were difficult, and why?
• What makes my business unique?
• Why would I work with my business if I was a customer? 
• What do I do better/differently than my competitors?
• How do I want my customers to feel when they’re working with me?

The answers to these questions can help you start to put together each element that makes up your messaging. 

And while we’re talking about it? You might know your business the best, but Enji can take it all to the next level. With our AI Copywriter and Brand Voice Tools, you can easily develop the voice that makes sense for your business, making you feel even more confident about your marketing. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Crafting Core Messaging

Now that you know how to put together your marketing messaging and the best practices to follow, it’s time to go over what to avoid. Keep these in mind so you aren’t making any of these mistakes. 

• Being too vague: Your core messaging is supposed to keep you focused throughout all of your marketing efforts, so anything vague will leave too much up for interpretation. In the end, you might have as much inconsistency as before (or sound a lot like your competitors)
• Not being realistic: There are aspects of your marketing messaging that can be aspirational, but you still want to be realistic about your market and what you’re able to offer. Not everything has to be “groundbreaking.”
• Not focusing on your audience: At the end of the day, your message has to resonate with the people buying your stuff. If they’re not top of mind, all of your work can end up being irrelevant to them (which won’t exactly help your bottom line). 
• Only focusing on features or benefits: One of the pitfalls we see is business owners only focusing on their tangible features or the emotional benefits they provide, not both. Your messaging needs to communicate both to put together the full picture. People often buy with their emotions first, and then they look for data or “features” to back it up.

Refining Your Core Marketing Messaging Over Time

Your marketing messaging should stay consistent, but that doesn’t mean it can’t evolve. As your business grows and changes, your messaging should as well. Sorry friends, but nothing in marketing is “set and forget.”

Defining your core marketing messaging is just the first step, but now it’s time to put it into action. Enji is the all-in-one marketing software designed to help you take that messaging and seamlessly implement it across your strategy. From content planning to AI-powered copywriting and brand voice tools, Enji ensures your marketing stays consistent, effective, and results-driven. Start your free trial now to see what all the fuss is about!