Going to market can be unnerving. The pressure’s on to prove to investors, customers, reporters, analysts and maybe even yourself that your idea or product is worthy of investment, purchase or news coverage.
One guaranteed way to instill confidence in the market is a solid messaging foundation on which to build your public relations, marketing and sales efforts. Unfortunately, the tricky thing about launching a company or product is that it’s near impossible to undo once released, so you definitely need to get it right the first time to maximize everything that follows. Things can be tweaked, of course, but first impressions in the market are usually the strongest.
We recommend building a messaging document that clearly articulates your purpose, target market and other key talking points. It should answer all the questions mentioned in this article and frame the message to speak to multiple audiences with the same core meaning.
Here are a few key questions to ask yourself about your clients if you haven’t done so already:
– What is your clients’ main concern? How can your product solve their problems?
– How do they like to be contacted? Where do they source information?
– What is their end goal as a customer?
– If you’re a B2B2C company, what are your clients’ customers’ concerns?
– How does your product help them? Are you clearly articulating the solution?
– Are you describing and solving problems with language that is important to you or to the customer?
Once you’ve gained all the information possible about your target audience(s), you’ll be better suited to cater your messaging directly to them, hit their pain points and assume your position in the market. Your message itself should be adaptable to new industry trends, an evolving consumer base and potential new offerings or features (but not so adaptable that you’re constantly pivoting). Balance is everything.
