There’s a book by a bloke called John Espirian that flew under the radar when it was released.
This book, which I purchased on pre-release, is called CONTENT DNA.
As per the back cover, John teaches us that by focusing on two key elements – consistency and congruency in your messaging – you can create a strong and memorable brand that resonates with your target audience.
Wow.
This was one of those “Aha” moments for me.
For so long, I was focusing on creating content that was informative and interesting. But I never really thought about my brand’s messaging strategy. And then along came AI.
With the rise of artificial intelligence, brand messaging has become even more important… and John’s book has become slightly prophetic.
AI is homogenising everything. And because it’s forcing surf businesses (and every business, tbh) to do more than just post a pretty picture or write an article and hope for the best, it’s pushing marketers towards becoming strategists too.
I started out as a copywriter, but brand messaging has become such a vital part of my job that I often refer to myself as a part-time brand messaging strategist.
What exactly is brand messing though? And why is it so important for surf businesses to have one?
Here’s why in a fast-moving and dynamic digital world you absolutely need a brand messaging strategy.
Introduction to brand messaging
Google “What is brand messaging” and it’ll provide you with a variety of answers.
At its core, brand messaging is the combination of words and phrases that a company uses to communicate its values, mission and unique selling proposition. It’s essentially the language that a brand uses to connect with its target audience and convey what it stands for.
All well and good, but I have a different, more prosaic definition.
To me, brand messaging is a way to de-stress and de-clutter your marketing and advertising efforts. It’s about creating a consistent and cohesive narrative for your brand that makes it easier for both you and your target audience to understand what you’re all about.
It’s a fancy way of crystallising how your product, service or location can transform a customer or guest’s life. And it’s a crucial component of successful marketing and branding.
Key components of a brand messaging strategy
Ideal audience
Who is your ideal audience? Every surf brand must first and foremost define their ideal client. And when I say define, I mean dig into the details.
Here are the key areas to identify in your audience:
- Demographics: Age, gender, location, income level and education level
- Interests: What are their hobbies and interests? Do they have a passion for surfing or do they just enjoy the beach lifestyle?
- Values: What do they care about? Are they eco-conscious or passionate about social justice?
- Problems and Pain Points: What challenges and struggles does your ideal audience face that your surf brand can solve?
This is the perfect time to conduct VoC (Voice of Customer) research or surveys to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience. Learn more about voice of customer research.
UVP and USP
Your Unique Value Proportion (UVP) and Unique Selling Proposition (USP) are crucial elements of your brand messaging strategy. These define what makes your surf business stand out from competitors and why a potential customer should choose you over others.
Here are the definitions of UVP and USP:
- Unique Value Proportion (UVP): This is a statement that clearly communicates the unique value or benefit your product or service provides to customers. It’s essentially your promise to customers and should be reflected in all of your messaging.
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP): This is what sets you apart from competitors and highlights why customers should choose your surf business over others. It’s a specific aspect of your brand that makes it stand out.
For example, if your surf business offers eco-friendly surf lessons for beginners, then your UVP could be “Learn to Surf while Protecting Our Oceans” and your USP could be “The only surf school in the area with a strong focus on sustainability”.
Core values
Your values are how you act and behave. They’re the engine that drives how you do business and present yourself to the world. Having concrete core values removes any ambiguity and helps you stay true to your brand’s identity.
Here’s are prompts to create your core values:
- Passion: What drives your passion for surfing and how does it align with your surf brand’s mission?
- Personality: If your brand was a person, what would their personality be like?
- Principles: What principles guide your decision-making and actions as a surf brand?
Conversion story
You can call this a brand story or origin story. Personally, I prefer the term conversion story because by changing the word “origin” to “conversion,” you’re creating a narrative that focuses on how your story is similar to your target audience’s story and why they should choose your brand.
Here’s how to develop your conversion story:
- Your origin: Think about how and why your surf brand was founded. What inspired you to start this business?
- Challenges: What were the biggest challenges you faced in bringing your brand to life? How did you overcome them? How are they similar to challenges your target audience faces?
