5 Steps to Developing a Marketing Message
1. Identify your target market
The first step is identifying whom you are trying to reach. Consumers come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and what resonates with one group may be overlooked by another. Ask yourself, “Who is my target market?” Consider factors such as age, gender, geography, education level, marital status, and other demographics. Once you narrow down your audience, crafting a targeted message becomes much easier.
2. Ask the right questions
Before you start writing, gather as much information as possible. The more questions you can answer, the better:
A. What am I trying to achieve?
B. What are my campaign goals?
C. On which digital channels will this message be delivered?
D. What problems is my target market experiencing that my product can solve?
E. What benefits of my product or service will appeal most to my target market?
3. Draft, revise, and refine
Keep the previous steps in mind and draft your message. Whether it’s an e-newsletter, ad campaign, or social media post, write down whatever comes to mind. This brainstorming phase welcomes all ideas. After a break, return to your drafts and start refining them into a cohesive message. Ensure your wording aligns with your brand’s voice and persona. If your brand were a person, would it say these things? Once your message starts to take shape, step back, take a breather, and then return for further revisions. Keep all serious drafts for the next step.
4. Test your message
Even professionals may need multiple attempts to perfect a message. Combining the best elements from various drafts can create the strongest message possible.
Getting input from others and testing with target audiences can help evaluate your message’s effectiveness and likeability. Surveys and focus groups are excellent for testing audience reactions to different message variations. A/B testing is another method to evaluate the success of one message versus another. Many email marketing and web hosting platforms offer this feature.
5. Fine tune your delivery
Whether your digital marketing message was successful or not, always review and refine your approach. Analyze your process and testing results, and consider what could have worked better. Perhaps your target audience was slightly off, or maybe the message didn’t clearly address a problem. Even if you achieved results, there’s always room for improvement.
If you need expert assistance, consider partnering with 535media. We work with businesses like yours every day, crafting creative campaigns, managing marketing efforts, and achieving real, trackable results.
Give us a call today at 800-228-0142 and let’s talk about crafting your best marketing campaign ever.