Last year was a tough one for the whole world. So much has changed, with many people going through hard times. While we’re all slowly adjusting to social distancing, lockdowns, constant wearing of masks, etc, the marketing industry is transforming quickly. We’re seeing that companies need to evolve and adapt to big shifts in our society or they might struggle.
Marketing trends were changing at a fast pace even before 2020. But everyone shifting to the digital world made the process more expeditious. In this fast-paced environment, people need to hear and see inspirational messages that can motivate them. They need to see that your brand is not about money in the first place, but about customers and their problems. It’s all about creating comforting messages.
Even the simplest things are changing so rapidly, that not only do you need to adapt quickly, but you also have to stay ahead of the game. Many companies are working to improve their image, and they understand that it can be done through powerful messages.
The first quarter of 2022 hinted that the train isn’t slowing down, so we’ve put together a little list of suggestions that might help you navigate through the rest of the year.
What is marketing messaging?
Even though defining marketing messaging seems obviously easy, it actually includes a set of different components.
So, before running through the list of ideas on how to improve your marketing messaging, we’ll try to provide a clear explanation of — “marketing messaging”.
Unlike your “brand voice” which revolves around the tone and attitude your brand uses while communicating with customers, marketing messaging is referring to the actual meaning of the messages you communicate and highlighting the values of your brand through different channels. These “messages” are not only the phrases and actual words in your ads or copy, but also all the emotions that are provoked by those words. You may call these underlying messages — subtext.
Now that we’ve got that one out of the way, let’s go into the actual tips on how to improve your marketing messaging and creative strategies for 2022.
#1 Provide value and affordability
This global crisis situation put many industries into a recession, which forced many to change their line of work or even change the industry they were working in for years. This affected many other industries forcing companies to lower their prices, hand out discounts, etc., just so they can retain their business.
While you can generate leads easier than ever with everyone shifting online, getting conversions out of those leads isn’t as easy. Customers that are more affected by recession became fearful when it comes to spending money. That’s why they need to know what you bring to the table, and they want it at affordable prices. They need you to know how you can provide real value.
That’s why all your content needs to showcase the value of your product or service. Making sure that you’re transparent about what they get from you is something that can prove to be beneficial for your business. Conveying affordability speaks directly to an almost universal problem of the lack of funds.
#2 Promote safety and peace of mind
While there is real danger amongst us, it’s the fear that influences consumer decisions the most. Uncertainty of the future is what impacts the minds of customers, making companies revolve their campaigns around promoting safety.
Make sure that while promoting your services or products, you bring them peace of mind in your messages. Let your customers know you are aware of their problems and you can provide a solution in a safe manner.
Volvo created an emotional campaign called “A million more”, using stories told by their customers whose life was saved by the safety of Volvo’s cars. They reminded us that they faced critics when they invented the first seat belt back in the day. Now they’re conveying a powerful message, promoting their cars as the safest in the world, saying that they saved the lives of millions.
#3 Promise durability and practicality
This is probably mentioned as a trend every year. That’s because consumers don’t want unreliable products that will break soon after the purchase. Even though you can’t prove longevity in your messages, it’s still something that you should include.
Customers can be influenced when you promise a long warranty or when you guarantee “money back” in case something goes wrong.
#4 Team up with influencers
Social media and digital marketing as a whole flourished in the year behind us. With many people sitting at home, scrolling through their feeds, influencers became the new kings and queens of the digital world. It’s maybe a small percentage but it’s significant that 17% of brands plan to spend over half of their entire marketing on influencers.
As their name suggests — they have a huge impact on their audience with whom they’ve likely built a trustworthy relationship. What’s immensely powerful about them, is the fact that they put their face next to a product, bringing credibility. That way they humanize a brand, which makes it easier for users to connect with your product. You can’t neglect the fact that 80% of marketers using influencer marketing found it effective!
While there are many different ways to collaborate with influencers, hosting a webinar with them is great as they can bring their own followers in to enjoy it live as well.
