Being able to pierce through a crowded market with stand-out brand messaging is essential for attracting and landing dream clients as a coach or service provider. No one wants to consume content that looks and sounds like everybody else (womp womp). 

So let’s amp up the originality! 

You, your signature brand voice, and your unique approach toward getting your clients results are ultimately what will separate you from every other fish in the internet sea. Keep reading to learn our 4-step process for crafting brand messaging that gives you an edge over all the other guys/gals. 

4 steps to craft brand messaging that demands to be seen 

STEP 1: Know who you’re targeting and get specific as f*ck 

When you think about the content you consume or the businesses you’re drawn toward, what is it that keeps you invested? It’s probably the feeling of being seen, heard, and identified. 

When prospects stick around, it’s often because they feel like you get them. 

The first step in developing brand messaging that your perfect people will eat right up is to determine who that dream client of yours actually is, and then start talking to them directly. 

Pro Tip: Get specific when creating your ideal client avatars—give each avatar a name and learn to get in the habit of envisioning this avatar as a living, breathing person you’re simply having a convo with in your copy.

Look at the types of language this person would use, pull examples from her/his real life to include in your copy, and finally, call them out directly. Need a visual? Here’s an example of a pre-header + headline for ya from one of our sales pages! 

Here’s how to determine who your dream client even is:

Grab a cocktail and let’s break the process down, shall we? 

1. Braindump: Write a list of all the people you’ve previously worked with.
   
2. Pick favorites: Circle or star the ones you enjoyed working with most and/or those you got the best results for.
   
3. Make some sense of it: Find commonalities between those you’ve circled/starred (these commonalities could be anything from demographics to psychographics to pain points and goals).
   
4. Develop a persona: Take the most crucial commonalities you’ve found, and build out a dream client avatar that you’ll be able to speak to in your sales copy.

Before we really get into it, let’s address the elephant in the room: 

“Won’t diving into specifics narrow down your market and suitable clients?” 

Yes—and that’s good! 

When your offer becomes “suitable” for everyone and everyone, there’s nothing left to help you stand out. 

Generic offers don’t demand attention. And when you speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one. 

While the motivation behind catering to everyone may seem as though you’re broadening your opportunity to grow your client base, it’s this common myth that’ll leave you and your messaging falling flat. 

STEP 2: Find your point of difference 

As the wise Abraham Lincoln—er, Kim K—once said, “they can steal the recipe but the sauce won’t taste the same.” 

And lucky for us, the things that make us truly unique cannot be replicated. Leveraging your point of difference is essential for establishing your brand voice and setting yourself apart with your brand messaging. 

Your point of difference includes the aspects of you/your business that separate you from your competitors. 

Here’s how to get the ball rolling on zeroing in on your unique point of difference: 

Step 1: Consider the alternatives

• List out the options.
  • What would customers do if your offer didn’t exist? (What are the alternative solutions available to your audience to remedy the problem or pain point your offer targets?) 
  • What or who does your audience compare you/your offers or content against?
    
• Determine your unique attributes. 
  • What do you have that others don’t?
  • What factor can you play up? 

Step 2: Choose the way you’ll stand out

There are multiple avenues you can take to make yourself stick out as the cool-ass coach/consultant/business owner that you are. Here are a few:

Product differentiation ( features, performance, durability, reliability, warranty) 

Example: Digital product with a 30-day money-back guarantee 

Service differentiation (ordering ease, delivery, customer training, customer support)

Example: Jimmy Johns’ 15-minute delivery 

Relationship differentiation (competence, courtesy, credibility, reliability, responsiveness, communication)

Hint: People want to invest in people – not an institution.

Reputation/image differentiation (perception, communication, advertising)

Example: Why someone chooses Apple over Android.

Price differentiation (by customer, by quality, by segment, etc.)

Hint: Keep in mind that this must be aligned with the group you are serving. (Do those individuals relate low price to low quality? Different audience segments have different perceptions on price and value—use this point of differentiation wisely, if at all.)

Pro Tip: Getting specific with who exactly you serve or who exactly your product was made for/geared toward can be a differentiation point as well! (Example: Hot Copy Haus = The Copywriter for Coaches) 

Step 3: Determine the how

It’s only a differentiation factor *if* it makes you stand out in the eyes of your audience—not just your eyes. Think: When prospects look at your content, what will they see that will convince them to stick around?

Pro Tip: A certain level of service and relationship is expected and has become a given to even be even considered in the market to begin with. To use either of these as your point of difference, you need to be able to show HOW you go above and beyond that standard. 

When it comes to your business, it should be a reflection of you. Put yourself in your prospects’ shoes—would you want to invest in a brand that puts effort into creating meaningful relationships and interactions, or a brand that feels like it’s run by a mf’ robot? 

