What’s Brand Messaging? (You Need It BEFORE Copywriting)

Forgot about brand messaging? Then your audience will forget about you. 

Or better: your business won’t pop into their minds when they’re finally ready to invest in the type of services or products you sell.

Shall we bypass this not-so-delightful scenario? 

Find out why you desperately need to work on your brand messaging (and yes, that’s before you write or invest in new copy).

Understanding brand messaging 

Let’s start with a simple definition.

What is brand messaging?

Brand messaging is the way you talk and write about your business, what you focus on the most, and how you convey your specific value proposition to your target audience in a way that resonates with THEM.

It’s how you communicate your mission, brand story, and personality across all of your marketing channels.

And, of course, in order to communicate them effectively… you first need to be crystal clear on what they actually are for your business!

Brand messaging examples

Brand messaging isn’t really something you can “see”. It’s more about how you make your audience feel about your business and what you help them focus on (and remember).

Still, I’m gonna share a couple of snippets to give you a flavour of just how big a difference this can make.

The following brand messaging examples are from the websites of two coaches for female entrepreneurs:

MG Coach uses a straight-to-the-point, matter-of-fact tone that inspires confidence. Even though her services help her clients improve their overall life too, her focus is clearly on business. More specifically, on getting results “faster, better, easier.”

Becky Stanton has an uplifting tone, which makes her clients feel empowered and sense an instant connection with her (e.g. “and the truth is, that magic is already inside of you.”). Her focus is on helping them create an abundant life overall.

See? They’re both coaches and both working with female entrepreneurs, but their brand messaging paints a completely different picture right from the start.

When you master this, you’ll start attracting and connecting with your dream clients—and repelling the wrong prospects, which is just as important.  

And what is a brand messaging framework?

A brand messaging framework is a document that clarifies elements like your value proposition, core focus, and tone of voice. It also includes guidelines on how to keep your communication consistent when talking about your business.

That way, it doesn’t matter if it’s just you, if you have a team, or if you’re planning on outsourcing some aspects of your business: a brand messaging framework will ensure that its focus stays consistent no matter who’s writing about it, when, and on what channel.

Why you need brand messaging—before hiring a copywriter

And for full transparency: this comes from someone who used to be known for her standalone copywriting services. One of the main reasons why I pivoted and swapped them for a brand messaging & website copy offer?

Because I told you: you really do need to fine-tune your brand messaging before hiring a copywriter.

And I had to learn that the hard way.

I’ll tell you why through some examples, but let’s first focus on those core reasons.

1. Without clear brand messaging, you’re “just another option in your niche”

… and you’d be leaving a ton of money on the table. 

Because if you:

❌ can’t communicate what sets you apart from your competitors

❌ aren’t clear on WHAT to focus on when marketing your business and HOW to say it

❌ can’t articulate the value of your services or products in a way that resonates with your audience

… why should your dream prospects choose you instead of your competitors?

Brand messaging, on the other hand, allows you to fine-tune your value proposition and communication so they connect with your specific audience.

That way, choosing you becomes a no-brainer.

2. If you’re not clear on it, you can’t expect your copywriter to convey your brand message through your copy

Newsflash: copywriters can’t read minds (yet).

That’s why, before starting a project, they’ll get you to fill in a brief. If you’ve never thought about your brand messaging, though, you won’t be able to do that. Or you’d end up giving extremely vague answers… which would then lead to extremely vague copy.

For example, before becoming a brand messaging consultant as well as a copywriter, I worked with clients who’d answer like “oh, we REALLY care.” The question? “What sets you apart from your competitors.” You can see why that wouldn’t be enough, now, can’t you?

Or a fellow copywriter told me that a client expected her to nail their personality even though all they had told her about it was “We’re like an oat milk latte.”

Instead, when you’re clear on your brand message, a copywriter will be able to clarify and amplify those core concepts through your copy, crafting words that actually SELL.

3. You’d end up confusing your audience whenever you write or talk about your business

When I used to offer standalone website copywriting services, my clients would obviously receive strategic words that positioned them as THE go-to solution for their target audience.

But then I realised there was a big problem:

sure, the website copy itself kept working in the background for them… but when my old clients wrote about their business on social media, their blog, and other channels? 

Most of them would end up muddling that core message.

They’d start focusing on different things altogether or go from “Here’s what we can do for you” to “We are so passionate about this and that and blah blah boring”.

And that’s something I see online ALL. THE. TIME.

❌ The website copy tells one story (e.g. “I’m a graphic designer on a mission”)

❌ Their Instagram bio offers a different business summary (e.g. “I offer graphic design services for solopreneurs”)

❌ So does their LinkedIn headline (“I’ve completed +100 graphic design projects and social media templates for my clients”)

❌ So do their social media posts (“I’m here to make your brand  more colourful.”)

❌ And so on

That’s why I eventually introduced a brand messaging guide as part of my signature offer: to make it a breeze for my clients to tell a consistent story and stay true to their brand messaging whenever and wherever they talk or write about their business.

Because here’s the truth: if your focus keeps changing, you can’t expect your audience to think of you when they’re finally ready to invest!

The right brand messaging helps your dream audience understand and remember exactly what you do and how it’ll benefit them. 

So, make sure you are clear on that first and can always keep it consistent.

Nail your brand messaging with the help of an expert

By now, I’m sure you understand the importance of a clear brand messaging framework, but… I get it: it’s not easy to define it when you’re so close to your business.

After all, what you’re personally excited about (“I’m so passionate about my work”) is unlikely to be what your audience needs to hear.

Well, that’s one of the reasons why I niched down as a brand messaging strategist as well as a copywriter: to unlock and fine-tune my clients’ core message and brand story.

Perfect for fellow women service providers in particular, the 🧲Magnetic Message & Web Copy Makeover✨ will give you:

• Brand messaging to position you as THE go-to solution for your ideal clients

• Entirely done-for-you website copy that actually sells for you, even when you’re sleeping

• Bespoke guide to amplify your messaging through your marketing (so that you always know WHAT to focus on and HOW to articulate the value of your services)

  Ready to attract more clients who already want to work with YOU (and you only)?

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