Social media and the Internet are always about the next big thing — people like seeing something new–all the time.

Businesses, therefore, try to adapt by switching up their brand messaging or ditching the old, boring message for an exciting new one.

The question is, does it work?

Or is the long game of consistent messaging the better way to help people remember you?

Let’s find out.

TL;DR – How to Build Consistent Messaging for a Brand

In this article, I detail how to build consistent messaging for a brand.

Read the full article to learn about key tactics that will transform your marketing strategy.

If you’re in a hurry, here’s a recap:

1. Establish a clear brand identity
2. Provide a messaging matrix for internal teams
3. Keep it simple and flexible
4. Collaborate with the right people

Can’t find the right balance between consistency and flexibility in your messaging? Start a FiniSprint with me, Nora Sudduth, today for one-on-one, results-driven coaching on your marketing strategy.

What Does it Mean to Have Consistent Brand Messaging?

Consistency in brand messaging means staying true to key elements that shape your brand identity, regardless of execution and the communication channels you use.

Note that it’s not to be confused with inflexibility or repetition, although you will employ some degree of repetition to keep your messaging consistent.

You can be flexible and also consistent by maintaining your brand’s core messages even as you adapt to various audience segments.

Why is Message Consistency Important?

Consistency fosters clarity, which also ushers in stronger brand recognition and recall. 

Conversely, inconsistent messaging can warp your audience’s idea of who you are. As a result, your audience won’t be able to accurately understand your brand story, relate to it, or share it with others.

What is Needed to Communicate a Consistent Message?

The following are must-haves for consistent messaging:

Messaging Matrix

This functions as a style guide but is more in-depth. It covers tone, style, formatting, and other elements, like target audience, key messages, and communication channels.

A messaging matrix will help align your internal teams and equip them to tell your story confidently and accurately.

Brand Pillars

These are defining characteristics that make you “you.” These include your purpose, positioning, and personality.

Establishing your brand pillars will prevent you from departing from your brand identity, especially when adapting your messaging for different channels or audiences.

What is a Consistent Messaging Framework?

A consistent messaging framework (messaging architecture) guides how you shape, communicate, and adapt your messaging.

Think of it as the blueprint of your brand story that contains the following components:

• Value proposition: Lay the proper groundwork by establishing your unique value proposition (UPV) first. This will guide your supporting messages and ensure that they all align with one overarching message about how it comes to your brand’s value.
• Message pillars: These supporting messages further elaborate on your value proposition. Like your UPV, message pillars remain the same.
• Key brand benefits: Enumerate key benefits under every message pillar in further detail. This will help you shape your messaging for various audiences, allowing you to pick benefits that match your target audience’s needs.

Consistent Messaging Examples to Draw Inspiration From

These real-world examples demonstrate how brands maintain consistency in messaging across platforms: 

1. Rare Beauty

Rare Beauty is a makeup brand that celebrates every person as uniquely beautiful.

It’s all about being confident in your skin and using makeup to enhance your innate beauty instead of altering how you look.

Their tone is casual, playful, and relatable–much like a big sis who dolls you up for a party or gives you a shoulder to cry on.

They keep this same tone across all their platforms, be it their website or social media platforms, such as their Instagram account.

2. Apple

Apple is one of the most recognizable brands today, and it’s by no fortunate accident. Their message is clear, and their telling consistent.

Let’s look at how they market the iPhone by delivering the key message – “Everyone has a story to tell.”

We get a snapshot of this message on their website, highlighting the iPhone as a creativity tool.

But their story really takes flight on their Instagram account:

Each of their posts features amazing photography #shotoniPhone, which not only effectively delivers their messaging about telling stories through photos but also cleverly displays the gadget’s capabilities.

Like these examples, you can let your brand stand out with clear, consistent messaging. For better results, work with a brand strategist to craft a compelling brand story.

How to Maintain Consistent Messaging Across Channels

Being consistent when telling your message on different platforms can be tricky. It’s a balancing act between maintaining your core and being flexible enough to be relevant.

These tips should help:

Pick a Key Style Element

Help your audience recognize you by picking a key style element—such as typography, style, or color scheme–and using it across all platforms.

