Ask five people in your business to describe what it does in one sentence. If you get five different answers, some vague and some long, you have a messaging problem. Customers will be getting five versions too, which usually means they remember none of them. A clear value proposition fixes that.
Messaging is the words side of your brand: the core statements you repeat everywhere so people understand what you offer and why they should care. It sits between strategy, which decides what you stand for, and copywriting, which turns it into web pages, ads and brochures.
Get it written down once and every piece of marketing after it gets easier, faster and more consistent.
The three layers of a messaging framework
A simple framework for a small business has three layers. Each supports the one above.
- Value proposition: one or two sentences that say what you do, for whom, and why you’re the better choice.
- Key messages: three supporting points, each a reason to choose you.
- Proof points: the facts, examples and evidence that back up each message.
That’s it. It can fit on one page, and it should.
Writing the value proposition
A value proposition isn’t a slogan. It doesn’t need to be clever. It needs to be clear and specific enough that a stranger understands it first time.
A useful starting formula:
We help [specific customer] [achieve outcome or solve problem] by [how you do it differently].
For example: “We help independent retailers sell online without the headache, by building, running and supporting their shop for one monthly fee.” It’s not poetry, but anyone reading it knows who it’s for and what they get.
Then test it:
- Is it specific? Could you swap in a competitor’s name and have it still be true? If so, it’s too general.
- Is it about the customer? Count the “we”s and the “you”s. The customer’s outcome should be the focus.
- Is it plain? No jargon, no buzzwords, nothing a customer wouldn’t say themselves.
- Is it true? Can you deliver it on a bad week as well as a good one?
A good value proposition is one a customer could repeat to a friend after hearing it once. Clever comes second to clear.
Choosing your three key messages
Your key messages are the main reasons someone should pick you. Three is a good number: enough to cover the important ground, few enough to remember.
To find them, look at:
- Why your best customers say they chose you, in reviews or when asked
- The questions and worries that come up most in sales conversations
- What you do that your main alternatives don’t, or don’t do as well
Write each message as a short headline with a sentence of explanation. For example: “Fixed monthly cost. You’ll know what you’re paying before we start, with no surprise invoices.” Each message should answer an objection or a desire your customers actually have.
Adding proof
A message without proof is just a claim, and customers are used to ignoring claims. Under each key message, list the evidence you can use:
- Reviews and testimonials that mention that specific point
- Numbers you can stand behind, such as response times, years trading or projects completed
- Guarantees, accreditations and awards
- Examples and case studies
- How your process works, if the process itself is the proof
If a message has no proof at all, either find some or question whether it’s really a strength.
Using it everywhere
The framework is only useful if it shows up consistently. Some practical places to start:
- Homepage: the value proposition as the headline or just below it, with the three messages as the next section
- Google Business Profile and social bios: a trimmed version of the value proposition
- Sales conversations and proposals: structure them around the three messages
- Ads and campaigns: each campaign can lead on one message, with the others in support
- Staff briefing: so everyone gives the same answer when asked what you do
You’ll adapt the wording for each channel, and that’s fine. The substance should stay the same.
Keep it current
Review your messaging when something significant changes: a new service, a new type of customer, or a competitor who starts saying the same thing as you. September is a good moment to check it before planning next year’s marketing. If you’d like help getting the words right, our naming and messaging service produces a one-page framework like this, and our marketing strategy work puts it to use across your channels.
