| Recently a small business entrepreneur asked me | | | | "Our award winning, highly recommended business |
| "what is messaging?" Having worked in marketing | | | | aims to deliver reliable, efficient service." |
| for a number of years, the question surprised | | | | Of course, a statement like the one above should |
| me, but then I realized that just because | | | | be backed by testimonials from current |
| someone has an idea, has designed, built and | | | | customers to show your business is highly |
| launched the idea, and is marketing their idea does | | | | recommended, but expressing an opinion as if it is |
| not mean they understand certain key elements | | | | from a third party makes you seem less |
| of marketing and advertising their product. | | | | self-imposed and provides greater credibility to |
| Messaging for small businesses presents a unique | | | | your company. Tooting your own horn doesn't |
| challenge to discover one's target audience, create | | | | always do that and sometimes can be a turn-off. |
| valuable and inciteful messages, and deliver them | | | | The following is a set of goals for a boat repair |
| in the right medium to attract and convince your | | | | company. If you are this boat repair service and |
| audience to purchase your product or service. | | | | you want to portray a certain image based on |
| Larger companies hire public relations firms or | | | | the following goals, how would you communicate |
| contract writing services to help them discover | | | | it? |
| their target audience, define their messages, and | | | | Goal 1: To be the most reliable boat repair service |
| refine their method of delivery, but small | | | | in the area |
| businesses are usually a one-or two-man show | | | | Goal 2: To deliver a variety of services including |
| with a small budget. Even with a small budget, | | | | in-shop services and mobile services |
| messaging is very important to the success of a | | | | Goal 3: To sell retail parts and accessories to |
| business and taking care to think through what | | | | supplant the repair services side of the business |
| you want to communicate to potential customers | | | | Goal 4: To offer extended types of services |
| is a cost and time saving effort. | | | | including boat detailing and cleaning, and referrals |
| Consistency is important when you are striving to | | | | to additional services such as propeller and |
| market and sell a product. It takes several | | | | upholstery repair that can be coordinated through |
| instances of exposure before someone will | | | | our office. |
| remember your company name or purchase your | | | | When developing the messaging for this business, |
| product. Think of when you last attended a movie | | | | the owners had to determine the most important |
| theater. How many impressions of popcorn and | | | | facets of their goals to communicate and then |
| soda pop or candy did you receive as you walked | | | | determine the best way to phrase the goal. |
| through the lobby and viewed the pre-show | | | | "For fast, reliable service, call Our Boat Repair |
| video? Next time you go to a movie, try counting | | | | Service." |
| the number of posters, digital displays, and video | | | | "We deliver in-shop and at-your-door service and |
| impressions you can find that advertise popcorn in | | | | offer pick up and delivery of your boat!" |
| the theater. You'll feel bombarded, but that is | | | | "For all your boating needs: repair, parts, |
| what it takes to encourage many individuals to | | | | accessories, and cleaning. Call Our Boat Repair |
| get to the point of purchase. | | | | Service." |
| The message you receive from the ads in the | | | | Each of these statements communicates what |
| theater convey concepts that excite you to "buy | | | | this company is all about. Since they are new, and |
| popcorn." They may show pictures of it to | | | | only have a couple of testimonials at their |
| encourage salivation, or groups of people enjoying | | | | disposal, they chose to focus on their ability to |
| popcorn together to indicate it is socially | | | | deliver high quality service quickly. Their messages |
| acceptable and popular. These messages | | | | focus on communicating why someone would |
| encourage you to feel comfortable buying | | | | want to use their service over someone else's: |
| popcorn so you will do it more often. The | | | | because they are fast and reliable, they provide a |
| messages you want to convey to your audience | | | | unique service in coming to the home of the boat |
| when you are a small business include who you or | | | | owner and will even pick up and deliver the boat |
| your company are, and why the customer should | | | | for service. An additional message is that if the |
| buy or use your product over others. Part of | | | | individual prefers to service their own boat, they |
| messaging is communicating those messages in a | | | | can help them with that as well by providing parts. |
| succinct, clear manner that drives consumer | | | | In a nutshell, messaging should provide a quick, |
| action to your business. | | | | clear, and concise way of communicating what |
| "We are the best jewelers in the state and we | | | | your company is all about. It can portray |
| treat you right." | | | | excitement and social acceptance, technical |
| "Our company delivers top notch Internet | | | | information, or quality, or even a direct message |
| services." | | | | of who you are and what you offer. The small |
| Some messages state the opinion of the business | | | | business owner's task is to determine which |
| and seem self-imposed or self important. The | | | | messages need to be delivered to which |
| same messages can be written a different way in | | | | audiences and how best to communicate them. |
| order to communicate that opinion in a different | | | | Watch for my next article on Targeting Your |
| way: | | | | Audience with the Right Messages. |