You diligently watch for logo misuse.
You obsess over capitalization.
You fret over color standards.
You ensure everyone has the latest document templates, fonts and design elements (and you crack down on the offenders).
Why, then, do we often overlook messaging in our quest for standards and consistency?
Much like documenting your core content strategy, building a message matrix can be relegated to a rainy-day project as we focus on our day-to-day priorities and fires. Yet if we don’t find the time and energy to strategically consider our messaging, our brand and content can greatly suffer.
Take a 3-Tiered Approach
If it seems too daunting to craft your overall brand messaging, begin with one channel or tactic such as your website.
In these situations, we often rely on Kristina Halvorson’s three-tiered approach to messaging that she presented during her Content Strategy Summit presentation in 2013. It includes:
1. One site-wide primary message that outlines what users should understand within a few seconds. This should identify what your organization can do for them. (In other words, it comes down to who you are, what you deliver and what they get.)
2. A handful (4-6) of secondary messages that guide what users should understand within a minute. They support the primary message by providing context for individual audiences, tasks and outcomes.
3. The supporting features, benefits, facts, explanations, case studies and other details that strengthen your primary and secondary messages.
Or Try an Audience-Centric Approach
As an alternative, you can frame the message matrix in more audience-centric framework. For a recent client project, we borrowed an approach from The Content Strategy Toolkit, a super-handy new book from Brain Traffic’s Meghan Casey.
Using Meghan’s approach – she calls it a messaging framework – we outlined:
1. The first impression we want audiences to have when they interact with our content. (Example: “Awesome. They will guide me through this complicated purchase.”)
2. A value statement that outlines what we want our audience to know or believe. (Example: “They look at my needs and goals, and create a plan that’s right for me.”)
3. Proof points that demonstrate what we want them to know. This might include claims about your experience, features, credibility or service.
Remember, an effective message matrix considers your audience while conveying your competitive differentiators. It also brings focus and clarity to your content. Don’t let it fall to your rainy-day to-do list.