Step 3: Develop a signature brand voice 

Developing a signature brand voice that captures the essence of who you are and who you aim to serve is what will ultimately draw the dreamiest of clients in (and will also boost your conversions!). 

Brand voice is what gives your brand a soul. ← Write that shit on a bumper sticker!

Your brand voice is the key to seeing results in your business. To keep it simple, your brand voice is the personality found in your communications and brand messaging—it’s the words you use and how you use them. 

Why is developing a signature tone of voice as a coach or consultant a need and not simply a want? → Because your voice is what identifies you. 

While you should aim to provide value, being able to evoke real human emotion is what gets your brand stuck in your prospects’ minds (not to mention hearts). 

Whether you’re goal is to come across as the funniest person at brunch who still gets sh*t done—sober or not—or the sophisticated CEO that still knows how to have a good time, your brand voice is what bridges the gap between your brand simply existing and being able to foster genuine connections with your audience. 

Now, let’s take a look at some ~big name~ brand voices that have no issue leaving a lasting impression…

Examples of brand voice

1. The refined brand voice behind Rhode Skin 

“A new philosophy on skin care developed by Hailey Rhode Bieber. The RHODE map to HEALTHY-LOOKING skin.” 

Sleek, refined, straight to the point, with a clever play on the name puns. Rhode Skin’s brand voice comes across as your coolest gal pal who always makes sure you look realllll f*cking good 😎

2. Wendy’s witty and bold brand voice

Funny as f*ck. Always. 

Wendys’ brand voice is comedically transparent and never too serious—they’re like the sassiest friend at the dinner table who’ll tell it to ya how it is without being asked.

3. The bro-est of brand voices by Old Spice

“Forged From Nature. Get more awesomeness, good smellingness, and Old Spice exclusiveness than ever before.” 

The most bro brand voice out there and you know exactly who their target market is. Old Spice is chummy, comedically hyper-masculine, and confident. 

Class clown vibes for sure! 

People invest in the people and the brands they resonate with. These brand voices^^ are A+ examples because they’ve successfully zeroed in on who it is they’re trying to market to and have become really damn memorable while doing it. 

Step 4: Get consistent with that brand voice and HOW you’re showing up: 

Once your brand voice is established, how you show up must *consistently* be in alignment with the style and feel of the tone of voice you’re using. This ensures a seamless brand experience across all channels and makes what you’re offering unbelievably memorable in the minds of your dream clients.

Maintaining a consistent and cohesive brand voice in your messaging is how you take your brand’s soul from just a potentially ~cool idea~ to real-f*cking-life, ~making-all-the-difference vibes~. 

So Mack – how the actual eff do I do that?! 

Real simple, actually! I’ve got four words for ya: Your Brand Messaging Bible.

While your brand voice makes up the attitude and vibe of your brand, your Brand Messaging Bible is the tool you and your team will use to ensure you’re communicating that signature personality and employing your brand messaging strategy seamlessly, time and time again. 

As an entrepreneur I KNOW you’ve heard it before, but Imma tell you again—consistency is KEY. Especially when it comes to brand voice and messaging. Developing your brand’s voice and vibe is only half the battle. 

Pro Tip: Every team member, person, or vendor working with you/your brand should know who you are and how you are before touching any branded content. This is where your Brand Messaging Bible comes in.

Having a BMB is a freaking game-changer and the ultimate cheat code for leveling up your brand messaging and keeping sh*t consistent regardless of who’s writing it. 

Ready for a sneak peek of the goods inside the bible? Here’s what you should have…

• Ideal client avatars or buyer personas
• Content pillars
• Value propositions per offer
• Key messages
• Your brand story
• Brand mission & vision statements
• Brand voice, tone & personality
• Writing principles & best practices

To get started on crafting your very own Brand Messaging Bible, start by taking note of the specific language you use and how you use it. 

What slang words or specific phrases are you throwing around? How about favorite emojis or references you’re reusing on the reg? 

An easy way to keep a log of this is in the good ol’ Copy on the Rocks language tracker (totally free!). Once you have a pretty solid word bank to use, start sprinkling your findings into your copy across the board. 

…

You’re not for everyone and you shouldn’t try to be. 

Just like you and me, what your dream clients so desperately want is to feel seen and heard. 

And in a crowded market, speaking the language of your perfect people with distinct, unique-to-you brand messaging is what will allow your audience to see the true value in what you offer. 

Put in some time up front to craft a stand-out and strategic brand message, and suddenly, communicating in a way that pierces through all the digital noise to attract clients and land sales, becomes effortless.

Ready to take your brand messaging to the next level? Explore our Website Copy + Brand Messaging Strategy solution here!