The Importance of Messaging & ROARing Your Way to Product/Message Fit (with Diane Wiredu, Founder & Messaging Strategist @ Lion Words)

Diane Wiredu is the founder of Lion Words, a brand messaging strategy consultancy with which she aims to stop you from sounding like everybody else. She wants to make sure you have product/message fit and a strategy to save you from drowning in a "sea of sameness".

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Episode highlights:

It's hard to see the label when you're stuck in the jar

People within a company often can't see the wood for the trees. They know too much and don't understand how complex their messaging has become. Having an independent audit can help to understand what doesn't work.

Messaging is WHAT you say about your product, copywriting and brand voice is HOW you say it

Messaging is more than just words. It's a strategy informed by company values, overall positioning & ideal customers. It helps people understand why they should care about your product

Successful messaging strategy looks different for each company but there are some things they have in common:

✅ Clarity - Everyone should know what you do consistently
✅ Ease - Don't try to say too much or confuse people
✅ Relevance - Resonates with your audience's needs

There's a framework to help with this stuff, but much of the value is intangible

Diane has her ROAR (Research, Opportunity, Assembly, Review) framework, which of course has hard outputs. But so much of the benefit is the clarity & alignment you get through going through it.

Messaging strategy is a top-down effort and not just marketing fairy dust

Messaging is based on some of the fundamentals of the company, including its mission, vision & strategy. It needs deep leadership involvement as well as a cross-functional group from around the company