Creating a strong messaging strategy is an essential piece to a successful B2B digital marketing strategy. Messaging makes a huge difference in how business prospects perceive you. A well-crafted message hits at all levels of awareness creation and phases of the buying journey. 

It can be challenging to get it right, especially in the field of STEM and life sciences marketing. Researchers have complex buying journeys for equipment purchases —  and to successfully convert to sales, messaging needs to answer all the pain points of various people in a buying group.

Whether you are already leveraging ResearchGate as part of your multi-channel marketing campaign or not, we’ve highlighted key factors and best practices to consider for a successful messaging strategy that impacts your bottom line. 

The why, how, and what of messaging

What is brand or product messaging?

Messaging is the way your brand communicates its unique value proposition to your target audience. It transmits core values, personality, and identity. It can inspire, influence, and motivate prospects, generating the desire to buy your brand or product.

Determining messaging is crucial as it allows the public to easily recognize your identity. Your message serves as the foundation for internal and external communications — seeping into the brand story, proposition, products, and services. It generates brand trust and loyalty. Slogans are an excellent example of messaging, as they create an instant association with the brand.

When is an ideal time to create or upgrade your message?

While brand positioning likely remains unchanged for a long time, messaging is a dynamic piece. It should evolve to reflect the company and market shifts.

Launching new business lines, penetrating a new market, brand repositioning, a merger, or spotting significant shifts in buyer behavior are all valid reasons to review and upgrade your messaging. 

What key elements do you need to develop messaging?

Where to begin? A comprehensive brand messaging framework includes:

• A few paragraphs about your company, in a tone of voice that captures the essence of how your brand or product should be perceived by the customer
• Target audiences and their pain points, and how they relate to your offering 
• Data points — be it industry-proof points or internal data — to support your key messages
• A selection of taglines to quickly convey value
• Your unique value proposition, with a few points setting you apart in the market.

Three steps to create an engaging message for a scientific audience

While there is no certified blueprint, you can follow these proven best practices to create an engaging message that stands out and relates to your target audience.

1. Write messaging that resonates with your audience

Your message should reflect your brand’s personality and value while aligning with your audience. Supported by the right channels and visuals, messaging needs to be conveyed quickly and also pull some emotional strings. Here’s how:

• Refer to your buyer persona and unique value proposition: Who are you selling to, and what is their buyer behavior? Use these two elements as pillars to guide your creative process.
• Relate your audience’s pain points: What are the pain points you will relieve? Show empathy when offering a solution. Adapt messaging to each persona.
• Focus on brand or product positioning: How do you want to position yourself? If you claim to be the leader or expert in your field, how can you convey that? 
• Keep it factual: Consider using statistics and facts to differentiate your product and emphasize quality.
• Keep it simple: Don’t over-elaborate. Muddled messaging turns prospects off. 

2. Use a copywriting framework to shape the messaging direction

It is helpful to work with a standardized marketing or copywriting framework to ensure all bases are covered. Frameworks provide structure as you work your way through message creation, helping you address your audience’s needs from different angles. Popular frameworks include:

The 5 stages of customer awareness: How can you tailor your message to each stage of the buying journey, from unaware customers to most aware?

• Unaware: Audiences that don’t know they have a problem.
• Problem Aware: Prospects know they have a problem. 
• Solution Aware: Prospects know they have a problem and need a solution but don’t know of your brand yet. 
• Product Aware: Prospects are aware of options, including your product.
• Most aware: Prospects are close to conversion. 

Make your audience aware of their problem and provide a solution. Adapt messaging throughout the funnel — from educational at the awareness stage of the funnel, to product-focused messaging as prospects consider products and solutions. 

Problem-Agitate-Solve: A copywriting formula that helps you write clear, concise, and compelling copy.

• Problem: Identify your buyer’s pain point.
• Agitate: Stir it up so it hurts to the point of discomfort to create a sense of urgency.
• Solve: Deliver a solution. Empathize with your buyer to generate trust via a compelling call-to-action.

AIDA: One of the oldest marketing formulas, AIDA helps you persuade your audience to take the next step by making them want what you have to offer.

• Attention: Stand out to grab attention.
• Interest: Share new and appealing information that raises interest.
• Desire: Show the benefits of your product or service.
• Action: Ask the reader to take the next step.

The “Pro” system: problem, promise, proof, and proposal. It encompasses ascertaining a problem, promising to eliminate it, proving how, and proposing what is needed from the client to make it happen.

3. Analyze channels and format — and adapt messaging accordingly

Marketing and sales teams should be able to apply and adapt a coherent brand message to any form of communication — from marketing campaigns to web content, packaging slogans, emails, event marketing, presentation, and sales materials. 

Messaging needs to be conveyed clearly across all channels and customer touchpoints with a cohesive tone of voice. The style and format, however, should be adapted to each platform.

Research how your buyers use different platforms. On ResearchGate, we’ve analyzed user trends and campaign performance to help boost success with a scientific audience:

• Share educational content at the top of the funnel: Thought leadership content works well, a ResearchGate survey found. Use a strong CTA to qualify what they will receive once they click through, such as: “Get a free e-Book offering tips and tricks on XYZ topics.”
• Adapt your message to different buyers:  Decision-makers for lab equipment purchases tend to be more senior, such as professors, PIs, and research scientists, our report found. Tailor your message to each role, seniority, and focus. Use A/B testing to optimize messaging per user type and ensure your campaign resonates.
• Align content format with objectives: To reach all buying group members along their respective purchase journeys, shift your content format from awareness (with educational content, such as white papers) through to more product-related messaging (sales sheets, focused on conversion) closer to purchase.
• Keep landing pages simple: Don’t overcomplicate messaging on landing pages such as institution posts or sponsored content. Save experimenting with the content you’re promoting, such as native or display ads.
• Test, test, test: Always A/B test copy in brand creatives. You don’t know what will resonate the most until you yield the best campaign results. 

To inspire your messaging in your omni-channel marketing journey, take a look at some examples of successful brand messaging and B2B marketing in action here. 

Generate leads, drive website traffic, and build brand awareness by engaging a community of scientific professionals as they discover content on ResearchGate. Get in touch today to get started.

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