You may have heard the term brand messaging but are still wondering . . .

What is brand messaging, and do I really need to worry about it as a small business?

The answer is YES. 

Even if you know in your bones that you do a damn good job bringing value to your customers, it can be hard to articulate how and why you do what you do.  

Investing in the process of intentionally crafting your brand messaging, ideally with the help of a brand copywriter, can be transformational. 

Foundational brand messaging elements are the words equivalent to getting your logo files, Pantone colors, and fonts from a graphic designer. You are missing a massive opportunity if you have gorgeous visuals but no consistent messaging to back them up.

Brand messaging strengthens brand awareness and word of mouth.

When Alignable surveyed 7,500 small business owners across North America about the best way to acquire local customers, 85% said word-of-mouth referral was their top method. Another study by Ogilvy Cannes, which pulled data from 2,500 consumer interviews, found that 74% of those interviewed list word-of-mouth as a key influencer in purchasing decisions. 

Imagine if you could confidently articulate what you do, how you do it differently, and the value it brings in any situation or on any medium. Being able to do that— consistently and clearly— builds brand awareness and empowers people to talk about your business. To remember you as the go-to for whatever special thing it is that you do.

The more people that understand clearly what you have to offer, the more qualified leads are headed your way. I'm talking the dream customers—loyal ones, perfect-fit ones, ones you are psyched out of your mind to work with.

In this post, I will introduce you to seven of the foundational brand messaging elements that I believe are as important for small businesses as they are for big organizations.

1. Mission Statement

2. Vision Statement

3. Core Values

4. Tagline

5. Brand Promise

6. About Statement

7. Elevator Pitch

Mission Statement 

A mission statement is a brief, formal statement that communicates what you do and why your business exists. 

Your mission statement sums up your brand’s purpose in an active way. Even though you are a business, not a nonprofit, your mission statement naturally focuses on how you serve and the impact you make with your work. 

In terms of length, mission statements can be as short as a sentence but are generally no longer than three sentences. 

When crafting your mission statement, start by thinking about these questions: 

• Who are we?

• What do we do?

• How (specifically) do we do it?

• Who do we do it for?

• Why does what we do matter, and what does it allow the people we serve to do?

How is a mission statement used?

A mission statement’s primary goal is to align all internal stakeholders (your staff, contractors, and anyone else who works with your brand) around a common purpose. It can be used in onboarding and training. It can also be valuable to guide your team in business decision-making. Mission statements are also shared publicly by many businesses. They may display their mission statement in their offices or storefronts, include it in client materials, or share it on their website About Page. 

Examples of mission statements:

Asana

To help humanity thrive by enabling the world's teams to work together effortlessly.

So their target audience is . . . broad . . . but I do think that is an intentional aim at inclusivity. It is clear that Asana's core purpose is finding ways to help people work together more effectively (effortlessly, in fact) through their tools and technology.

Ikea

To offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.

If you have shopped at Ikea, you can understand how elegantly and truthfully this statement sums up their reason for being. (Minus the meatballs.)

Vision Statement

A vision statement differs from a mission statement because it is meant to be more aspirational.

While your mission talks about why the business exists and what it does now, your vision statement should describe the bigger impact you hope to make in the future. It still needs to be grounded in reality, but it's bigger, bolder, and more forward-looking than a mission statement. 

Even though it contains big dreams, it needs to be short and easy to grasp. A sentence or two at most is advisable. You want anyone who works for you to have a sense of your organizational vision. They do not necessarily need to have it word-perfect, but according to research by Forbes, even just understanding the vision matters. In fact, employees who found their companies’ visions meaningful have nearly 20% higher engagement levels than average employees. 

How is a vision statement used?

A vision statement is an internal guiding piece of language that inspires you and your team. If you have employees, make your vision part of onboarding, decision making and planning, and more. If you are a solopreneur, print it up pretty, put it up on your bulletin board, and use it to help with goal setting. On the hard days, let your vision statement remind you why you started your business in the first place.

Example of vision statements: 

ASOS

Our vision is to be the world’s number one fashion destination for fashion-loving 20-somethings.

I’m too old to fall into this category, but I feel like they are on track. Younger millennial friends, please report back to this geriatric millennial, mmkay?

Jabra

Be the leader in intelligent audio solutions, transforming lives through the power of sound.

They are constantly innovating and developing new products in pursuit of this vision. It's broad and aspirational yet specific and clear.

Core Values 

In a business context, core values are fundamental beliefs and ideals that guide a company's actions. And now more than ever, they are hugely important for big brands and small brands alike.

SurveyMonkey research showed that 78% of surveyed consumers made a purchase decision based on values between March 2020 and March 2021. This statistic is just one of many demonstrating the powerful pull of shared beliefs. People want to put their money and spend their time engaging with brands that share their values.

You can structure your core values statement in a variety of ways. Some companies list value words with a short sentence or phrase explaining what each value means and looks like for their brand. Others create axioms that communicate their values. Whatever format you choose, I recommend selecting three to five values that are truly central to the way you do business.

This isn't the time to throw words around. You need to live these values out for them to count. You also want to choose specific and unique values so that they don't become meaningless white noise.

How are core values used?

A core values statement is as meaningful internally as it is externally. Put your core values out there in the world on your website and in your materials. They might show up in an onboarding guide, for example. You can also use them to guide your content marketing strategy or your client experience touchpoints. If you have a team, incorporating your core values into onboarding and training can help your team represent your brand consistently.

Examples of core values:

Target Commitments 

More for your money 

The best shopping experiences

A healthy, happy, and valued team

A brighter future

Ethical business practices

I like how Target outlines precisely how each of these values (framed here as their “commitments”) plays out in the actual day-to-day operations of the business. 