#5 Use videos to convey your messages
Videos are very effective and more than 50% of consumers want to see more videos from their favorite brands. To stand out in a competitive market as it is today, you’ll need to produce videos that can attract users, provoke their feelings, and voice an inspirational message.
A year ago, Ford created a powerful video for the USA market. They realized the global pandemic was on the rise, so they created a video in which they show how they react to it.
Instead of laying off their employees, they shifted their work into creating masks and all the other necessary equipment for their medical workers. Claiming that they’ve helped build the USA with their machines, trucks and cars, and now, once again, they’re giving their best for the sake of their people.
Creating quality content is significant also because of the algorithms used by the likes of Facebook and Google (Youtube.com), for example. Note that it also might prove to be effective in making an impact on your audience.
Both Facebook and Google are openly committed to maximizing user experience and they give advantage to videos in their ads management platforms. They realized that videos appear to be compelling for audience engagement. Videos never had more influence than today. In fact, 62% of B2C marketers claim they use video regularly, as well as 71% of B2B marketers.
#6 Humanize your brand with user-generated content
User-generated content became the next level of word-of-mouth. With so much use of social media, users generate a lot of content that promotes the brand, sometimes even spontaneously.
Many brands viewed this as an opportunity to create their promotional content like images and videos by including user-generated media. 86% of companies began steering towards content generated by their fans and followers.
The biggest reason for that is the fact this content feels more authentic and ordinary, standing out in the field of false news, sponsored content, etc. People need reliable information more than ever, and they value it when they encounter a brand that’s humanized by ordinary people.
Furbo, a dog camera brand, created a campaign using the hashtag #CaughtOnFurbo, to collect funny videos from their users, and use them to promote their brand.
#7 Test plenty of creatives
To effectively deliver a message producing quality content is crucial. There will probably be many flops, so you’ll need to do a lot of creative testing. User experience is an integral part of any successful business with an online presence.
Optimizing UX requires involves identifying your target audience, their behavior, and interests in order to understand which messages and visual representation give the best results.
Some tools can carry out UX research for you, presenting your product, website, or any kind of content to users around the globe. They thoroughly conduct studies, analyze and provide feedback, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
Higher customer satisfaction means more conversions, better-targeted ads, effective visuals, and an overall improvement of business results!
#8 Research your target audience
You can only create impactful marketing messaging when you fully understand your target audience. Collect relevant metrics from your customers’ responses to your initiatives.
Ask yourself some questions such as:
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Who are the decision-makers that purchase our product, and what’s important to them?
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Who are the influencers and what are their main challenges?
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What is the demographic profile of our target audience?
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Are references important to speed up the sales process?
After answering these questions, create a draft version of your messaging and test it with existing customers. See if it resonates with your target audience.
Make sure to create consistency in your messaging strategy. It needs to be crystal clear for your audience what you as a company has to offer with every encounter – on your website, but also on events, social media, and other channels.
You can also utilize marketing project management tools to help your team to keep track of your messaging strategy and ensure your communications run smoothly and cohesively.
Creating exceptional messaging starts with proper research. The next step is to create a great content strategy.
Takeaway
Which tips will work for you depends on the nature of your business. Some industries can be predictable, but there aren’t any definite rules.
However, we can identify some common elements. Regardless of your business, your messages need to feel natural and honest, like they’re written by an ordinary person. In an era when there is so much brand communication around, the best results might be achieved when the message is communicated through a real person, either influencers or users.
Users are in a need of a reliable source of information and are wary of sponsored content that feels unnatural. Share powerful messages that feel honest and caring and users will appreciate your efforts. They need value whether it is truth, reliability, or a sense of security.
About the Author:
Lindsey Allard is the CEO of PlaybookUX, a video-based user feedback software. After seeing how time consuming and expensive gathering feedback was, Lindsey made it her goal to create a solution to streamline the user feedback process. Find her on LinkedIn.
