2. Messaging Toolkit
OVERVIEW:
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Clear, concise, and compelling messaging makes it easy to understand what you
do, why you do it and why someone should engage with you. With more than one
million words to choose from in the English language alone, there’s no excuse for
using words that are confusing, convoluted or boring.
This toolkit will walk you exactly how you can find words that are as unique and
compelling as your mission. You’ll start by grounding yourself in the Engagement
Cycle. Then you’ll use a Messaging Roadmap to move step-by-step through the
process of developing a Messaging Platform.
Find your words. Increase your impact!
3. Messaging Toolkit
Featuring the following handy tools:
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Engagement Cycle
Messaging Roadmap
Messaging Platform
4. Tool: Engagement Cycle
HOW TO USE THIS TOOL:
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You probably think you need an ‘elevator pitch’ as part of your messaging
repertoire. Good news—you don’t! What you need is a series of pitches that moves
people along an Engagement Cycle—from knowing about you, to understanding
you, to engaging with you. An elevator pitch mashes all three of these pitches into
one. This is what makes them creepy and awkward.
You want each of your pitches to be 10-15 words max. They should be words that
you would actually say (vs. those that might be read, which can be a bit more
formal). This tool lays out exactly what info you should include in those 10-15
words at each point along the Engagement Cycle.
5. Engagement Cycle
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KNOW
The ‘know’ pitch answers the question: ‘What do you
do?’ You want a pitch that is remarkable – meaning
interesting enough for people to remark on it to
you and (pay attention because this next part
is very important in terms of word-of-mouth
marketing) to others.
UNDERSTAND
Once you’re on someone’s radar, i.e. they
know you exist, you need to make sure
they really, truly understand what you do
and why you do it. Of all the organizations
out there, why should they engage
with yours? What makes you special?
Compelling? Unlike any other? Your
‘understand’ pitch answers these questions.
ENGAGE
Donate. Advocate. Volunteer. Buy. This pitch
answers the question: ‘How can I engage?’ This is
the pitch that moves people from learning to doing.
6. Tool: Messaging Roadmap & Platform
HOW TO USE THESE TOOLS:
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How can you organize all the amazing things you want to share about your
organization in a way that makes sense? It’s a toughie. What we tend to do is share
our everything, rather than our essence. And that’s a bummer because when you
share your everything, the person on the receiving end remembers nothing. Not good.
The Messaging Roadmap goes hand-in-hand with the Messaging Platform. The
Roadmap walks you through a step-by-step approach to developing memorable
messages that will resonate with your key audiences. Then you put the messages into
your handy dandy Messaging Platform and share it with everyone in your organization.
And voilà—you have messaging that is concise, compelling and repeatable!
For detailed instructions and companion videos are available here.
9. We hope you found this toolkit useful!
Here are two other tools to help you market your mission:
Pitchfalls: why bad pitches happen to good people
1, 2, 3 Marketing Tree
Thanks for making the world a better place,
The Claxon Team
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www.claxonmarketing.com
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info@claxonmarketing.com
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347.766.6485