Grow your Message, Grow Your Business

My approach to purpose-led business building and marketing is built on the belief that when you align your business with a message, it takes on a greater purpose and becomes part of a story that you and your audience want to be part of.

Think of it this way: if you have a business, you are going to be known for something.

When you ask yourself the question: What do I want to be known for? and then build your products or services around that, you start to build a message.

Your message not only underwrites everything you do in your business, but it becomes the foundation of a brand that people powerfully identify with and buy from over and over again - because they want to live the story that the brand is telling.

When you have clarity and deep connection to your message, your business becomes part of a purpose, a cause that builds trust and attracts people to it. You stand out in a natural, authentic way by leveraging your talents, passions and core beliefs to transform your business and attract clients that are the right match for what you do.

So when people hear your name or your company’s name, you want them to think not just about what you sell, but also what you stand for. You want them to feel something.

You want them to be able to self-identify with you and your message, so that they can get behind you and your brand and say, “Yes, this is me too!”

And then, like magic, your marketing is not just about sharing information about a product or service, it becomes about inspiring people to take action. They do so because your message makes them understand why what you do is important to them.

How growing a message works

I’ve noticed that when I share the message that “building business is a powerful way of doing good in the world,” it resonates with people. When people understand that building a business is about building a message and a story that drives positive change, building a business can actually feel wonderful. It can be a force for building community and expressing our values, and that lights people up.

A message-led business reminds us of who we are, who we want to be and helps us feel like this is a business that represents what we’re about.

5 Reasons to Grow Your Message

A message is something you can become known for and remembered for.
Your marketing stops being about pitching and becomes about inspiring people instead, which builds connection and trust. (And makes you feel a lot better!)
Your message makes people feel something which means they are more likely to share your message with others.
A clear message strongly attracts the people who identify with it
A strong message serves as a filter to make decisions in your company - you won’t be distracted pursuing strategies that are not in line with your core message (which saves a ton of time and stress!)

“We are not for everyone”

Have you ever heard the saying: “If you’re talking to everybody, you’re talking to nobody”?

Building and growing YOUR message is all about doing what you believe in. No matter who you are and what your message is, there’s someone in the world who’s going to resonate with it.

Just as you can grow your message by attracting your audience, you can also be sure that there are people who will not be interested in what you say or how you do it.

As Seth Godin said, “Everyone is not your customer.” Your business transforms the day you recognize that this is true and let go of wanting to please and attract everyone, because it’s simply not possible.

The irony is that many business owners start their businesses from a belief, a conviction or desire that drives them into action – but somewhere along the way they lose touch with what makes them special and they start marketing their business just like everybody else.

This usually happens when we start copying marketing trends or we think we have to be a certain way because all the other businesses in our market are doing it a certain way and we want to keep up.

The good news is that’s easier than you think to connect with the core message behind what you do.

An effective message comes down to understanding why people buy

People choose your business because your products and services connect with them emotionally, based on the stories and the emotional needs each product fulfills. You’ll see this in action when you notice that the best businesses create a community around their brand.

People buy from businesses and brands that bring them together around shared values and experiences. Business is not just about selling a product or service anymore, it’s really about the shared experience people have and what it says about them when they choose your product over every other product out there.

This can feel a bit intimidating for some business owners. Clients come to me asking: How do I craft a clear brand message and how am I going to stand out?

The work we do to craft a message can look different for different types of business, but no matter the industry, you can transform your business by tapping into the emotional needs that your products and services, and message - fill for your customers.

Own Your Message.

When it comes to you and your business, getting really clear on your message allows you to name and own your story. It gives you an energy, “Yes! This is who I am!” and people who identify with you and your message will want to connect with you.

My company, Story Tonic— Grow Your Message, is a good example. People who are drawn to it believe in owning their story and growing their message, too. The whole point of building your business around your story is that you get to start each day with the knowledge that your business exists to accomplish something meaningful in the world. You get to write a story for yourself in which you play a role that feels valuable to you.

The Reason Your Audience Will Gravitate Toward You

The good news is that a message-led business is unique so it doesn’t need to focus on the competition. There really is none. Your focus is on your clients and customers and all the noise fades away.

☑ Take Action

Want to get started creating a clear message to grow your business right away? Download The 20 minute Messaging Makeover!
Remember that if you have a team, you must ensure that your company’s culture is internally on board with the message before promoting it outside of your organization.
Curious how to put this into practice in your business? Story Tonic provides business coaching and done-for-you services in all the key areas needed for growing your message, like brand positioning for your audience, copywriting your core offering, building your landing page and lead magnet, email sequence design for engendering trust and high open rates, and creating content that builds community. Book a call with Nathalie to explore the options for your business.