- Transformation: How has your surf brand transformed since its inception? What lessons have you learned and how have they shaped your brand’s identity? Can you see similarities between your brand’s transformation and the transformations your customers experience after using your product or service?
A brand story will focus on your brand’s identity and journey, but a conversion story will connect that to your target audience and show them why they should choose your surf business.
Obviously, having a good brand story OR conversion story is a key part of effective brand messaging. But I like the conversion story because it shows empathy and understanding of your target audience.
Tone and voice
It helps to think of your brand as a person. How would that person talk? What kind of language and tone would they use? Is your brand serious or playful, professional or casual?
Some marketers use celebrities or characters as inspiration for their brand’s tone of voice. I use surfers. Are you laidback with a sense of humour like Matty Wilkinson? Powerful and forthright like Adriano de Souza? Elegant yet precise like Stephanie Gilmore?
Here’s how to define your tone of voice:
- Tone: The tone is the overall feeling and attitude of your brand’s voice. It can range from serious to humorous, authoritative to friendly. Your brand mood, in a nutshell
- Voice: These are the types of words you use, the pacing of your sentences and even punctuation. It’s like having a vocabulary that identifies your brand
For example, the tone of my brand is professional, minimalist and modern, while my voice is friendly, helpful and down-to-earth. How would your surf brand’s tone and voice be described?
Benefits of having a brand messaging strategy
The benefits of having a clear and concise brand messaging strategy are invaluable. It sets the foundation for all of your marketing efforts and helps establish a strong connection with your target audience. Here are some key benefits:
- Differentiates from competitors: A well-defined brand messaging strategy will highlight what makes your surf brand unique and different from competitors, allowing you to stand out in a crowded market
- Builds trust and loyalty: When your messaging is clear, consistent, and authentic, it builds trust with your audience. This establishes a strong emotional connection and leads to brand loyalty
- Attracts ideal customers: With a targeted messaging strategy, you can attract the right kind of customers who resonate with your brand’s values and message. This leads to more meaningful connections and long-term relationships
- Creates consistency: A solid brand messaging strategy ensures that all aspects of communication, from social media posts to website copy, are in line with your brand’s voice and tone. This creates a cohesive image for your surf business
- Increases conversions: When your messaging resonates with your target audience, it increases the likelihood of conversions. Your messaging should clearly communicate the benefits and value of your surf business, convincing potential customers to choose you over others
How to create your own brand messaging strategy
Within this document, we’ve discussed the key components of a brand messaging strategy.
Now it’s time to put it all together and create your own personalised strategy! Here are some steps you can follow to develop your brand messaging strategy:
Step 1: Identify your target audience
Who are you trying to reach with your surf business? What are their interests, values and pain points? Draw a picture of them and list out their key characteristics. Put it next to your computer or laptop until you know exactly who they are. Knowing your target audience is crucial in developing effective messaging that resonates with them.
Step 2: Define your brand identity
Take a deep dive into what makes your surf business unique. This includes identifying your USV, USP, core values and conversion story.
Step 3: Clarify your message
Based on your brand identity and target audience, determine the key message you want to convey. This should be clear, concise and easy to remember. People have limited capacity for information, so make sure your message is simple and impactful.
Step 4: Develop your tone and voice
As discussed earlier, think about how your brand would speak if it were a person. Define the tone and voice that best represents your surf business and have that in mind when creating content.
Step 5: Implement consistency
Make sure all aspects of communication, from social media posts to website copy, align with your brand’s messaging strategy. Then, repeat, repeat, repeat. The key here is consistency.
Step 6: Test and refine
Don’t be afraid to test out different versions of your messaging strategy to see what resonates best with your target audience. Use feedback from customers and analytics to continually refine and improve upon it
Need help with your brand messaging strategy?
Need help developing a brand messaging strategy for your surf business that builds revenue and makes your life easier?
- Send an email to hello@thesurfingcopywriter.com
- Tell me about your goals and your surf business
- We’ll organise a free consultation to discuss how we can create an effective brand messaging strategy for your business