Writing compelling marketing messages is an art form that demands knowledge of consumer behavior, well-developed skills, and boundaryless creativity. It’s an endeavor that can take years to master.

So, if you’re just wetting your whistle for the first time, let’s get the biggest golden nuggets you need to walk away with out in the open.

We’ll dive deeper into marketing messages that sell, but first, crafting irresistible sales copy requires these 3 things, so let’s cover ’em.

Then you’ll be able to use messaging to win yourself a lot more business. That’s the goal, right? So, let’s move on it!

P.S. That cute little llama in our featured image above is named Cadbury, you can meet him and learn how to draw a cute cartoon llama from the legendary illustrator, Noeline Cassetari, known for some of your favorite childhood characters—Winnie the Pooh, The Berenstain Bears, and Scooby Doo. Book Noeline’s online drawing class on exploringnotboring.com ✨

P.S.S. If you’re in a hurry, jump to the section you’re most interested in:

• 3 Tips for Marketing Messaging That Sells
• How to Identify Your Core Marketing Message
• Know Your Target Audience
• Define Your Value Proposition
• Appeal to Your Audience’s Emotions & Logic
• 3 Steps to Write an Effective Marketing Message
• Examples of Marketing Messaging That Sells
  • Messaging Formula Examples
  • Call-to-Action (CTA) Messaging Examples
  • Power Words in Marketing

If 15+ years in marketing, sales, and operations has taught us anything…

Here it is:

Top 3 Tips for Marketing Messages That Sells

If all you take away from this article are these 3 tips for marketing messages that sell, you’ll do just fine:

1. Marketing Messaging is Benefit-Focused

Focus on delivering clear, benefit-driven marketing messages. Because people don’t care about what you do, they don’t even care about why you do it (Sorry, Simon Sinek), they simply care about how it benefits them. Period.

2. Marketing Messaging is Concise

Remember this: “concise” doesn’t mean sacrificing impact.

Each word should pack a punch, addressing your customers’ desires head-on. Your headline or title, description or text, and call-to-action (CTA) must be concise—giving a lot of information clearly and in few words.

Don’t get it twisted! Your messaging needs to be clear and concise, but that doesn’t mean your marketing message has to be boring. Never be boring!

3. Marketing Messaging is Compelling

Make your message irresistible! How? All value, no fluff.

• Know your audience (i.e. interests, pain points, desires, etc.);
• Add a personal touch;
• Create a sense of urgency;
• Evoke emotions and imagination;
• Write attention-grabbing hooks for your headlines, subject lines, titles, or the first line of any social post caption; and
• Use actionable language that highlights benefits.

Precision and specificity is your ticket to compelling copy. But there’s one more component you need to complete the recipe:

Legendary American advertising pioneer, Claude Hopkins, said, “Curiosity is among the strongest of human incentives.”

Instead of dumping a barrage of blatant benefits on the head of potential buyers, craft copy that tantalizes and cranks up their curiosity.

Ways to grab your audience’s attention:

• Curiosity & Intrigue
• Shock
• Direct Benefit
• Implied Benefit
• Fear
• Vanity
• Self-Interest (Better, Stronger, Healthier, Happier, Sexier, Smarter)

How to Identify Your Core Marketing Message

Okay, great! Now you have the necessary foundation. Let’s build on it!

Your marketing strategy has to align with your audiences’ needs and interests so it can inform the content you need to create and how to share it.

The only way to bridge the gap between your strategy and your content is to define the core marketing message that ties it all together.

Your core marketing message goes beyond your unique value proposition, which tells people the primary benefit you offer, to incorporate the feelings and emotions you want people to experience, the words that make your communication relevant and relatable, and the reasons why people should choose you over your competitors.

In its simplest form, messaging in marketing is how you communicate what customers want to know about your brand. It goes beyond just sharing information about what you offer—it builds your brand identity, builds trust, and inspires action.

Your approach to marketing messaging impacts:

• Social Media Posts
• Promotional Copy
• Website Copy
• Email Campaigns
• Calls-to-Action
• And more!

A well-crafted marketing message helps convert your audience into customers. In order to identify your core marketing message, you need to know your target audience, then define your value proposition, and then use that insight to craft a message that appeals to their emotions and logic.

Know Your Target Audience

Simply put, your target audience is a group of consumers with similar characteristics and purchasing intent. These people stand to gain the most value from your offer. So, this is where you want to put your marketing energy.

To identify your target audience and conduct buyer persona research, you’ll want to interview recent customers, analyze your competitors, monitor social media, and dive deep into search terms, keywords, and online spaces where your target audience congregates: Reddit, Quora, Facebook Groups, Discord, and so on.

This research is critical! It will help you better understand their interests, behaviors, pain points, communication preferences, day-to-day routines, and more, informing your marketing strategy from the bottom up.

