Your marketing messaging strategy is the difference between brand recognition and getting drowned out by the crowd. It’s critical for startups to get noticed as early as possible — the vast majority of new businesses fail within a few years, with more than 20% going under in just one year.

The right message, driven by your values, mission statement, and unique value proposition (UVP), can help you grow even in tough economic times. We’ve pulled together five ways to hone your marketing message and get noticed by the right leads and investors.

1. Understand the Competition

Understanding your audience’s pain points is one of the fundamentals of great marketing messaging. You want to quickly and succinctly state what problem your service can fix that others can’t. To do this, you need to look at your competitors. This isn’t so you can copy their strategies — far from it. But you can see what client irritations they’re soothing and how they’re doing it, so you can do more and do better. Market research and mystery shoppers can help you discover more about the competition.

2. Be Curious About Your Clients

Getting curious about what your clients want is so important that Adweek calls it a marketing superpower. Asking clients for feedback on what they love — and don’t — about everything from your first interaction to the onboarding process can help you fine-tune your marketing message. Curiosity is also useful when it comes to data-driven marketing. Dive deep into your results and use the tools at your disposal to capture insights that drive continuous improvement.

3. Align Marketing and Mission

Ask yourself “Why?” about everything you do. Why did you start this company and why is your tech offering so important to you? Why do you feel passionate about it? Use these “Whys” to drive your mission statement and let that underpin your message.

4. Be Authentic

Whether you’re replying to comments on social media or creating a product demo video, ensure that all your content is authentically you. Create a consistent brand voice that echoes your firm’s values, mission statement, and overarching goals. By creating a brand that’s unique to your startup, you’ll build trust with an audience that’s excited to engage with you.

5. Onboard Experts

Early-stage startups don’t always have the marketing expertise to navigate the complexities of creating a brand messaging framework. Consider onboarding a Fractional CMO or other temporary marketing professional to guide you through the maze of effective messaging.

Final Word

The combination of a great product-to-market fit and an effective messaging framework can help you lay the foundation for a powerhouse of growth. To find out more, book a free 15-minute introductory call and talk to one of our marketing experts.

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