How to design a message map

[martingrey]

Afternoon,

I was wondering if anyone in here has got any sort of experience with message maps and value proposition design. I would really appreciate help on this. I tried to come up with my own message map based on the one of this online stores provider Shopify which is great in my opinion. They in fact nicely follow this paradigm of message maps as you can clearly see the message/supporting points/evidence structure on their website. See following:

Use Shopify to create your online store
Impress your customers with a beautiful online store and a secure shopping cart.

• A home for your brand
  • Customize your store
  • No design skills needed
• Put your products first
  • Showcase your products
  • Sell one product or millions
• A seamless checkout experience
  • Accept payments instantly
  • Your data is safe and secure

Now I run a digital marketing agency startup and would like to convey a message of a jargon free, hustle free, honest, transparent and innovative agency. Of someone who is highly technical but easy to understand as digital marketing is full of jargon and confusing shortcuts. Hence I put together a draft as follows:

We are hustle free digital agency
For all your needs, we're here to rid you of the confusing stuff.

• Cost effective
  • Remove money leakages
  • Enjoy ready-made products
• Easy to use tools
  • No need for advanced technical skills
  • Software used by millions of users
• Unparalleled customer support
  • 24/7 customer support
  • 99% customer satisfaction

If you could let me know how would that work for you as I'm sure there is a plenty of business people here that would be great.

Thanks a lot,
Martin

 

[ethical PR]

To be honest I work in marketing and PR and can't really understand what you do or why I should use your agency - what's a 'hustle-free' agency? 'Remove money leakages' ?

 

[Mike W]

Not so sure '99% customer satisfaction' is as good a point as you think. It may be honest but doesn't scream 'totally reliable'.

 

[fisicx]

Message Map? Just looks like a nested list of random points to me. What is it supposed to achieve?

PS: where is this on the Shopify website? I can't see it anywhere.

 

[martingrey]

To be honest I work in marketing and PR and can't really understand what you do or why I should use your agency - what's a 'hustle-free' agency? 'Remove money leakages' ?

Ouch that hurt...like your honesty though. Thanks very much for the killer feedback.
You're indeed correct, 'hustle free' doesn't say anything. Money leakage as a opportunity cost but again you're right, too confusing.

what you do

We help business build credibility and boost their growth via digital media.

why I should use your agency

You should use our agency if you find it way too confusing to navigate through the digital media by yourself. We provide tailor-made service and unparalleled customer support.

Better?

Thanks

 

[martingrey]

Not so sure '99% customer satisfaction' is as good a point as you think. It may be honest but doesn't scream 'totally reliable'.

Thanks for your feedback.
I saw this on Campaign Monitor's website. It is somewhat recommended to use statistical data as a supporting point. Maybe not suitable for an agency though.

Thanks!

 

[martingrey]

Message Map? Just looks like a nested list of random points to me. What is it supposed to achieve?

PS: where is this on the Shopify website? I can't see it anywhere.

I cant put the link in here but if you look it up on youtube the first result is a great video on message maps.

It's just a basic tool to come up with a value proposition. I think it's great.

Yes mine indeed looks like a nested list of random points as you can't use charts or tables in here. Random points...well work in progress

Go to 'Sell Online' on Shopify's website.

Cheers

 

[fisicx]

Nope, still can't see it. I see a number of feature areas on the Shopify page but no message map.

Sorry if this seems a bit picky but the theory behind message maps is well documented and it doesn't appear to be what your are offering. Either that or I'm missing something.

 

[martingrey]

Nope, still can't see it. I see a number of feature areas on the Shopify page but no message map.

Sorry if this seems a bit picky but the theory behind message maps is well documented and it doesn't appear to be what your are offering. Either that or I'm missing something.

Not sure what's your point here. Obviously there's no diagram on that page but the main content can be easily assembled into a great message map of theirs. I have actually seen them quoted for a great value proposition on several blogs. Hence if there's one thing they want people to know it's :Use Shopify to create your online store. If they say: No design skills needed, I don't see how that is a feature, in fact why would that be wrong to use a feature as a value proposition?

I'm not offering anything. Just kindly asking for help with my own message map.

Thanks for your feedback.

Cheers

 

[ethical PR]

Ouch that hurt...like your honesty though. Thanks very much for the killer feedback.
You're indeed correct, 'hustle free' doesn't say anything. Money leakage as a opportunity cost but again you're right, too confusing.

We help business build credibility and boost their growth via digital media.

You should use our agency if you find it way too confusing to navigate through the digital media by yourself. We provide tailor-made service and unparalleled customer support.

Better?"

Unfortunately not

In simple terms you need to explain to your target audience (you don't say who they are by the way) a) what you do b) why they should buy from you rather than your competitors c) what you can offer that others don't (in an incredibly crowded market place).

In your first post you say you are a digital marketing agency, but in your reply to me you say you are a digital media agency - you do need to be clear about what you do.

You are assuming people know what a digital media agency is/does (most won't). Lots of agencies say they offer tailored services and great customer support (so not points of differentiation).

Maybe you need to get a marketing agency on board to help you develop your brand/offer?

 

[OldWelshGuy]

What is the demographic of your target market? Without that it is nigh on impossible to comment.


If your target market is small businesses, then forget it as that is all gobbledygook to them and will just throw you in the category of slick talking salespeople.

If your target is corporate then yep go for it, as they love the BS approach of corporate speak, it makes them feel warm and cosy

So who are your ideal customers?