Define Your Value Proposition

In marketing messaging, your value proposition tells consumers how your offer is uniquely different and tailor-made to meet their needs.

A truly effective value proposition tells your target audience how you’ll solve their problem AND positions you as the best choice over your competitors.

Just so we’re on the same page, positioning is how you want your brand and service/product to be perceived by consumers; more specifically, how you market your brand or service/product to achieve that position.

The only way to write a value proposition that sells is to deeply understand your target audience and market, so you can connect the value you provide to their biggest pain point, matching your benefits to their needs, and strategically positioning yourself, distinguished from your competitors.

FUN FACT: There may only be one way to write an effective value proposition that sells, but there are numerous ways to say “Value Proposition” in case you were curious:

• Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
• Selling Proposition
• Core Value Proposition
• Value Statement
• Unique Value Statement
• Core Value Statement
• Core Value Proposition

In theory, this is really all you need to write your value proposition:

I help [AUDIENCE/NICHE] to [ACHIEVE RESULT/SOLVE PROBLEM] by [SERVICE/PRODUCT].

EXAMPLE

I help young travelers to experience San Antonio like a local by touring the city by sidecar and visiting local favorite food joints and gathering places.

The more specific you are with each fill-in-the-blank, the stronger your unique selling proposition. This is how a good value proposition works:

Appeal to Your Audience’s Emotions & Logic

While your value proposition appeals to your audience’s logical reasoning using information to persuade, tactics like humorous copy, storytelling, and conversational language can help you appeal to their emotions.

Since consumer behavior is driven by consumer emotion, marketing messaging that taps into emotions is incredibly successful. With an understanding of the emotional triggers, motivations, and attitudes of your market and future customers, you can write better sales copy that converts.

STORYTELLING

Storytelling is a powerful way to capture your audience’s attention, engage their imagination, and persuade them to buy.

Think about it . . . humans have been sharing stories since the beginning of time. That’s how we’ve passed on information for millions of years, that’s how we learn as kids, and that’s how we entertain ourselves. Stories sell!

Storytelling can help you illustrate your value proposition, showcase your brand’s personality, and build an emotional connection with your audience.

CONVERSATIONAL LANGUAGE

Use familiar, conversational language in your marketing messages.

Whether you sell new roofs, rocket engines, or city tours, you’re still selling to humans. So, be human! Be personal! Effective sales copy is simple, straightforward, and typically maintains a friendly tone.

Think about it: Who would you rather buy from, your buddy or a salesman?

3 Steps to Write an Effective Marketing Message

First you have to do your research, understand your target audience. If you haven’t gathered by now, that’s the #1 way to write effective sales copy.

Once you know who you’re talking to and what they need, then you can start the process of crafting an effective message that always lands.

1. Identify your customer’s biggest problem

What’s keeping them up at night? Step into their shoes and imagine what they’d be looking for in a business. Your messaging largely hinges on your customer’s needs. Identify your customer’s biggest pain point and address it head-on.

Remember, people are much more motivated to move away from pain than to move toward pleasure.

Explain vividly how it feels to experience the specific problem you target market has, so reading it they say, “Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel.”

2. Use their own words

What do they say, mimicking is the highest form of flattery?

Well, it’s also an effective marketing tactic.

When you research your audience, write down word-for-word phrases they use to describe their pain points, challenges, needs, desires, and motivations.

Then personalize your messaging by using the actual words your audience uses to describe their problem and desires. If they say “workshop” and you say “class,” start saying “workshop!” If they say “estimate” and you say “quote,” start saying “estimate!”

3. Paint a clear picture

Leave no room for your customers to wonder why they should choose you. Get right to the point, clearly communicate how you’re different and the benefits you offer, and use eye-catching headlines, media, and social proof.

Examples of Marketing Messaging That Sell

Explore examples of masterful storytelling, strategic positioning, and compelling calls-to-action that can transform passersby into customers.

MESSAGING FORMULAS

Here are a few plug-n-play messaging formulas that you can use for attention-grabbing headlines, subject lines, and hooks for social captions.

HOW-TO MESSAGING FORMULAS

1. How to [ACCOMPLISH A SPECIFIC RESULT]
   EXAMPLE: “How to Boost Your Confidence”
   
2. How to Get [DESIRED RESULT] Without [BIGGEST FEAR] in [SPECIFIC TIME FRAME] Guaranteed
   EXAMPLE: “How to Get Good at Poetry Without Making a Fool of Yourself in Only 1 Quick Hour Session Guaranteed”
   
3. How to Stop [EXPERIENCING PROBLEM] & Start [GETTING BENEFIT/SOLUTION]
   EXAMPLE: “How to Stop Procrastinating & Start Mastering Oil Painting”
   
4. Here’s A Quick, Easy Way to [GET BENEFIT/SOLVE PROBLEM]
   EXAMPLE: “Here’s A Quick, Easy Way to Tour San Antonio Like a Local”
   
5. How to Use [KEYPHRASE] to Get [DESIRED RESULT]
   EXAMPLE: “How to Use Pole Dancing to Get Stronger, Sexier + More Confident”
   
6. How to Get [RESULT] Without [STRUGGLE]
   EXAMPLE: “How to Get A Relaxing Night Out Without Breaking the Bank”

MESSAGING FORMULAS FOR QUESTIONS

1. Who else wants to [#1 BENEFIT] before the year ends?
   EXAMPLE: “Who else wants to become a wine sommelier before the year ends?”
   
