When it comes to marketing, a lot of businesses make the mistake of jumping straight into trendy tactics - like the newest social media craze - without establishing a strong foundation first. But just like a great makeup artist needs a solid foundation, so does your brand. Your marketing efforts won't be sustainable without helping your audience understand what problems your products or service solves. The three key elements you need to create that foundation are messaging, a one-liner, and a Brand Playbook. In this post, we'll dive into each of these and explain why they're critical to a successful marketing strategy.

Steps 1-3; Stage 1 of the 3-Stage Marketing Strategy

Step 1: Messaging

Step 2: One-liner

Step 3: Brand Playbook

Use a BrandScript to clarify your marketing message by inviting customers into a story

Your BrandScript is the narrative of your brand that clarifies your marketing message and invites customers into a story. It should explain what problem your offer solves and how it makes your customers' lives better. Think of your BrandScript as the foundation that your marketing will be built upon. Without it, your messaging will lack clarity, consistency, and a compelling reason for people to take action.

To create a strong BrandScript, you need to understand your customer's pain points, their aspirations, and what motivates them to take action. Use this information to craft a story that resonates with them and positions your offer as the solution they've been searching for. Keep in mind that your BrandScript should be simple, human, and easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or buzzwords that will confuse or turn off your customers.

Create a one-liner that quickly piques a customer's curiosity about your brand

Your one-liner is a concise statement that captures the essence of your brand and communicates your unique value proposition. It's the elevator pitch that you'll use to describe your business to anyone who asks about it. Think of your one-liner as the front door to your business. It needs to be inviting, memorable, and give people a reason to want to learn more.

Crafting a powerful one-liner requires distilling your BrandScript down to its most essential components. It should be a sentence or two at most and should communicate the core benefit that your product or service provides. It's a good idea to get feedback from your team and your customers on your one-liner to ensure it resonates with them and accurately represents your brand.

Devise an overall brand identity and a playbook that keeps your team aligned

Your Brand Playbook is an at-a-glance board that outlines your brand's guidelines, messaging, and visual identity. It's the instruction manual for your team on how to consistently represent your brand across all marketing channels. Your Brand Playbook should contain information on tone of voice, style guidelines, brand colors, logos, and more. It should also have, of course, the BrandScript and one-liner so anyone involved in your company can quickly pull from this information when needed.

Having a Brand Playbook ensures that all your marketing efforts are aligned and consistent. This consistency helps build trust with your customers and gives your brand a professional look and feel. It also makes it easier to onboard new team members and ensures that they understand how to represent your brand effectively.

Ready to put your best face forward?

Starting (and sustaining) your marketing activity is a critical first step to building your business. By leveraging the three key foundational elements of a BrandScript, a one-liner, and a Brand Playbook, you'll be well on your way to establishing a solid foundation for your marketing success. This will provide you with an effective platform from which to launch and grow, while delivering powerful message that speaks directly to the needs of your prospects and customers. If you're unsure how to leverage these foundational elements for maximum impact, help is on the way – take the StoryBrand Marketing Assessment! You’ll get a detailed report that tells you what elements to incorporate into your marketing so you have a strong foundation.