In the world of B2B demand generation, capturing attention and converting leads requires more than just outreach and good positioning. It demands a finely tuned message positioning strategy that speaks directly to your target audience. Your positioning and messaging are what set your brand apart from competitors, establish credibility, and create the foundation for successful demand generation. In this blog, we’ll explore why message positioning is critical for B2B marketers looking to drive demand, foster engagement, and convert leads into loyal customers.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your B2B demand generation efforts, this article will help you understand how strategic positioning can unlock business growth and enhance your marketing outcomes. Let’s dive into the key components of message positioning and why it’s vital for success.
We frequently hear clients tell us, “Our sales team just needs more at-bats.” In other words, they need leads. So, they need lead generation, right? Not so fast; let’s ensure we have good positioning first. For demand generation to work, we first need to make sure we have a strong marketing foundation, and one of the most critical components in that foundation is a messaging framework.
In this article we’ll share why message positioning is a key marketing activity that could make or break your demand generation efforts.
What Is B2B Demand Generation and Why Does Message Positioning Matter?
B2B demand generation refers to the process of driving awareness, interest, and engagement in your brand, ultimately turning prospects into qualified leads. While various tactics like content marketing and lead nurturing play a role, your brand messaging must be clear, positioning and message are the backbone of these efforts. Without a clear, compelling position, your brand risks blending in with the competition or failing to communicate its true value to the target audience.
Positioning and messaging matter in B2B demand generation because they provide a structured way to define how your product or service is perceived in the market. Your message speaks directly to the pain points of potential buyers, illustrating how your brand solves problems better than the competition. In a crowded market, effective positioning ensures that your B2B demand generation campaigns are not only seen but also resonate with decision-makers.
How Does Messaging Influence Your Brand?
Messaging is the set of key statements that communicate your brand’s value, mission, and differentiation. A strong message sets the tone for how your brand engages with its audience and reflects the core values that you want to project.
The right messaging strategy helps define your brand’s story and ensures that the message resonates with your target customers. Messaging without clarity can confuse your audience, making it difficult for them to understand what sets your brand apart. Thus, it’s essential to build a message that resonates with your market and aligns with the brand’s overall positioning.
MESSAGE POSITIONING ANSWERS THE BIG QUESTIONS
Why does your business exist? What do you stand for? What is the value you bring? Why should a prospect buy from you over the competition? If you’re stumped, this is why your messaging matters.
Can you clearly articulate your value? Can everyone in your organization share your story in a compelling and consistent way? Do your sales and marketing materials spell it all out?
If you have to answer, “um … er, no,” this is why your messaging matters.
When your ideal prospect encounters your brand, do they immediately understand who you are, what you do and the value you deliver? Or do they have to dig to figure it all out? If they have to dig, chances are they won’t, and you won’t get the chance to convert a lead into a sale. Again, this is why your messaging matters.
It can feel overwhelming, but the truth is if you don’t put the time into building a solid, authentic, differentiated message, your lead generation efforts probably won’t work. If you can’t answer the most important questions about your brand and convey your relevance, it’s pretty hard to build a lead generation engine that actually gets leads.
Conversely, if you do put the time into creating solid messaging, your lead capture activities become a lot simpler. Suddenly you have a script (or source of truth) that guides sales interactions, your website, social posts, advertising and much, much more.
WHAT IS MESSAGE POSITIONING (AND HOW DO I GET ONE)?
Sometimes known as a messaging matrix or messaging architecture, your messaging framework is a document that clearly spells out what your company does, the value your products or services provide and why prospects should choose your company over competitive solutions.
That sounds simple, so you may be tempted to call in a copywriter to write this document. Again, not so fast. The journey to create your messaging framework is as important as the destination and it requires everyone’s buy-in.
Ask five people in your company what your organization stands for and you’re likely to get five different answers. That’s common and it doesn’t mean any one person is wrong. It just means that your team needs to get aligned.
Creating a messaging framework begins with gathering information from key stakeholders – and not just those in the C-suite. Any department that interacts with a client or potential client should share their perceptions. Gathering perspectives from clients and prospects is invaluable as well. Armed with these insights, you can hammer out your company’s key messages. It’s work, but going through the process of formulating and finally articulating your company’s core message helps everyone better understand and articulate your unique value.
SO, HOW DOES MESSAGE POSITIONING GET ME MORE LEADS?
Once you get your messaging right, it will drive every single stage of the sales funnel. Clear, intentional message positioning will help you:
- Build awareness because you’ve crafted a message that gets your target audience’s attention.
- Pique interest because your message cuts through your competition’s noise.
- Become the clear choice and help prospects make a decision because you’ve articulated the reasons why you’re the best choice.
- Entice prospects to take action and help you get the sale because you’ve proven you can meet their needs.
Most importantly, foundational messaging gives your team consistency in word and experience. With every interaction, your audience will know that your organization understands their challenges and supports their success.
Your demand generation programs should begin with a compelling initial contact and your story should build with authenticity, improving your position in prospects’ minds. The right messaging can help you earn trust and develop leads with strong potential.
Every touchpoint is an opportunity; every experience you deliver is a chance to reinforce why you are the best choice. Every new customer could become your customer for life. Every message matters.
NEXT STEPS
If you’re thinking, “It sounds like we need message positioning, but I have no idea where to start,” GrowthMode can help. Contact us for a free message positioning evaluation today.
