Ayishat Olanrewaju: Does your Brand Have a Core Message?

“I don’t know what to say.” “I am scared of what people will think.” These are some of the thoughts that come to mind when you want to pass a message across to your audience. Whether you are trying to build a personal brand or you’re just trying to stay consistent on social media, many people are becoming more conscious of what they say online

Your brand’s core message is that big idea you want to share with the world. It is what you want people to remember your brand for and what you want them to have in mind whenever they come in contact with your brand.

If you look at some of your favourite brands, you’ll realise that sometimes, you immediately know the message they’re trying to pass across once you see their brand logo, without them using too many words or illustrations. Some brands have even perfected the art of crafting and communicating their core message to the point that those who haven’t used their products or services know about them.

What is your brand’s core message? What is that big idea you want to share with the world? What is that message you want people to keep remembering whenever they come across your brand name?

Do you know that one of the things people want to know when they encounter a new brand – whether personal or corporate – is what they are about? People want to know if they should care enough to pay attention to your brand. Imagine someone coming across your Instagram page for the first time and they want to decide, within few minutes, if they should follow you or not, one of the things that help them decide is your core message.

What they are trying to find out is exactly what you are about; what you are trying to tell us, the message or idea you want us to buy into.

As a brand, having a clearly defined core message is something that will make your brand scale and remain outstanding. Your core message is that thing you want your target audience to believe. It is that thing you want people to know.

It’s not enough to have the best of ideas, you have to learn how to articulate them to the people who need this message.

How do you craft a core message if you haven’t done so?

• Think about that big idea you want to share with the world through your brand.
• Why do you do what you do?
• What makes you unique?
• What are your core values?
• What do you want to be remembered for?

Your core message feeds into every area of your brand – from your marketing, to advertising, and even to sales. You don’t always use your core message verbatim, but it penetrates through your communication. 

Here are some of the brand touchpoints you can make use of your core message:

• Your website.
• Your social media content.
• Your articles.
• Your products/services.

Here are some of the benefits of being clear about your brand’s core message:

• Your ideal audience finds it easy to connect with you.
• Your brand’s Unique Selling Point becomes clear.
• Your communication becomes consistent and easier to reinforce.

Go ahead and craft that awesome brand core message! You can follow me on Instagram @brandingwithayishat for more tips and advice.

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