A core message is the overarching brand message in your business.

Every business needs a core message. A core message communicates the value of your business to those you can serve. Without a clear core message, it can be challenging to describe the transformational work you do, especially when you do work that is more intangible, like offering coaching, healing or wellness services.

Many coaches, healers and wellness professionals struggle with questions like…

• How do I explain what I do?
• How do I communicate the value of my work?
• How do I share the benefits of hiring me?

Being able to explain the value of what you do for clients is important to marketing yourself and to standing out in a crowded market.

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.

Your core message is the main overarching messaging in your business and encompasses:

• Who you are
• What you do and for whom
• The unique value of working with you

Unlike an elevator pitch, which is an important but a much shorter and generalized statement, your core message is created FOR your ideal client base and answers the question, “How can I specifically help you?”

Why you need a core message in your business

Your core message is very often the first thing people see or hear when they arrive at your website, on your Instagram page, or on your YouTube channel. As such, 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
• Describes the results you can help your clients achieve
• Opens the door to a conversation; people want to hear more

Ideally, your core message as unique as your business. This means that no other life coach or nutritionist or yoga studio has the same core message as you.

Your core message is part of marketing

Your core message is a key part of marketing your business. Creating your core message is something you should do early on in your business — right along with finding your niche and creating compelling packages.

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!”

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.

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 core messaging challenges

As a business and marketing 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 create a core message you feel good about

Creating a core message is necessary for any creative, coach or healer who wants to explain the value of what they do with words that connect to their ideal clients.

The right core message is one that reflects who you are, communicates the value you provide to your idea clients, and one that you can clearly and confidently deliver. 

As an experienced marketer and coach, I’ve created a messaging framework that can help. It’s called Magnetize My Message, and it takes you through the steps of creating your own core message for your business. Magnetize My Message is a self-paced course that you can take in one sitting that will help you clarify your core message.