When we talk about brand messaging we have been told for years that we need to have more content available for our audiences. More content on our social media, our websites, our item descriptions — basically on any online page or platform that can be viewed by a client or indexed by search engines.
Brand Messaging: What is content?
Content covers the basics, including the who, what, when, where, why and how. Content tells a story.
This begs the question: Are mass amounts of generic content (that don’t specifically support your brand) actually valuable?
I spent 15 years teaching automotive dealers how to sell more cars. A lot of that was teaching them to tell a story that customers could connect with. But telling a story takes work. So instead, many times we’d find people copying and pasting every possible search term a customer might use to find a vehicle — all into a list on a single page.
Let’s think this through: A client does an online search for your service or product, and they come across your page of pure content. Does a list of basic keywords help win an audience over to your product or service? If you’re selling a $60,000 Range Rover and you list out 80 bullet points on its factory equipment, do they inspire enough emotion in your shopper that they take the bait? Compare the previous type of post against one where a seller tells a story about the vehicle, including its service history, video footage of the car running, and well-composed sentences about how amazing the performance is. This is where context comes into play.
Brand Messaging: What is context?
We’ve all heard the expression, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” Context is the force behind how you say something. It tells people what you’re feeling, how you do things, why you’re different, and the goal or purpose of your message.
Adding context to your content takes the conversation to the next level, and it allows the audience to connect to the message you’re trying to convey. This is where values and emotions factor in. Instead of communicating a stream of bare facts, you’re now communicating an experience.
Case in point: Swizzle does promotional items a little differently. We look for products that a client would actually want to receive — ones that won’t just end up in a landfill. We look for products that complement the brand, support the event, fulfill the purpose of the item, and then we work with our clients one-on-one to make sure that everything is perfect and personalized. Not only are we passionate about what we do, we are also passionate about baseball, music, our local community, nonprofits, donuts, tacos and dogs.
So when Swizzle posts something, we don’t say that we sell promotional items and then go ahead and list every single item that a person could possibly buy. No, because that wouldn’t get us very far. Instead, we create messages to help potential customers understand what we stand for, as well as how they would benefit from doing business with us. In each piece of content we talk about one of the passions we have, because it helps people understand who we are and what we’re like to work with. It’s also just way more fun than a list of T-shirt manufacturers.
Make sense? We have a shopping page where you can access 700,000 items, and each one has a basic content description. But this is what all our competitors have as well, so what makes us different? Context, context, context: Here is what we have to offer, here is why we think it’s important, here is why it should matter to you, and here is why we think you should work with Swizzle.
Brand Messaging: Adding context to your content
So, how can you add context to your next piece of content? It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a blog, social media post, updating a webpage or selling a product. Write about more than just the who, what, when, why and how. Find places to convey your value and why it should matter to your audience. More than anything, tell a compelling story. Bullet points may get you found by a search engine, but telling a story is what will help you connect with your audience.
At Swizzle, we can help you create content that’s meaningful and persuasive. Our copywriting and content creation team use both visuals and the written word to create experiences that authentically reflect your brand. Give us a call — we would love to sit down and share our insights on your messaging strategy.
For questions or comments about Brand Messaging email me directly at Clayton@swizzlestory.com
To shop our promotional products, apparel and other merch please check out our website at www.swizzlestory.com
