How to create a marketing message for your service-based business
You're smart. You're passionate about what you do. You're care about making your clients’ lives better.
The question is, how do you get those people to work with you?
With so many other businesses in your industry, how can you convince prospective clients to choose you? And how can you stand out without sounding pushy or cheesy?
Here's what I know: if you want to cut through the noise, you don’t need to shout louder than your competition. You just need to speak your ideal client's language.
It’s all about getting crystal clear on your brand message — what you offer, who it’s for and how it sets you apart from the rest.
From marketing your services online to talking with prospective clients in person, everything you put out into the world should tell the same story and make your ideal client feel seen, heard and understood.
Here are three simple steps to discover your brand message, communicate it confidently and drive your business forward.
Communicate what you do
Your business is about more than the product or service you provide. It’s about helping your clients achieve the life they want.
Let's say you’re a health coach who focuses on helping women with their gut issues. Maybe the true benefit you offer is helping women reclaim their energy and joy so that they can bring their whole selves to every aspect of their lives.
You can communicate your true benefits with a mission statement.
A mission statement is a 1-2 sentence summary of what you do and how your clients benefit. It’s not just something you write in a business plan — it’s the heartbeat of your business.
A simple mission statement can help you make an effective first impression with prospective clients, whether they're meeting you on your website or face-to-face.
By developing your mission statement, you’ll be able to clearly communicate what you do, who you serve and how you help them achieve their goals.
Understand who you serve
If you were to close your eyes right now and picture your dream client, who would they be?
Get as specific as you can. Try asking yourself questions like:
How old are they?
What do they do for work and for fun?
What are their hobbies?
Do they have kids and/or pets?
Which social media platforms do they use?
Then go a bit deeper to understand their core desires, fears and principles.
Why do they want your services?
What are the challenges and pain points they're facing?
What doubts do they have about you or your services?
What are they excited about when they wake up in the morning?
What motivates them?
You can even give your ideal client a name to make them that much more real to you.
You might not be able to work with this client every time, but it’s important to define who they are so you know what you're looking for.
That way, you’ll know them when you see them, you’ll understand how to market and sell to them, and you’ll be able to redirect people who truly aren’t for you.
Show what sets you apart
Imagine you’re looking to spend a week at a high-end hotel.
As you compare options, one hotel’s website describes its farm-to-table breakfasts and wine country views. The other’s guarantees clean sheets and a lock on your door.
Where would you rather stay?
As much as we all appreciate cleanliness and security, most of us want more than that when we book a vacation. We want to escape, relax or make memories.
Clean sheets are the expectation; an experience is what we really want.
I think about this whenever I see businesses using words like “quality,” “service,” “reliability” and “expertise” in their marketing messages.
Don’t get me wrong — these values are critically important, and without them, you’d probably have a lot of disappointed clients. But when potential clients land on your website, they want to know you’re offering more than what they already expect.
So consider how can you relate to your clients and what unique skills and background you bring to the table. Then, use that to create a unique selling proposition that will resonate with your ideal client.
Building your brand message
If you’re ready to stand out from the crowd, connect with the right clients and grow your business, you can start by developing your brand message.
So, write your mission statement, get to know your ideal clients and share what sets you apart.
Then, use these elements to infuse your website, social media, marketing materials and sales conversations with a clear and simple message about who you are, what you do and what sets you apart from the rest.
By taking a few simple steps to develop your brand message, you can gain clarity and confidence to connect with clients and grow your business.
