Part of being an effective marketer is creating a brand message that resonates with your target audience. It’s a difficult thing to achieve, even though it may sound basic. Although marketing teams do recognize customer pain points and human emotion, many struggle to develop a brand message.

Why Do Brands Fall Short?

In many cases, marketers miss the mark with their audience because they aren’t going deep enough. They may think like the customer, but only in a general frame of mind.

Let’s say that you own a company that sells shoes for toddlers and children. Your marketing team defines your target buyer as being a parent of a child or toddler. What’s important to this buyer is a quality shoe at a good price.

This is a great start. But, does this information really help you generate a resonating brand message that will speak to your target persona and protect your reputation? Not quite.  

To get the brand message right, here are a few things to ask yourself.

  • Who are you trying to sell to?
  • What does your company do better?
  • Why should customers care about your product?

Who Are You Selling To?

Always be specific about who you want to sell to. It allows you to concentrate on a specific type of person and their motivations for buying your product. In this case, you could narrow down “parents” to “moms.” You’re more likely to sell to a mom, so why not speak to her directly?

Other factors to consider about your target buyer are her age, how many children she has and her interests. Does she work full-time and need a durable shoe for her child’s daycare? Is she a stay-at-home mom that relies on a sturdy shoe for parks and playdates? Also think of her pain points. Is she tired of buying shoes that fall apart?

What Makes Your Product Better?

The next step is to list out the ways that your product is different – better. Can your shoes be thrown in the washing machine? Are they comfortable? Blister free? Waterproof? Rather than listing off the features and benefits of your product, tell a story. Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool that pulls people in and encourages them to connect with the brand – and ultimately – the product.

Why Should People Care?

The last step is to understand why a person would care about your product. Kid shoes are certainly not hard to find, so why would a mom want yours? Fortunately, if you are successful at defining your target buyer and sharing a touching story, the last puzzle piece falls into place.

Producing a resonating brand message is harder than it looks. The key is to become one with your audience and truly think about things from their perspective. When you do develop your brand message, remember to be consistent. Your audience will expect the same voice in all of your promotional materials.