Brand Messaging: What Story Should Your Website Tell?
One of the most exciting things about starting a new website project is creating (or refreshing) your branding.
While logos, color schemes, and imagery may come to mind first when you think of “branding,” these are just one part of the bigger brand picture.
The other half?
Your brand messaging.
Clear and intentional brand messaging drives effective website copy, and is essential for any successful website project.
But if you’re struggling to articulate your brand’s messaging, you’re not alone. Defining your brand’s message can be overwhelming without a few guiding principles to lead the way.
So, let’s dive deeper into what brand messaging is and how you can use it to create a website that resonates with your audience and builds your business.
What is brand messaging?
At its core, brand messaging is how you communicate your offering and values to your audience.
Your messaging tells the heart and soul of your business.
It’s the unique voice, personality, and story that sets you apart from the crowd. It’s what turns casual website visitors into loyal customers or clients.
The ingredients of good brand messaging
Leverage your uniqueness.
Your brand messages cannot be generic statements like "We provide great services” or “We’re passionate about what we do”.
Use your brand message to highlight what sets your brand apart from others in your field.
What unique benefits or solutions do you offer to your customers?
How do you solve their problems differently than someone else?
Why should your target audience choose your brand over another?
Be clear.
Your brand message should be clear enough that others can easily remember it and share it. Avoid using jargon or overly complex language.
Have a distinct personality.
Define the personality or character of your brand. Is it friendly, professional, rebellious, or sophisticated? This helps create a consistent tone and voice that feels relatable and recognizable to your audience.
Tap into emotions.
No matter what you offer, you aren’t just selling a product or service. You’re also selling a feeling (relief, confidence, excitement, fulfillment). Your brand message should convey how working with your brand makes customers feel.
Use the power of story.
Did you know that ideas are up to 22 times more memorable when presented as a story?
But, rather than focus on your personal story or the story of your business, focus on the story of transformation that customers experience when they work with you.
Let’s dive deeper into the storytelling aspect of brand messaging.
How to write your brand story
The core brand story you need in your messaging is very simple:
How do you make your customers' lives better?
Storytelling is how humans have connected and shared ideas since the beginning of time. In modern-day marketing, it offers a powerful tool for building connections and engaging your audience in a meaningful way.
Interestingly, the most captivating stories all follow a similar arc. This became the foundation for a copywriting framework created by Donald Miller, called StoryBrand.
The idea is to apply the story arc our brains know and love to your own brand story.
The story formula goes like this:
A character (your client) wants something – to achieve, or be, or feel something different. But, they have a problem standing in their way. That is until you come in as an empathetic and expert guide with a solution to their problem. You give them a plan and call them to action so they can fulfill their desire and avoid failure.
Let’s unpack these story elements.
Answer the questions below to start defining your unique brand story:
A character wants something.
Who is your ideal client? What current goal do they have, or what brighter future do they envision?
But they have a problem.
What tangible problem is currently keeping your client from getting (or feeling) what they want? What emotional or deeper issues arise when they think about their current situation?
Until a guide arrives with a solution.
Why are you the person to help them? How can you relate or empathize with them? What experience or credentials do you have to help? Now, how exactly do you use your experience to lead them closer to their desire?
You give them a plan and call them to action.
What 3-4 simple steps do they need to take to make doing business with you (and achieving their goal) feel achievable and exciting? Now, what do they need to do to take that very first step?
So they can avoid failure.
What negative experiences or feelings will you help your client avoid with your solution? What would they miss out on if they didn’t choose to work with you?
And fulfill their desire.
What will the future look like for your client after they work with you? What tangible and intangible benefits will they experience?
A quick-start exercise to define your core message
This exercise will help you define your simplest brand message – ideally in a sentence or two – as well as tick the boxes on three essential things your website must explain.
What do you do? Don’t leave people guessing. Explain clearly what you do, how you help them, or what working with you looks like.
Who do you do it for? Who is your target client? Clearly defining who you work with will help eligible clients and customers see themselves in your brand story and know they’re in the right place.
What is the result? Paint a picture of success. Explain how your solution will move your target audience closer to their goals or the dream life they envision.
Here are some examples:
LauChereState: We offer a library of 700+ professional Canva marketing templates for modern realtors and agents to grow your reach, generate strong leads, and close more deals.
Rise Digital: We’re Google Workspace experts and digital strategists. By providing Google Workspace setup, migration, technical support, and other services, we help organizations in North America improve productivity and performance.
Conclusion
Your website isn't just a digital storefront; it's a platform to share your brand story with the world. Use the elements of storytelling and intentional brand messaging to connect more deeply, build stronger trust, and make your potential clients feel right at home on your site.
Ready to start a new project? Need help with your brand messaging? Get in touch!