2. What if you could [DESIRED OUTCOME]?
   EXAMPLE: “What if you could run away to California and experience local life?”
   
3. Are you ready to [ACHIEVE DESIRED GOAL]?
   EXAMPLE: “Are you ready to master non-verbal communication?”

MESSAGING FORMULAS FOR CURIOSITY

1. You won’t believe what I’ve discovered…
   
2. Join us backstage for an exclusive look at our creative process!
   
3. What Everyone Needs to Know About [TOPIC]
   EXAMPLE: “What Everyone Needs to Know About Sharks”
   
4. The Little-Known Secret to [#1 BENEFIT] That [FAMILIAR PERSON/ENTITY] Don’t Want You to Know
   EXAMPLE: “The Little-Known Secret to Happiness That Doctors Don’t Want You to Know”
   
5. Discover How [CUSTOMER NAME] Transformed Their [PROBLEM]
   EXAMPLE: “Discover How Sarah Transformed Their Stressful Work-Life”
   
6. Learn how I help [AUDIENCE/NICHE] to [ACHIEVE RESULT/SOLVE PROBLEM] by [SERVICE/PRODUCT]
   EXAMPLE: “Learn how I help new mothers to re-claim their independence by building sustainable habits for happiness”
   
7. I [PROVIDE SOLUTION/RESULTS] For [TARGET AUDIENCE]
   EXAMPLE: “I provide full-day Yellowstone adventures for curious animal lovers who don’t want to miss the iconic species of this beautiful National Park.”
   
8. [#] Proven Ways to [ACHIEVE A DESIRED RESULT]
   EXAMPLE: “10 Proven Ways to Learn Spanish Faster”

HERE’S WHY THIS MESSAGING WORKS 👇

“It’s Smart. It’s Swedish. It’s maybe a little strange. It’s the doctor-invented nasal aspirator that actually works!” — FridaBaby’s Snotsucker

1) The brand is using humorous copy! Coupled with cartoon branding FYI.

2) It’s clear, concise, and addresses the consumer’s biggest pain point that snotsuckers don’t actually do the job like you need them to, but this one does.

3) And guess what, it’s “doctor-invented!” That messaging positions the brand as an expert and differentiates the product from their competitors.

CALL-TO-ACTION (CTA) EXAMPLES

Your call-to-action is a command.

Be specific and tell your audience exactly what to do. Ask them to do just one thing, the most important action you want them to take today, right now.

A strong, clear call-to-action, strategically placed, can make the difference between making rent this month or being completely ignored.

Some examples of call-to-actions for inspiration or use:

EMOTION-PROVOKING MESSAGING

Add some modifiers to your CTA to evoke an emotional response.

Here are some examples:

• ADD NUMBERS: “Buy now and get 50% off!”
• ADD ADJECTIVES: “Experience your dream home with us!”
• MAKE A PROMISE: “Feel happier by the end of this class!”
• INFLUENCE FOMO: “Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience!”
• PLAY YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION: “Order your hand-made clay mugs now!”

MARKETING POWER WORDS TO STIR EMOTION

Using power words can help stir emotions that make your messaging stick.

Some top “Power Words” in marketing include:

Keep in mind, you can emphasize these power words or other keywords in your marketing message by using ALL CAPS or formatting such as bold or italics to help engage and persuade your audience to act.

Over to You!

Did you know that 72% of business owners say that they’re overwhelmed with their responsibilities? It becomes difficult, if not impossible, to give your time and energy to marketing your business in an effective way. We get it!

Use these simple, effective, time-tested tactics to help you write a stronger marketing message that does the work to bring you new customers.

You deserve it!

Want help with writing compelling messaging?

If you offer a unique Activity, Event, or Product that encourages well-being, self-growth, or life satisfaction, then sell it on exploringnotboring.com

When you submit your Listing, we’ll review it to ensure it meets our Quality Standards, but we’ll also use that opportunity to help you optimize your offer to sell more online. This includes auditing your messaging and helping you optimize your value proposition, keywords, emotions, and storytelling.

Learn how to sell more online
by partnering with exploringnotboring.com 👇