Pillar 2: The Right Message

This is the third in an 8-part examination of The 7 Pillars of Successful Marketing

I want to remind you that the content from today’s blog comes directly from Bryan Pope’s  An Introduction to The 7 Pillars of Successful Marketing. Once again, I encourage you to buy the download and accompanying PDF. Listen to it multiple times and build your marketing plan using the 7 pillars to guide you. I also encourage you to check Bryan’s marketing blog.

Project a Message that will Drive Clients to Your Business

“Projecting the right message means more than just having a catchy slogan or a sharp
advertising campaign. It begins with a Unique Market Positioning Statement (UMPS)
that identifies clearly what your business is about. This statement acts as the foundation
for all your marketing messages, creating a cohesive image that adds impact to your
efforts delivered through various channels. If you have the right message, everything
from your advertisements and promotions, to the way you answer your phone, to the
experience people enjoy consistently when they are in the course of doing business with
you build on each other and build awareness in the minds of your clients and prospects.

Other elements of developing the right message include having a name and company
image that are consistent with what you are offering and don’t leave people wondering
who or what you might be. Too many people—especially small business owners—tend to
want to become clever with their name, graphical images (logos, business cards,
websites, etc.), and other identifying elements of their businesses. If a play on words or
other device works, no problem. But far too often these witty approaches require
explanation which takes away from their effectiveness. Remember the market research
pillar? It has many uses. Use it to make sure your company name, logo, and other image related
elements really say what you do!”

How to Develop The Right Message

“Your UMPS is built by answering the following questions and then stringing the
answers together into a brief paragraph. While your UMPS will never be used in its raw
form as a marketing message, it will provide a benchmark against which to check all your
marketing messages to see that you are consistently building a brand and appropriate
image for your company. The questions are:

• Who are we? (Do people know us by our company name? A brand name?)
• What do we do? (What solutions do we provide for our clients?)
• Who are our clients? (Build a brief and pointed profile.)
• What need/want do we fill? (If there’s no motivation, there’s no sale!)
• Who are our competitors? (Who is vying for the same dollars we are?)
• Why would someone do business with us? What sets us apart from others?

In addition, ask yourself these questions to enhance the right message (Hint: Use your marketing team to help you answer these questions!)

• Is our company’s name and logo consistent with what we offer? Is it clear?
• Is there a better name and/or image for our business?
• Do our prospects and clients enjoy a consistent, positive experience when interacting with our company and its people? If not, how can we change to make this the case?

Above all, the right message is all about creating a consistent, positive experience for
your clients and potential clients. The activities and elements included in this effort are
numerous. Be aware of this issue and you’ll begin seeing many places in your business
where you are not projecting a consistent message—or even the right message.”

Join me again on Thursday to discover the power of the 3rd pillar marketing strategy