A core message is the overarching message in your business.

Your core message in your business articulates the value of your work to your ideal clients. Without a clear core message, it can be challenging to describe the work you do. That’s why having a core message that is unique to your business is so important!

Many coaches, creatives, and healers struggle with questions like…

• How do I explain what I do?
• How do I communicate the value of my work?
• Why should someone hire me?

These are all key questions to answer, because — especially now in the crowded online world — you need to be able to stand out in your niche!

This is where a core message comes in.

What is a core message?

A core message is also known as a “core brand message” or “core marketing message.” In branding terms, a core message is like a value proposition.

It’s the main overarching messaging in your business and includes:

• Who you are and what you do
• Who specifically you do it for
• Why you do it
• The results/experience your clients can expect
• The unique value of working with you

Unlike an elevator pitch, which is an important but a much shorter statement, your core message answers the question, “How can  you help and why should I hire you over someone else?”

Why you need a core message in your coaching business

Since your core message is very often the first thing people see or hear, it needs to accomplish the following:

• Clearly and concisely describes what you do for whom
• Is unique to you; no one else can replicate it
• Connects with your specific ideal clients
• Shares what it’s like to work with you
• Opens the door to a conversation; people want to hear more

Ideally, it should be as unique as your business and should reflect the work you do while resonating with your ideal clients.

Where to use your core message

Once you have a clear core message, you can use it everywhere, including:

• Your website copy
• Your email copy
• Your long and short bios
• Your client consults
• Networking
• Speaking opportunities
• Podcasts
• Guest posts
• Webinars

Basically, anywhere you show up — from social media to events to prospective client calls — is a chance to use your core message.

Why a core message makes marketing easier

Your core message is a key part of your marketing. Creating your core message is something you should do early on in your business (right along with clarifying your niche and creating your offerings).

In fact, when you work on your core message first, it makes all of these things easier:

• Marketing & sales copy
• Content strategy
• Consult calls
• Networking
• Client Attraction

A strong core message is often THE thing that a potential client reads and thinks, “Yes!!! I want to work with her!”

3 qualities of a powerful core message

When creating your core marketing message, you want to make sure it reflects these three qualities:

Your core message reflects the best of you.

You want your message to feel like YOU and be as unique as you are. The key aspects of your personality and your work need to be included, ideally in as few words as possible. It often takes a lot of wordsmithing to get your core message just right, but it’s worth it!

Your core message  attracts your ideal clients.

An effective core message is about you, but it’s written for your ideal clients. For that reason, you want to use language that your ideal client’s understand and use to describe their challenges and desires. In fact, your core message will repel people who are not your ideal client. 

Your core message leaves your ideal clients wanting to hear more.

While your core message should be able to stand alone, it should be so compelling that people want to know more about you. It doesn’t matter that everyone understands your core message — it matters that your ideal clients understand it. (And it’s a great idea to run your core message by some ideal clients to get their feedback!)

Even though your core brand message a short statement, it packs a powerful punch! And yet, because it needs to be so clear and concise, it can be very challenging to create.

Common challenges when it comes to defining your core message

As a marketing and messaging coach, I’ve coached many entrepreneurs to create their core messages for their business. The most common challenges I’ve seen with clients are the following:

• You’re not specific enough on who your ideal client is or what they want. This usually comes from not knowing your ideal client well enough. If that’s you, you likely will benefit from doing some market research on your ideal clients.
  
• You’re not quite sure how to articulate what exactly it is that you provide. This happens to the folks who wonder, “What kind of coach am I?” To feel confident in your answer, think of the types of problems or challenges you help people solve, and consider what your ideal client may be Googling to find a solution like yours.
• You don’t know how to make it unique to you. There are a lot of life coaches out there, so you want to be sure to differentiate yourself in a crowded marketplace by stating specifically who you work with, what you help with, and what makes you different.

How to get expert-level help in defining your core message

As a holistic business and marketing coach, I help my clients define a core message that authentically reflects who they are and attracts their ideal clients, so that you can more easily and confidently talk about the work you do.

Magnetize My Message is a self-paced course that helps you get clear on your core message and understand where to use it, so that you can attract your dream clients with your words. 

Ready to define your core message and get a strategy on how to use it? Sign up to Magnetize My Message.