The 7 Steps to Marketing Success - Developing Powerful Key Messages, Copy and Images

Marketing can feel overwhelming when you’re starting out in business, or are a small business owner, because it’s just one of so many hats you have to wear.

Even when you find the time to think about your marketing it can be really tough to know where to start. Should you get active on social media? Spend time working on your brand? Or how about a website or paid advertising? SEO or influencers? Or should you look at ebay, Amazon or ETSY? Write a blog or post on Linkedin? Arrrgh!

With so much to think about it’s no wonder that many businesses struggle to market effectively and consistently, and that’s why we’ve put together this mini series to hopefully give you a clear track to run on. Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking at the following 7 Steps to Marketing Success:

1). Know your target market

2). Create a strong brand that will appeal to them

3). Develop powerful key messages, copy and images

4). Develop a strategic marketing plan

5). Implement your plan

6). Maximise your existing customers

7). Staying competitive

Step 3: Developing Powerful Key Messages, Copy and Images

Once you fully understand who your brand is aimed at, and who, what and why your brand is/exists, then you can start to develop things like a strong key message (more on that in a sec) copy that speaks to your target audience, and powerful images.

Let’s take those one at a time: A key message is a short (fewer words the better) statement or sentence that is designed to grab your audience’s attention, so they want to find out more. It goes beyond what you do, or how you do it, and sums up the BENEFITS of your offer. We look at this in more depth on the Beginner’s Guide to Marketing workshop (along with lots of other stuff) if you need help with this.

Once you have established a personality and tone of voice for your brand, you’re ready to start creating copy that will resonate with your target market. Try to avoid marketing speak with overused statements like ‘we’re passionate about…..’’  It sounds so cliched that I don’t think anybody actually believes it anymore!  Write from the heart, as that’s always a good starting point, and remember it’s all about WIIFM ( what’s in it for me, the ‘me’ being your potential customers). Be aware of information hierarchy (which is a poncy way of saying put the most important things first) and keep in mind that we don’t like reading dense text, so use headings/bullet points etc. to make it accessible

Please don’t use tired, predictable stock images. You know the ones I mean, full of great looking people with perfect teeth, in immaculate settings, wearing immaculate clothes, laughing or beaming from ear to ear. Or someone standing on a mountain top with arms outstretched trying to look profound! Your images should reflect your brand, its tone of voice and personality, and they should feel real and authentic (just like the rest of your brand)

Ready to Take Control of Your Marketing?

Don’t let marketing overwhelm hold you back! signup to any of our free marketing and social media workshop on our website. You can also access our FREE 1-2-1 help and advice any time by giving our Gateway team a call on 0114 224 5000.