A defined message, a defined purpose

The ultimate messenger is God and the book He breathes into can also serve as a guide for branding. His book is clear, it has no contradictions, represents truth, provides a blueprint, and has zero flaws. And while Taylor can never reach a flawless strategy it can apply these principles to its own strategy. Taylor can give students a clear idea of who they are and what they stand for by providing prospective students with a view into the heartbeat of Taylor University. What does Taylor know to be true and what do they stand for? So how can Taylor deliver this idea in a simple phrase or way of thinking?

Most digital marketers synch up with the marcom team and ask them what the message is, but online and marcom should work hand-in-hand defining the message on an on-going basis. Your messaging strategy should speak to the heartbeat of the brand and determine the course of action for all marketing materials.

In the online space, utilizing a consistent messaging strategy is vital not only from an awareness standpoint but also from an organic and targeted keyword search perspective.

Five steps for improving the messaging strategy:

1. Ask lots of questions: Messaging requires primary and secondary research to determine what the top pain point is for perspective students. In working across multiple departments, you can get a feel for where everyone wants to take the brand, but most can't agree on one message. I also would suggest using a messaging questionnaire I use at this stage to focus the thoughts.

2. Listen and organize: Once you have collected a large body of thoughts, it is important to sift through them and pull out the key words needed for the message.

3. Don't over-complicate it: This could be the most important step of all and many online marketers miss the boat here.

4. Stick with it: There is no turning back once you have developed your message. The market cannot handle changes because it immediately alters their course of thinking. For example, if the tag line and message is: Taylor University - Rise Above," and then six months later it is, Taylor University - Oneness with Christ....it simply waters down the message. Sticking with it is as important as the idea itself.

5. Blog about it: Search engines love blogs plain and simple. Understanding what your keywords are and how best to leverage those is vital to message development and success. Your blogs should be organized, conversational, and there should be many contributors. The more key words used in the blogs, the better results in the organic search. I would work closely with the entire department to ensure we have the right key words identified.