For startups in today's business world, power lies in the right messaging.

Why? Because messaging sets a solid foundation for everything else - from the website to the brand promise to the content strategy to marketing campaigns to promoting an actual product. If you get your messaging wrong, you confuse your audience, and a confused audience doesn't buy.

In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of messaging and storytelling for startups. We'll also cover how to create a strong, consistent message and brand strategy that resonates with customers.

What is a Messaging Framework?

A messaging framework is a document that guides all of the marketing and communications for your new business. It should include your company's mission statement, vision, values, target market, elevator pitch, key messages, and call to action. A positioning statement, which is a summary of how you want your company to be perceived by your target market, is also often included.

Why Do Startups Need a Messaging Framework?

Startups need a strong messaging framework because it will help them create consistent, clear, and compelling content that resonates with their target market.

A well-crafted messaging framework will also help startups avoid the common pitfall of sounding "me-centered." Too often, companies make the mistake of talking about themselves too much and forgetting to focus on the customer.

Instead, your messaging should be customer-centric.

How To Create a Messaging Framework

There are a few key components to creating a strong messaging framework:

Start With Your Target Market

Who are you trying to reach? What are their needs and wants? Create messages that address those needs and wants. What can your company do for the customer?

Keep It Simple

Don't try to be everything to everyone. Your messaging should be focused and targeted. Trying to appeal to too many people will only result in a confused message that doesn't resonate with anyone.

Keep It Consistent

The old rule was that a message had to be heard between 5 and 7 times to be remembered. Now, it's closer to 20 touches before a message breaks through. So consistency and clarity in your message is incredibly important. 

Here's an example of mixed messages. On your website, you talk about saving the customer money. On your Instagram Reels, it is all about "increasing revenue," and then on another channel, you say your webinars are all about being at the "forefront of technology." That's confusing, right? A confused audience doesn't buy.

Once you have created your messaging framework, stick to it. Being consistent in your messaging is key. You want potential customers to know what your company is all about, and you want them to be able to easily recognize your brand.

That means using the same colors, fonts, and logo across all platforms - from your website to your social media accounts. It also means using the same language in all of your communications.

Make sure your whole team is on board. Everyone from the CEO to the sales team should be using the same messaging.

Tell Compelling Stories

Storytelling is an ancient art form that is still relevant today. It's more important than ever in the age of social media and content marketing. Stories humanize your brand and make your message more relatable.

Telling stories is also powerful because it engages our emotions. And when people are emotionally invested in your story, they're more likely to remember it - and your brand.

So how can you incorporate storytelling into your messaging?

A great way to do this is to focus on customer stories. Customer stories are relatable, and they show potential customers what your company can do.

When crafting your messages, think about how you can tell a story that will resonate with your target audience. What kind of problems does your customer have? How can you position your company as the solution?

Create a Clear Value Proposition For Your Target Customer

Your messaging should also be clear and concise. It should communicate what your company does and why someone should care.

This can be tricky, especially for startup companies who may be offering a new and innovative product or service. But it's important to remember that not everyone is as familiar with your industry as you are.

You need to be able to explain what you do in a way that is easy for people to understand. That means using simple language and avoiding jargon.

It also means being clear about the benefits of your product or service. 

Get Away From A "Me" Centered Message and Move To a "You" Centered Message

Many startups make the mistake of creating messaging that is all about them. This is easy to do when you're a visionary and an innovator because you're excited about all the possibilities of your product.

But when you're crafting your message, it's important to focus on the customer and not on yourself. What does the customer want? What are their needs? How can you solve their problem?

Talking to your customers in a process called Voice of Customer / Voice of Client is a great way to learn what will resonate and get answers to those questions from the primary source. Their input will help you create messaging that is focused on the customer.

Ultimately, "you" centered messaging is about creating messages that address the pain points of your target audience. It means talking about the benefits of your product or service in terms of how it will help your customers.

What's Next?

It's hard to know where to start when it comes to marketing your tech startup. You need a strategy, but you also need execution, and that can be tough when you're busy building your product. 

You're not alone. Most startups feel this way, and it's one of the reasons why they struggle with their brand promise and messaging framework.

Arch Collective is here to help. We have a unique marketing model that has proven successful for post-series-A funded B2B tech startups.

Attend our upcoming webinar to learn how to Arch Collective creates effective messaging for our clients.