Messaging Framework & Exercise

[00:00:00]
>> All right, Let's talk about a messaging framework. Wow, we might wrap up a lot sooner than four. I'm used to having lots and lots of Q&A. You guys are just so quiet. Okay, so in any messaging framework, our first impression, what is our first impression that we want our audiences to have when they interact with our content?

[00:00:22]
I would say a first impression that we all want our audiences to have is like, good, this is gonna be easy and help me make a decision, or help me complete a task. So that's pretty straightforward. We don't want our audiences, a lot of people talk about wanting audiences, To feel inspired or engaged or compelled.

[00:00:44]
But really, before we can do that, we want audiences to hit our content and go, okay, this is not overwhelming to me. So, anyway, I just think that that every time I use that example of, good, this will be easy, I'm sort of like, this is pretty universal to all content everywhere.

[00:01:00]
What do we want our audience to know or believe about the value that we provide? And the value statement here is, I know I can be confident installing a Company X system I haven't worked with before because they make it easy. So that is an example of a value statement, that I can be confident for this because they make it easy.

[00:01:19]
See how that builds on the first piece? What will demonstrate to them what we want them to know or believe is true. So these are the proof points that we need to consider when we are developing our content. They get how I think about my work, so there's no trial and error when I'm looking for information.

[00:01:36]
People like me contribute to their support content, so I trust the information is accurate. I don't have to read through long articles to just get the bit of information I need. And they've thought through the ways I might use their products that weren't the original purpose and help me configure them in new ways.

[00:01:51]
So these are examples of proof points that clearly deliver or demonstrate and manifest the value statement, which comes through in the first impression. Okay?
>> So these are like testimonials, then, you kind of hear him in your head or reactions?
>> Yeah, this is kind of how you, this is the user mental model that you want them to experience, okay?

[00:02:25]
Here is a big messy one that I will just keep and included in here that you guys can dig into. I'm not gonna take time to look at each piece of it, but this was for Code for America. And it was a very sort of detailed, deeper dive into their messaging that they used across a variety of platforms and content that had the desired impression.

[00:02:49]
Primary message, key concepts, proof, related content, calls to action. And then their three things were to convert people to the idea, to connect them with the solution, and to empower them to go forward and make change themselves. So those were the themes that kinda connected everything. Anyway, it's a really cool case study for you guys to take a look at.

[00:03:13]
What I would like to have you do now is to take about ten minutes and identify, does everybody work specifically with a product or service? Yes, sort of, yes. Okay, I want you to use your portfolio. Okay, and I'd like for you guys to work through first impression, value statement, and proof points for content around that.

[00:03:42]
I'm gonna freeze my screen for just a second, and I will actually make this easier for you to work with, hang on just a second. Does everybody have a product or service in mind? All right, view navigator, play. Do you want me to leave the example up there, that's up there right now, or do you wanna just see the first top two pieces?

[00:04:12]
I just don't want to confuse you.
>> I like that example.
>> You like the example?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, we'll go ahead and leave that up there then. Okay, all right, let's take ten minutes. I want you guys to think about a product or a service. And where we're getting to for proof points is that's part of what's gonna inform our content requirements.

[00:04:35]
Okay, but I would like for you to think about it from the first person. If it is easier for you to think about it as the consumer yourself or as the service recipient yourself, then that's just fine if you don't feel like you know enough about your users.

[00:04:49]
But think of a product or service, start with that first impression that either you want to have from the content or that you did have the first time you saw them, and work your way through it. If you can do it for your user with your product or service that you're working on with your organization, that's ideal.

[00:05:09]
Okay?