Examples of Key Messages that Small Businesses Can Take Inspiration From

Every business should have one key message that guides all their communications. The problem is, business owners have so much information they want to communicate. How do they pick just one key message? I'll give you my tips and examples of key messages that small businesses can take inspiration from.

What is A Key Message?

A key message is the main point that a brand wants to communicate consistently across all marketing channels.

• When you're writing blogs, your topic should reinforce your key message.

• When you're writing social media content, posts should communicate something related to your key message.

• When you're writing newsletters, you should give people insider insights that align with your key message.

So how do you find your key message? Here's what I do.

How to Find Your Key Message

Sit down with a warm drink and a notepad and really think about what you're offering people.

Let's take an eavestrough company for example.

• Their service is eavestrough installations.

• Their main benefit is that they protect homes from water damage.

• Their target audience is young families who bought starter homes.

• They stand out from competitors because they specialize in water harvesting.

Their key message should incorporate their main benefit, their audience, and show what makes them unique.

For example, their key message could be:

We protect older homes from water damage while lowing water bills and making gardens more resilient.

Then, whenever someone is communicating on behalf of the business, they can keep this phrase in mind to improve marketing efforts. This is especially important when writing website copy.

Key Messages Versus Taglines

While key messages and taglines are very similar, there is a difference.

A key message is generally used internally as a reminder for how the business should present itself. It can be descriptive and should address the audience, the differentiator, and the main benefit provided.

A tagline is used externally and should be short and memorable.

Here's an example of the key message versus tagline for Well-Worded Websites.

Key Message: I free-up time for business owners who struggle to get words out of their head and onto the page by creating clean, well-written websites.

Tagline: Organizing Thoughts Into Websites.

Examples of Key Messages

Use these key messages to inspire your own.

A Sustainable Clothing Company

We help young adults fight fast fashion without compromising style by providing clothes they can really feel good in.

• Their product is repurposed clothing.

• Their main benefit is that customers can feel good about wearing the clothes, knowing it's not contributing to the environmental disaster that is fast fashion.

• Their target audience is environmentally-conscious young adults.

• They stand out from competitors because their clothing is trendy and comfortable.

A Voice Coach

We help teenagers and young adults realize their dreams of becoming Broadway-level stars.

• Their service is voice lessons.

• Their main benefit is that they prepare clients for a career in musical theatre.

• Their target audience is theatre kids and young adults.

• They stand out because they have experience performing legitimate Broadway acts.

An Affordable Housing Organization

We help people experiencing homelessness take control over their lives by finding them affordable housing and connecting them with additional supports.

• Their service is connecting people experiencing homelessness to affordable housing.

• Their main benefit is helping people take control of their lives.

• Their target audience is people experiencing homelessness.

• They stand out because they also connect participants with career supports, mental health services, and community resources.

A Houseplant Shop

We help people spark joy in their homes by providing premium houseplants for them to decorate with.

• Their product is houseplants.

• Their main benefit is sparking joy in people's homes.

• Their target audience is people with well-established careers and new homes.

• They stand out because they bring in premium quality products.

Ready to create your own? Try filling in these blanks.

• Our product is ______.

• Our main benefit is ______.

• Our target audience is _____.

• We stand out because _____.

Now turn it into a sentence.

If you're looking to clarify more of your messaging, I offer two-hour long Message Development Sessions where we find your key message, your benefit statement, your differentiation statement, and more. Contact me for more details and let's get your messaging straight!