Check out these three common reasons why your brand message isn’t resonating and results are not meeting your expectations.
There comes a time in every service provider’s business when the results just aren’t meeting the expectation. Whether it’s a new offering or an existing service, the thing that you’re putting out into the world is not landing and business might be a little s-l-o-w. While this can be attributed to a million and one things, I want to take a look at the disconnect from a branding perspective. More specifically, from the standpoint of your brand messaging and what can be done to diagnose the problem.
But, before we dive into three possibilities as to why the offer isn’t landing, I want to first talk about mindset. Mainly because I believe that 90+ percent of the time, mindset is the number one factor for why you’re not seeing the results you want. So, I’d be remiss to say that the VERY FIRST place to start is to do a check in on how you’re feeling. Where’s your head at? If you’ve got a shitty mindset, start there, please.
And then, dive into the more action-focused items below!
Reason No. 01: Not clear on the goal of the message
This one is easy to overlook but can make a big difference in how you’re showing up. We can get so excited about what we’re offering that we completely forget to clarify what the goal is.
Is this overall business marketing and you’re wanting to book more discovery calls? Are you sharing a freebie and looking for more email newsletter signups? Do you want to build awareness and get more eyeballs on your brand?
Spoiler alert: the answer is not, “the goal is to just show up.”
If you don’t have any intention or strategy behind the brand message, how do you know if it is or is not working?
This is where the customer journey comes into play. Think about the four stages of the customer journey (you can read all about them here) and ask yourself: Is the message intended to build awareness, have people buy-into the brand in some form, make a purchase and invest in working with you or increase your retention rate?
When you understand the goal, you’ll be able to identify with more clarity what could be the problem.
Prime example: You’re trying to build your audience (stage one of the customer journey) but the message is using expert-focused language. The problem is that folks in the ‘awareness’ stage of your customer journey are not using the same language that you, the expert, uses.. So, it makes sense that your message isn’t resonating with them because they don’t understand what you’re trying to say. If you haven’t taken the time to get clear on the overarching message goal, you could find yourself stuck for quite some time.
Reason No. 02: Not clear on who the message is actually for
That message you’re sharing? It’s not for everyone.
When you close your eyes and picture the perfect-for-you person reading the message and having it resonate enough to want to take action, who do you envision? Is the message crafted in a way that talks specifically to them? Meaning, do you address concerns, problems, pain points that that specific person would have? Or, are you more vague in your language because you’re a little afraid of alienating a certain group?
Think about the last thing you read, heard or watched and it really felt like the person/brand was speaking directly into your soul. That is what happens with the message-creator is crystal clear on who they’re for AND who they are not for. The goal is for the receiver to consume your message and feel seen, feel heard, feel cared for.
Reason No. 03: Not showing up in the right place
Number two and three often go hand-in-hand. Which isn’t a ‘bad’ thing if you know who you’re targeting. However, more often than not, when you lack clarity around who the message is for, you also don’t quite know where to focus your efforts.
There are two parts to this equation – understanding what makes sense for your audience but also take into consideration where you enjoy spending your time. So when we say ‘right’ place, it’s a double meaning. Right for your audience AND right for you.
With part one, it makes sense to take into consideration who your audience is and where they spend their time. Do they watch video? Are they in a certain marketing group? Do they love being on the ‘Gram or is Facebook more their speed? If you have absolutely no clue, ASK. Talk to past clients and see where they spend their time. Pop into Facebook groups and connect with people in your ideal audience. And then spend at least 60 to 90 days showing up consistently with your message.
For the other part of this reason, think about what lights you up. If you absolutely despise doing video and being on camera, YouTube probably isn’t the best option for you to share your message. Going back to the mindset, if you aren’t experiencing any joy doing the thing, you’re not likely to show up as your best self. So, why not make it easier and pick a platform, channel and/or strategy that you actually want to put effort into? Work smarter, not harder, amiright?
I understand the frustration when something just isn’t working. Especially when that something is your offer. However, these three reasons make up a large portion of the problems I’ve experienced in my own business and what I’ve seen with clients. Point being, it’s totally normal to have something fall flat. The important part is what happens AFTER you make the realization that your message is not resonating. Do you scrap everything and/or give up? Or, do you circle back to the beginning and see what can change?
I always like to think about my message as an experiment – I’m just researching what is and what is not working. This approach allows me to not take it so seriously and remove some of the self-imposed pressure. I know it seems simple but try and have FUN when you’re sharing whatever-it-is that you want to put out in the world. I promise it makes the entire process a lot more enjoyable 🙂
Happy branding!
All my best,
Additional Brand Message Resources:
Ready to get clear on your own brand’s message? Check out part one here.
And click here for part two.
Is your brand message not resonating? Read these three possible reasons why.
Ready to update your brand message? Check out these three updates you can make today!
Want to walk step by step through the nine brand message pillars? Pick up a Brand Message Workbook here.
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