Sunbasket

Ingredients Matter

Sustainable to the Core

We Move Forward By Giving Back

Goodness, I appreciate an authentic and pithy set of core values. Read more about these three guiding principles on Sunbasket’s website. 

Tagline

A tagline is a short phrase that memorably communicates what your business does. The ideal length is as short as possible—aiming for three to six words is a good starting point. If your business name is super clear (Jennifer's Lawn Care, for example), you can get more clever with your tagline. If you have a business name that leaves people wondering what you do (Optimius Solutions LLC, for instance), I suggest a tagline that makes what you do and the value you offer crystal clear.

How is a tagline used?

Taglines market an entire brand as opposed to a specific product. Product taglines are typically referred to as slogans. Taglines can be used on your website, on branded promotional items, on print collateral, or in print or digital advertisements. Depending on your tagline, it may even appear as part of your brand's primary logo.

Examples of taglines: 

M&Ms

Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.

This is a textbook example of tagline perfection that goes way back.

Dollar Shave Club

Shave Time. Shave Money. 

Clever and clear and totally reflects the personality of this brand. 

Brand Promise

Your brand promise is a statement that articulates what customers can expect from their experience with your brand each and every time they interact with you. Delivering on this promise is essential to maintaining brand integrity. Your brand promise should be short, memorable, and actionable. 

How is a brand promise used?

Some brands use their brand promise as a tagline or the basis of marketing campaigns, but that's not its core purpose. The brand promise is meant to be an internal piece of language. It can help you shape the range of experiences and touchpoints customers have with your brand. Your customers should feel it but not necessarily be able to recite it. Maintaining a consistently excellent customer experience often begins with clarifying your authentic brand promise.

Example of brand promises:

Geico

15 minutes or less can save you 15% or more on car insurance. 

Geico based an entire marketing strategy on this one, but it wasn't conceived as a marketing strategy. It is clear, memorable, and used to keep their nationwide team accountable to the same standards.

Nike 

To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. 

*If you have a body, you are an athlete. 

I love this because if you know Nike, this is what they try to live up to. And yet, it's not the "Just Do It" tagline that we're all so familiar with.

About Statement 

An about statement is a brief narrative explaining who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Even though it is about you, it is best to think about the statement in terms of your audience. A good about statement answers the following questions:

1. "Do they get me?"

2. "Can they help me?"

3. "What drives them?"

It helps to have a few different versions of your about statement to serve you in different circumstances. For small businesses and entrepreneurs, I suggest that their primary about statement (the one that goes on their website) is written in the first person. Infuse the statement with some brand personality and weave in enough of your origin story, experience, and credentials to give readers a reason to trust that you are qualified to solve their problem. You don’t want it to be super long, but long enough to tell a story that builds a bridge between you and your target audience. 

How is an about statement used?

The long version of your about statement (which still shouldn't be too long and ideally should be scannable) can be used on your website and in print collateral. Shorter versions are for things like boilerplate for press releases, directory listings, and other places where you need to include a brief description of your company. The shortest versions are designated for character-count restricted social media profiles.

Example of about statements:

An about statement is often the central element of an about page, but it isn’t always the only element. For the sake of this post, I’ll share some about pages that I think do a great job. 

Primary

This clothing company was among the first to nix the slogans and cutesy designs on kids' clothes and make them comfy, sustainable, and gender-inclusive. Their about statement is short, clear, and makes the target customer feel seen and heard while still communicating how the brand came to be and the benefit of shopping with Primary. 

Warby Parker 

Check it out on their site here. I love the origin story and the way they outline the relatable problems they solve in a way that makes you immediately appreciate their impact.

Elevator Pitch 

“What do you do?” is one of the most commonly asked questions in social and professional settings. 

It's essential for small business owners to have a compelling response ready for this question. Enter the conversational elevator pitch. It's essentially a one-sentence answer to "What do you do?” 

The goal is to answer in a way that sparks further conversation. Your “pitch” should be brief, specific, and focused on how you bring value to your customers. It should not sound like a sales pitch but should roll off the tongue naturally. 

In instances where you have the luxury of a little more time and where people are more primed for a "pitch," you'll want to have the outline of a formal elevator pitch prepared. I say outline because you don't want your pitch to sound rehearsed. Ideally, your formal elevator pitch should highlight who you are, who you help, and how you do it in about thirty seconds. I love keeping the formal elevator pitch fresh and memorable by incorporating a recent tangible example of your customers' positive results.

How is an elevator pitch used?

Your conversational elevator pitch is used in professional and social settings to explain what you do briefly. Your formal elevator pitch can be used during roundtable introductions at networking events, at the start of a presentation, or in other settings where you have an opportunity to introduce your business. 

If you want to hear some excellent elevator pitch examples, send me an email, and I can share some from my work with clients over the years.

It is crucial to go beyond the generic with all of these messaging elements. Values like "customer service" don't mean much without more specificity. When writing about serving customers, avoid falling back on buzzwords or things that sound good but hold little real meaning.

Instead, do some deep reflection, engage your team, and reach out to your customers to gather valuable insights before starting any work on your messaging. From there, define the core differentiators of your brand (more on defining your brand differentiators here) and use them to unify all of your messaging elements.

I hope you are starting to see the incredible value of having a foundational set of messaging elements in your toolkit. If you want to approach any situation confident in your message but still need more guidance or an outside perspective, I'm here for you. One of my signature services is empowering small business owners with a range of brand messaging elements!

Want to learn more about how I help small businesses build their brands through strong messaging?