The Message Map

Are you using social to get you content to your audience? According to 2019 statistics, upwards of 90% of businesses are using social. One of the ways to capitalize on your social reach and at the same time solidifying your brand is to have a message map.

What is a Message Map?

The message map is the framework for your messaging, its the architecture that not only allows you to limit content waste (content that us unusable or irreveleant to your audience or is of low quality). This map provides an organization of the information you will be posting in your social posts so that these messages are consistent and relevant to your audience(s).

While there are many types of message maps and architectures, its best to keep it simple.

Tripp Frolichstein and George Stenitze have a 4 step plan for your message map:

Step 1. Identify your main message

This answers the “What’s in it for me?” Your audience has. This point here is the overarching idea you want to get across and answers the question how it benefits each of your personas.

Step 2. Identify three to five positive points that support your main message

Again, here keep it simple, and determine a few points that support the main message of your messaging.

Step 3. Provide proof that supports the positive points

This is the facts of the messaging. Why do I care? Using the facts and the numbers that support the positive points.

STEP 4. Color-code the message map by persona

Remember your different audiences for this step. Your messages will be applicable to one or a few of the audiences you’ve predetermined in your marketing planning. Once you do this you are able to track the progess of each message by using campaigns in your social advertising platform.

Although message mapping can seem like a mysterious process, spending time in this step will improve your social spend and decrease the time to create relevant and compelling content for your brand.