Get Clarity in Your Marketing Message. It’s Easier Than You Think.

by

Your organization has grown. But with growth comes growing pains. You can’t believe how far you’ve come—what was once a dream to get your mission off the ground is now a reality.

Another reality is that the growth has brought up new challenges. You’ve hit a ceiling in growth and you aren’t sure why.

Let Me Ask You a Crucial Question

I have one question for you…

If I were to ask your staff and/or volunteers, “What does your organization do?” would their answers all be the same?

They might be similar responses, but not exactly the same. Why?

Because when you grow, so do the ideas about what you do. Staff members start to put their own experiences into the definition of what the organization does. Their definitions aren’t necessarily wrong, but they do tend to confuse outsiders who want to know more about you.

And the sad part?

Those outsiders could be potential donors. If those prospective donors knew the impact you are making and received the same powerful message about it from every staff member or volunteer, do you think they’d remember what it is you do and whom you help?

Absolutely!

Getting Clarity in Your Marketing Message Helps Your Mission’s Efforts…

The difficult part with messaging is that it can be flooded with so many explanations. Think of those explanations like water droplets on the back of a sticky note. Each explanation that doesn’t add clarity to your mission is like one more drop of water that makes the mission slide to the back of your potential donor’s mind.

Creating a Marketing Message That Sticks

Now I have another question… What was it that President Trump said he was going to do for America?

Yep! Ding. Ding. Ding. You got it right!

He said he would “make America great again.” There was no doubt what he was going to do as he built up his campaign.

Everyone, Trump supporter or not, understood it because everyone on his team was saying—or even wearing—the marketing message. It either crossed every set of eyes or rang in every pair of ears in this nation.

And it stuck because it was clear, simple, and to the point. It begged the question “how?” In order to know how, he had to become president. That helped us as citizens close the story loop. Otherwise, we’d never know where the president wanted to take us.

But he got engagement, followers, and votes because his marketing message was clear.

If your organization can get a clear message that sticks with people, it invites your donors to ask the how questions (and so much more), such as…

They may not even be aware that they are inviting you to share your mission with them, which only opens up doors for them to get involved.

At Viral Solutions, we understand you can feel stuck with your marketing message. Your mission is important and should get the exposure it needs to accomplish its impact goals.

This is why we’ve sought after expert education to help you create a clear marketing message through the StoryBrand Certified Guide training. We want to help you continue to transform lives so that, with the additional support necessary, you take your mission to the next level.

VS team member Shannon with Donald Miller of StoryBrand.
Shannon, a member of the VS team, with Donald Miller, CEO of StoryBrand

Imagine people asking your staff or volunteers what it is your organization does, prompting a clear and concise answer with no hesitation, so that it rolls off the tongue like it was there all along.  

Imagine people coming up to you at the next community gathering and asking what you do. You state your message clearly, and they respond with, “Oh yeah! I’ve heard about you. It sounds like you are doing some amazing work! I want to talk to you more about that.”

Bringing Your Message to the Front of Their Minds

There are some easy things you can do today that will help you clarify your message for both your staff and your prospective donors.

  1. Ask your staff to define it. This helps you see where the messaging is slightly off. This can also give you a road map of a general direction you can go with your messaging if the answers are similar.
  2. Summarize it in one sentence. Many times, organizations will give a long explanation of what they do… because they do a lot! Unfortunately, the human brain fights against taking in too much information unless it is fully prepared to do so. When someone asks, “What do you do?” they often aren’t prepared to get a bucket full of information dumped on them. They need a small stream of fresh water at first. Then they will hold up their glass and ask for you to fill it up if they are interested.
  3. Start by communicating one problem that you solve. One mistake we’ve seen some amazing organizations do is tell others all the programs they have. This is great, but again, when people are first learning who you are, they need to be able to quickly identify one problem that you solve. Perhaps you help the homeless find employment. But you also might have an after-care program that follows up with them after they leave the program. Then another program helps them find a more permanent living situation. Start with one and then build upon that as they ask further questions. 

If you are still struggling to find a clear message that truly captures who you are, what you do, and the problem you solve in 1 or 2 sentences (and these shouldn’t be run-on sentences), you can work with our certified StoryBrand guide who will take you through the process of developing a clear marketing message.

StoryBrand Certified Guide Badge

Your Message Should…

You have a passion for your organization. It’s grown into something that you never thought possible. Don’t be overwhelmed. Clarifying your marketing message is a simple step you can take to get your organization positioned for growth.

Interested in finding out more? Click HERE to schedule a free consult and create a crystal-clear marketing message.

 


At Viral Solutions we are committed to seeing YOU succeed. It is our goal to grow your business with proven digital marketing strategies that will help your business for the long haul.

Stay Up To Speed in the Ever Changing World of Marketing!

Sign-up today for FREE, monthly marketing tips, loopholes, and news to EXPLODE your Return on Investment!

 
 

Share your knowledge and gain exposure by becoming a guest author on our blog! Learn how to write for us.

Filed Under: Marketing by Industry

About Lindsey Perron

As Thomas’ daughter, Lindsey was introduced to the world of sales and marketing at an early age. Curious about what her dad did, Lindsey would jump at every opportunity to help and ride along on sales calls. Always quick to take charge and lead the group—a trait that has only grown with time—Lindsey was frequently told by her parents that she was destined to be a manager or CEO of some sort. While working toward earning her bachelor’s degree in human services from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Lindsey interned with the UW Office of Equality and Affirmative Action and served on several councils, which gave her the opportunity to develop her persuasive writing skills, researching skills, problem-solving skills, project management skills, and more. After working as the lead teacher of the 4-year-old room at the local daycare center, Lindsey decided to switch gears and join the Viral Solutions team. In her position, Lindsey is able to help clients think through an end goal and reverse engineer it into the steps needed to achieve it.

When she’s not working, Lindsey loves spending time with family, be it traveling somewhere together or just hanging out at home.