 

[AllUpHere]

As above posters have suggested, you really need to work out exactly what it is you are trying to say first. At the moment it's clear you don't understand your own marketing, so it would be impossible for you to know what your message should be.

Take a couple of steps back (to try to get a good overview of what it is you are trying to achieve), then have a think about how best to achieve it.

 

[NickGrogan]

Afternoon,

We are hustle free digital agency
For all your needs, we're here to rid you of the confusing stuff.

• Cost effective
  • Remove money leakages
  • Enjoy ready-made products
• Easy to use tools
  • No need for advanced technical skills
  • Software used by millions of users
• Unparalleled customer support
  • 24/7 customer support
  • 99% customer satisfaction

As others have said, that's a pretty terrible bit of marketing, especially from a marketing expert

We are hustle free ?

hustle: To move or act energetically and rapidly

So you're lazy and slow then?

Don't start with a negative, (rid), don't treat my like I'm stupid (confusing stuff)

Remove money leakages?

meaningless jargon.

Enjoy ready-made products

So I can buy them anywhere, so why through you?

Software used by millions of users?

bad grammar

24/7 customer support?

Unlikely, unless you're using a call centre, probably overseas. Can I really call you 4am Christmas morning?

99% customer satisfaction?

That's a pretty poor standard.

 

[martingrey]

you don't say who they are by the way

turnover £2+ able to pay £1k+ monthly retainer, verticals charity, financial, public, startups

In your first post you say you are a digital marketing agency, but in your reply to me you say you are a digital media agency - you do need to be clear about what you do.

You are assuming people know what a digital media agency is/does (most won't). Lots of agencies say they offer tailored services and great customer support (so not points of differentiation).

Very valid points, thank you so much. I mean it's different when you unconsciously assume so and when you hear/read a feedback. Sometimes people don't even know what Google Drive is.

Still If I look what the competition is doing they do not seem to be doing much more (top google results):

We are a Digital Marketing Agency led by experts, driven by insights and focused on results

We are an innovative digital marketing agency with a proven track record that brands trust.

We are an online marketing agency, specialising in SEO, PPC and Web design & development for e-commerce.

I think I'll have to focus on getting the message across but still including some of the technicalities.

Thanks for the feedback.
M

 

[martingrey]

What is the demographic of your target market? Without that it is nigh on impossible to comment.


If your target market is small businesses, then forget it as that is all gobbledygook to them and will just throw you in the category of slick talking salespeople.

If your target is corporate then yep go for it, as they love the BS approach of corporate speak, it makes them feel warm and cosy

So who are your ideal customers?

London, turnover £2+ able to pay £1k+ monthly retainer, verticals charity, financial, public, startups, buys SEO, hosting, Web Design, newsletters etc.

It's true some of the clients buy SEO but have actually no idea what it involves. That's why we step in, our clients love the way we work. They can focus on their business dropping us an email and that's it. Delivering quality so they're very happy.

Cheers

 

[fisicx]

All of which is great. But what you suggested in your opening post isn't a message map - which is why I was confused. The message map is what you do in the office. What you publish on the site is the results of that analysis.

For example, the message map will identify the objections. The website will publish the answer to that objection.

Looking at your target how are you marketing to them. Are they arriving on your website cold or have you already been in contact? Are they the sort of clients who do Google searches or are they the sort (as many are these days) who get referrals?

 

[ethical PR]

London, turnover £2+ able to pay £1k+ monthly retainer, verticals charity, financial, public, startups, buys SEO, hosting, Web Design, newsletters etc.

It's true some of the clients buy SEO but have actually no idea what it involves. That's why we step in, our clients love the way we work. They can focus on their business dropping us an email and that's it. Delivering quality so they're very happy.

Cheers

So very different target audiences which will need very different communications channels to reach them and not a digital marketing agency or a digital media agency but one of the hundreds of SEO and web design agencies with a few bolt ons.

Best of luck key will be differentiating what you do from your competitors and investing in the right channels with a clear brand proposition and a strong sector client record.

 

[martingrey]

Looking at your target how are you marketing to them. Are they arriving on your website cold or have you already been in contact? Are they the sort of clients who do Google searches or are they the sort (as many are these days) who get referrals?

We got some accounts by cold email but it's rare. Google, I think so but the competition there is fierce. Networking and calling them up seems to be the most effective in London.

But all this is sort of the cart before the horse as I'll worry about the channels later. At this point I'm just trying to compose a message that is the one thing I want everyone to know about us.

Thanks

 

[AllUpHere]

We got some accounts by cold email but it's rare. Google, I think so but the competition there is fierce. Networking and calling them up seems to be the most effective in London.

But all this is sort of the cart before the horse as I'll worry about the channels later. At this point I'm just trying to compose a message that is the one thing I want everyone to know about us.

Thanks

You've got it backwards. The way you are thinking is putting the cart before the horse. You can't possibly know what the best message is until you know who you are communicating it to, and how.

 

[fisicx]

Exactly. Your marketing methods will dictate the content of your site. This is why you build your message map in the office based on your marketing strategy. It's the results of the map you publish not the map itself.

 

[martingrey]

As above posters have suggested, you really need to work out exactly what it is you are trying to say first. At the moment it's clear you don't understand your own marketing, so it would be impossible for you to know what your message should be.

I've got an idea but to put it down in form of one sentence is tricky.

Take a couple of steps back (to try to get a good overview of what it is you are trying to achieve), then have a think about how best to achieve it.

Work in progress mate

Cheers