{"id":421,"date":"2012-02-22T14:27:52","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T14:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.write-angle.com\/thewritestuff\/?p=421"},"modified":"2012-02-22T16:56:37","modified_gmt":"2012-02-22T16:56:37","slug":"anatomy-of-messaging-guide-how-great-content-gets-to-be-that-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.write-angle.com\/thewritestuff\/anatomy-of-messaging-guide-how-great-content-gets-to-be-that-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Anatomy of a messaging guide: How great content gets to be great"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"Key<\/div>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It’s been almost ten years<\/strong> since our partner organization, Chasm Group<\/a>, crafted the message (content) handbook for Citrix.<\/a><\/p>\n

As a so-called living document <\/strong>the handbook has been through a number of revisions during this time, most often during\u00a0 launches of major strategic initiatives. But its form and purpose remain the same: to help everyone associated with the brand clearly understand and consistently articulate who the company is, what it is they do and the value this delivers to customers.<\/p>\n

Structure of the Citrix messaging bible is classic.<\/strong> It’s a useful model for many brands. It begins with a simple overview and setting of the context in a crisp executive-summary format.\u00a0 In two pages, it describes what’s happening to the company message, including a very brief recapitulation of what’s gone before, and what’s taking place now–and why this is important.\u00a0 Two sections that follow explain the basic messaging principles and the brand values, or promises implied by the product offerings.\u00a0 The remainder of the handbook amounts to a detailed guide within the guide<\/em>: it explains how to put to the message to work in live situations with customers and prospects, including real case examples and specific use-case benefits.\u00a0 These tools include everything from the elevator pitch for each product through the detailed product benefits right up to what must be eliminated from current messaging and customer conversations.<\/p>\n

In the same vein, our client McAfee carefully fortifies its messaging guides<\/a> <\/strong>with a style-guide plus<\/em> a yearly writers workshop that presents “how-to” guidelines and reminders about the form and spirit of McAfee content.\u00a0 Here, content creators from one end of the company to the other are reminded that over-promising or breaking faith with the brand is a slippery slope. Protection of the brand, what it is and is not, should always be the primary mission of the content creator.<\/p>\n

While a messaging handbook should not be confused with a style guide<\/em>,<\/strong> the objectives of these workhorse documents share much in common.\u00a0 They encourage\u00a0and promote consistency of the brand.\u00a0 They are key tools in amplifying and strengthening all company messages and marketing content.\u00a0 They enable creation of the fingerprint or ID of the company.\u00a0 No mystery why you rarely hear the complaint that “our message is too confused” or “We’re just not getting our message across” from organizations that make the effort to formalize such guidelines and insist on adherence to them.<\/p>\n

How do you ensure content efficacy and consistency? How does your team work to encourage fidelity to your brand?\u00a0 What else can you be doing?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It’s been almost ten years since our partner organization, Chasm Group, crafted the message (content) handbook for Citrix. As a so-called living document the handbook has been through a number of revisions during this time, most often during\u00a0 launches of major strategic initiatives. But its form and purpose remain the same: to help […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,36,37,9,30,10,53,44],"tags":[14,103,102,26,38,101,11,17],"class_list":["post-421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-marketing","category-content-strategy","category-marketing","category-online-content","category-rx-for-content","category-website-content","category-white-papers","category-writing-services","tag-branding-content","tag-chasm-group","tag-citrix","tag-content-creation","tag-content-strategy-2","tag-mcafee","tag-optimizing-content","tag-sales-minded-content"],"yoast_head":"\nAnatomy of a messaging guide: How great content gets to be great - The Write Stuff<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.write-angle.com\/thewritestuff\/anatomy-of-messaging-guide-how-great-content-gets-to-be-that-way\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Anatomy of a messaging guide: How great content gets to be great - The Write Stuff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"    It’s been almost ten years since our partner organization, Chasm Group, crafted the message (content) handbook for Citrix. 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