Messaging 101

January 22, 2014

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

- Zig Ziglar

What do you do?

How are you unique?

Why should I care?

What is Messaging?

Lets companies effectively talk about their products and the key benefits to the right target audiences.

Messaging (aka Core Messaging)

Why is Messaging Important?

• Answers the “So What?” question• Highlights your unique qualities• Differentiates your from rivals• Positions you within the marketplace

Sets the Table for Marketing

Perception is Reality

Photo credit: http://bit.ly/1fRu9fK

Why is Messaging So Challenging?

A Lack of Perspective

Sadly….It’s All About You

"I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal.” - Ron Burgundy

Unclear What You Actually Do

Spotlight on Features, Not Benefits

vs.Features Benefits

How to

Messaging

Make the Customer King

Put Yourself in the Other Person’s Shoes

Photo credit: http://bit.ly/1jofiaF

Collect Ideas from Everyone

100 blog post ideas in less than

5 hours – via Marcus Sheridan

(aka The Sales Lion)

Be Open to New

Get Unbiased Perspective

The Messaging Process

Discovery

What do you do?

What do you do?

What problems are you solving?

What do you do?

What problem are you solving?

Who needs it?

What do you do?

What problem are you solving?

Who needs it?

What’s in it for me?

Competitive Ecosystem

Financial management

Financial software School fund

accounting needs• Integrated solution• Control of budgets

& spending• Sophisticated

workflow

• Integrated accounting and payment platform

• Fraud prevention• Clean audits

• Integrate important financial, budgeting and procurement data

• Centralize tasks and processes

• Real-time insight

• Amazing productivity• Better technology

• Solutions that help schools to maximize their resources

• Seamless integration

Talk to Customers or Potential Customers

Target Audiences

Be Different, Unique…or Both

Photo credit: http://bit.ly/1eNhhBZ

Draw a Line in the Sand

What are the goals for the blog?How will you measure its success?

Messaging

Key Benefits

Value Propositions

Leading Features

Boilerplate

Elevator Pitch

Positioning Statement

The ThreeC’s

One More Thing………

Never. Stop. Tweaking.

Thanks!www.markevans.ca

@markevans

mark@markevans.ca

http://bit.ly/startupscanada

ResourcesHow to come up with value propositions when what you sell isn’t uniquehttp://bit.ly/1hVbvU8

SWOT Analysis – How to do it properly!http://bit.ly/1dOD8qQ

The value of value propositionshttp://www.markevans.ca/2013/10/29/value-value-propositions/

For startups, perceptions is realityhttp://www.markevans.ca/2014/01/14/perception/

Why Simple Websites are Scientifically Betterhttp://conversionxl.com/why-simple-websites-are-scientifically-better/