But you can go beyond surface-level visuals.

For instance, The Economist’s Instagram account looks very much like its website. They use social media posts like news highlights that give people a sneak peek into their news stories.

You can also focus on one main goal for your communications. Do you want to entertain? Educate? Inform? Then, do so across all the channels you use.

Adapt but Stick to Your Core

Consistency doesn’t mean inflexibility.

You can be consistent and still bend your messaging to match where you’re speaking. In fact, that’s ideal! Or else, who will take you seriously when you’re goofing around on LinkedIn?

You can adopt a more professional tone for LinkedIn and a playful one for TikTok while staying true to the core values that define you as a brand.

4 Strategies for Achieving Consistent Communication 

Consistency in messaging can be challenging. You’re talking about keeping your teams, stakeholders, and even partners aligned on what to say and how to say it.

Here are 4 strategies to equip your teams to accurately communicate your messaging:

1. Create a Clear Brand Story

Begin with the foundation of a clear brand story and identity.

In other words, you should be able to confidently answer the questions, “Who are you?” and “What do you want to say?” in terms that your audience will understand and appreciate.

It’s the whole reason why you’re communicating in the first place. 

When you and your teams understand this, it’s much easier to keep aligned in the storytelling, regardless of where that takes place.

Need help with crafting a compelling brand story? 

I’ve worked with companies on their marketing strategies, resulting in the sale of over $500M worth of products and services. Join me for a discovery call today to explore how we can work together.

2. Provide a Messaging Matrix for Internal Teams

Now that you have the “what” and the “why,” you can move on to practical steps that keep that story intact.

Implement a messaging matrix that details the core components of your messaging, such as your target audience, content themes, objectives, and success metrics.

You’ll also need a comprehensive style guide that dictates tone, language, and personality.

But don’t just email these guides to your team! Help them fully embrace them in their day-to-day interactions by conducting workshops and training sessions.

3. Keep It Simple

Let’s look back at Apple’s “Everyone has a story to tell.” It’s simple and crisp. You only need to hear it once to remember it.

Like this example, keep your message simple so that it’s easy to remember and adapt.

If you can’t summarize your messaging in one sentence or your teams are struggling to express what your brand wants to say, your messaging is probably too vague or complicated.

That also means it’s hard to flex for different occasions.

4. Collaborate with the Right People

It’s tempting to choose brand ambassadors and influencers based on their numbers alone (e.g., the number of followers).

But remember that your choice of partners can either help reinforce your message or take away from it. 

So, choose your people wisely. Some considerations would be:

• Shared values
• Audience perception
• Associations

You also need to work with someone who understands all levels of marketing strategy to put together a framework that drives lasting impact.

If you’re not seeing enough leads or conversions with your marketing, it’s an indicator that something is off. 

Sign up for ConversionRX, my comprehensive marketing review and diagnosis, to evaluate your strategy and increase conversions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions about consistent messaging below:

What Are the Key Elements of Consistent Messaging?

The following are key components of a consistent messaging framework:

• Value proposition: Tells what you offer your audience and how it sets you apart from your competition.
• Message pillars: Supporting messages that elaborate on your value proposition.
• Brand benefits: Highlight the most important features of your brand and how they benefit your audience.

How Does Consistent Messaging Affect Brand Identity?

Consistency in messaging enhances brand recall and establishes brand identity.

It also clarifies who you are, what you do, and what you offer your audience, which breeds trust and creates loyal customers.

What Role Does Tone of Voice Play in Consistent Messaging?

Tone communicates your brand’s personality and affects how your message is received.

It’s similar to how our tone of voice affects our conversations with people.

How Often Should Businesses Review and Update Their Messaging to Ensure Consistency?

Annual reviews help keep your messaging consistent. But if you’ve recently shifted in strategy or branding, you might need to review more often, such as monthly or quarterly.

Conclusion

Staying consistent is hard work. But keep at it, and you reap the rewards in stronger brand recall and credibility.

You can stay consistent by creating a clear brand story, equipping teams with messaging guides, keeping your message simple, and partnering with the right people.

Better yet, work with a marketing pro who understands all levels of marketing strategy, from branding to messaging. Schedule a discovery call with me today.