Key Messages are exactly what you want your audience to take home. It’ your ‘drop the mic’ line. Whether launching a campaign or a generic message for your brand or product it is important to have your key messages in place. You need to have a strategic communication plan by ensuring you develop effective key messages. Here are key guidelines to developing your key messages:
What to do: Identify your target audience Research on your audience and ensure that you are targeting a particular group of audience. Ensure you have your primary and secondary audience well defined. Remember if you are targeting everyone chances are you are not targeting anyone.
Know What You Want To Say
Keep your messages simple and still provocative enough to create interest and deliver the message. The messages need to be short and specific. Remember determining your key messages depends on your goal; what you need to achieve and the duration you have. Have a plan Apart from having a clear and specific goal you need to have a step by step plan on how to get there. Ensure these steps are realistic and measurable. Be able to answer in a sentence “what do you want to achieve?” determine if your key messages are meant to be a one off kind of message or is it a long term message for your product or brand?
Consistency. Consistency. Consistency.
If you are managing or running a campaign ensure that all the messages that are launched across all platforms are uniform. Consistency ensures that your message is repeated over and over again and this helps strengthen your message.
What to avoid:
Several messages Having too many messages even if they are intertwined into one. This confuses your audience and you lose their interest. Concise messages helps you to be in control of the message. Remember the more information you have the harder it is for your audience to decipher what you are really saying. Corporate Jargon Make the messages simple such that anybody can be able to understand. When you use a lot of complicated words you lose your audience attention. Jargon locks people out therefore use words that anyone can understand and relate to.
Your key messages should be aligned to your brand strategy and vision but remember they should address and appeal to your audience and not you. Never forget it’s all about your audience. If it’s an overall message for your brand or product then you need to keep reviewing your messages; keeping them fresh and up to date.
6 Comments
4/4/2017 09:59:30 am
Great tips! Pinning this to refer back to
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Mary
4/7/2017 02:39:29 pm
I agree Tee. That is why it's also important to know and understand your target audience.
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