Brand Messaging & Positioning

What is brand messaging and positioning?

Brand messaging and positioning is deciding, and then writing down, how your business should be understood: who it's for, what problem it solves, why it's different from the alternatives, and how it should sound. Positioning is the strategy; messaging is the language that expresses it. Together they give everyone who writes for your business, from your website to your sales team, one clear, consistent story to tell.

Who needs brand messaging work?

• Businesses whose team describes what they do in five different ways
• Companies that sound like every competitor ("innovative solutions", "trusted partner")
• Startups moving from founder-led sales to a team that needs a shared story
• Businesses that have changed what they offer, but not how they talk about it
• Anyone about to rewrite a website or launch a rebrand

Signs your messaging isn't working

• Prospects ask "so what exactly do you do?" after visiting your site
• Sales calls spend the first ten minutes explaining the basics
• Your homepage headline could belong to any company in your industry
• You compete mainly on price because buyers can't see what else is different
• New staff struggle to explain the business in one sentence

What a messaging framework includes

Element	What it answers
Target audience	Who you're for, and who you're not for
Positioning statement	What you are, for whom, and why you're the better choice
Value proposition	The main outcome customers get
Key messages	Three to five points every piece of copy can draw on
Proof points	Evidence that supports each message
Voice guidelines	How you sound, with do and don't examples
Example copy	Headlines, elevator pitch and boilerplate ready to use

How I develop positioning and messaging

1. Research: your sales materials, reviews, competitor sites and customer conversations
2. Workshop or interviews: with founders and key team members, to agree what's true and what matters
3. Positioning options: two or three directions, with the trade-offs of each
4. Framework: the chosen direction written up as a usable document
5. Application: example homepage copy and elevator pitches, so you can see it working

Example (illustrative). Vague: "We provide innovative digital solutions for modern businesses." Positioned: "We build booking systems for independent physiotherapy clinics, so patients book online and staff stop chasing no-shows."

Why positioning sometimes means saying less

Good positioning often means choosing not to appeal to everyone. That can feel risky, but a business that's clearly the best option for a specific group usually wins more of that group than a business that's vaguely suitable for everyone. Narrowing who you speak to on your homepage doesn't stop other customers buying; it makes the right ones recognise you faster.

How do you put a messaging framework to use?

A framework only helps if people use it. I deliver it with ready-to-use pieces: a one-line description, a short and long boilerplate, homepage headline options and an elevator pitch. I also suggest which pages and materials to update first, usually the homepage, LinkedIn profiles and sales deck, so the new message reaches buyers quickly instead of sitting in a shared folder.

Common messaging problems I fix

• A value proposition built on features instead of outcomes
• Competing claims that leave buyers unsure what you're best at
• Copy written for the founder's perspective, not the buyer's
• A voice that changes between the website, emails and sales decks
• Proof that doesn't support the main claim

How much does brand messaging and positioning cost?

Brand messaging and positioning starts from $799. Price depends on the size of the business, the number of audiences and whether customer interviews are included. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.

Once your messaging is clear, website copywriting puts it to work, and an About page and brand story tells it in your own words. My guide on how to write a homepage headline shows positioning in action.