The Clarity Checklist: 10 Ways to Sharpen Your Brand Message

If you confuse them, you lose them.

The most successful brands, service providers, and sales professionals aren’t always the ones with the flashiest products or the most advanced features. They’re the ones that communicate clearly.

When you read their websites, social content, or emails, you quickly understand what they do, why it matters, and what you should do next.

It's noisy out there, and clarity is the only way to cut through the crap and win over an audience with short attention spans. Here are 10 ways to sharpen your message and remove friction.

1) The 8th grade standard

Writing at an 8th grade level is something I learned in college. My professor called it "patient explanation." He said that distracted humans will skim content looking for understandable nuggets, not take precious time to intelligently digest every word.

You may think that writing at this level "dumbs down" your content, but really it does something else... It makes your brand appear easier to work with and understanding of the lives busy professionals lead.

It means communicating your message so well that people don't have to read it twice.

What this looks like:

• Shorter sentences

• Familiar words

• Active voice

Example:

• Don't say: Our solutions leverage cutting-edge automation tools to streamline cross-functional workflows.

• Say this: We help your team save time by automating repeat tasks.

2) Leave behind the jargon

Industry lingo might sound impressive to you, but for many people it just creates confusion. For example, if you're selling technology to an audience of CFOs, speaking about your "tech stack," "CPUs," and "cloud-native applications" might turn them off. Just tell them what's in it for them and drop the unnecessary buzzwords.

Keep your language grounded and human. Replace niche terms with everyday equivalents whenever possible. Focus on what it does, what it solves, and not how it's built. We don't need to know how the sausage is made.

Tip: If you wouldn't say it to your neighbor over coffee, don't try to drop it into your landing page copy.

3) Talk about outcomes, not just features

People don't buy software, they buy speed.

People don't buy coaching, they buy confidence.

People don't buy CRMs, they buy more sales.

This tip echoes Donald Miller's Building a Storybrand methodology (I'm a big D. Miller fan!). Your reader needs to be the hero in your story. What's in it for them?

Don't focus only on what you do, but make sure you're writing them into the story of your solution. What will their life be like if they purchase your offer?

Example:

• Feature: 24/7 access to project dashboards

• Outcome: Always know where your projects stand, without waiting for an update.

4) One idea per asset

Stop trying to sell the kitchen sink with one piece of content. This is probably one of the biggest messaging mistakes brands make, and I see it way too often.

Each landing page, email, or social post should revolve around a single goal or idea. Multiple calls to action (CTAs) or mixed messages dilute your impact and leave readers unsure of what to do next. By doing this you create a choice situation, which creates friction in the process.

Ask yourself: if someone only remembers one thing from this message, what should it be?

5) Use real examples

Vague claims don't inspire action, but real-life stories and specifics do. I love to use analogies and metaphors as much as the next writer, but not when they interfere with getting the message across.

Lay out a before and after example to show them what life could be like.

Example:

• Don't say: We improve efficiency.

• Do say: One client saved 10 hours a week by using our scheduling tool.

6) Benefits always come first

Don't bury your lead.

Front-load your message with the most important benefit or value the reader stands to gain. If you don't, skimmers will never see it. The sooner you get to the "why it matters," the better chance of landing your message.

Gut check

If your main message starts with "we," you're doing this backwards. Start your main message with an action verb that suggests a beneficial outcome for the reader.

Example:

• Don't say: We offer end-to-end digital transformation services for mid-market enterprises.

• Do say: Grow productivity and scale faster with digital tools built for mid-sized businesses.

7) Read it out loud

This is a quick but powerful tip. If something sounds clunky or unnatural when you say it aloud, it won't read well either.

Reading out loud forces you to hear rhythm and spot awkward phrasing you might otherwise miss.

8) Use formatting to guide attention

Even clear writing can get lost in long blocks of text. Here are a few ways to break up the overwhelm:

• Bullet points

• Headings

• Short paragraphs

• Bold text to highlight key takeaways

Make it easy for readers to scan, stop, and comprehend your message quickly.

9) Be consistent across channels

Clarity is about more than word choice, it's also about consistency. Surprising readers with an unexpected tone or language choice makes them second-guess what they know about you.

Maintain consistency of voice and language across your marketing assets—website, pitch decks, ads, and emails. A consistent tone makes you easier to understand and easier to trust.

10) Clarify what happens next

The best messages end with a clear and actionable next step. What should they do next?

• Schedule now

• Sign up

• Download

• Learn more

  
  

Avoid vague CTAs like these examples if you can. You'll get more engagement from a message that directs a more descriptive outcome:

• Get a custom quote

• Book a free consultation

• Download the ebook

• Learn about services

Own your brand message

You don't need to use big words or complex phrasing to sound smart. A brand's first goal should be clarity and understanding.

The true mark of expertise is being able to explain what you do and why it matters in a way that anyone can connect the dots.

If you want your message to resonate, convert, or sell, start by making it easier to understand.

Simplify with me

Clarify your message and build a foundation your brand can stand on with my Brand and Messaging Services. On a project basis, I will review your core messaging and help turn "kind of clear" into "crystal clear" to drive results and grow followers.

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