How to Clarify Your Messaging When You’re Too Close to the Work
Why Messaging Clarity Matters
You know when something feels off, but you cannot put your finger on what it is?
That is often messaging that is not as clear as it should be. For teams deeply invested in their work, such as healthcare, education, nonprofits, or small businesses, clarity is essential. It determines whether someone understands what you do, chooses to engage, or moves on.
Research in communication and consumer behavior consistently shows that the way information is phrased affects how well audiences understand it and how they respond. Messages that are concrete and specific improve comprehension and make people feel more confident in what they read. In a marketing context - stronger and more certain language increases engagement metrics such as clicks and social responses (Packard & Berger, 2021; Pezzuti, Leonhardt & Warren, 2022).
Clear messaging also has business impact. Consistent, well-targeted communication can increase conversion rates and build stronger brand recognition over time. Unclear messaging dilutes effectiveness and slows growth (Crudu & MoldStud Research Team, 2025; Ibraham, Fadul & Balla, 2025).
Signs Your Messaging Isn’t Working
Before you fix something, you have to recognize it. You might be too close to the work if you notice any of the following:
• People regularly misunderstand what you do in early conversations.
• Your website, social posts, and campaigns feel inconsistent.
• Prospects need lengthy explanations before they take action.
• Engagement and conversions are low despite strong offerings.
These are not random problems. They are symptoms of unclear messaging. When each communication touchpoint uses different words or assumptions, your audience cannot form a cohesive understanding of your value.
Five Steps to Clarify Your Messaging
1. Audit What You Are Currently Saying
Collect all your existing copy, including website pages, email sequences, social content, and proposals. Read them side by side. Focus on clarity and consistency. If you cannot quickly extract a simple statement of what you do and who you help, your audience probably cannot either.
2. Define Your Audience and Their Core Problems
Clarity starts with empathy. Who are you speaking to and what problems do they face? Research shows that communication framed around the audience’s experience rather than your internal processes is more engaging and actionable (Pezzuti, Leonhardt & Warren, 2022).
Ask yourself what problem matters most to this person and how you solve it. Answering that in plain language gives you the heart of your message.
3. Say It in One Simple Sentence
Condense your answer into one or two clear sentences. Focus on who you help, the problem you solve, and the outcome you deliver. Avoid jargon and organizational shorthand. Simple language is strategic. Research shows that specific and concrete phrasing improves understanding and trust (Packard & Berger, 2021).
4. Test With People Outside Your Bubble
Share your draft messaging with colleagues who are not involved in day-to-day work and with a few trusted clients or partners. Ask them to explain in their own words what you do. If their answers match your intention, you are on the right track. If not, revise.
5. Refine Using Actual Feedback
Clarity is not static. As your organization evolves, so do your audience’s needs. Regularly revisit your messaging to ensure it resonates and communicates what you mean.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Clarity is more than rewriting your homepage. Avoid habits that muddy your message:
• Trying to speak to everyone at once. Broad messaging rarely connects deeply.
• Using internal acronyms or professional jargon. What is clear to you may be confusing to your audience.
• Overexplaining features instead of focusing on outcomes. People care most about what you help them achieve.
Avoiding these mistakes makes your messaging easier to understand and more compelling to the people you most want to reach.
When Outside Support Makes Sense
Being too close to the work is a sign of commitment. It can also make objectivity hard to achieve. An outside strategist or marketing partner brings fresh eyes, tested frameworks, and an audience perspective you may not have in-house. They can help align your messaging across channels and make sure your communication builds traction instead of confusion.
If you find yourself rewriting the same explanations often or losing patience in client conversations, bringing in support can accelerate clarity and impact.
Start Clarifying Your Messaging Today
Messaging clarity strengthens every part of your marketing and audience engagement. Start by auditing your content, refining your core statement, and testing it with real people. Consistently doing this will lead to better engagement, smoother conversations, and stronger results.
References:
1. Packard G., Berger J. (2021). How Concrete Language Shapes Customer Satisfaction. Journal of Consumer Research, 47 (5), 787–806. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaa038
2. Pezzuti, T., Leonhardt, J. M., & Warren, C. (February 2022). Certainty in Language Increases Consumer Engagement on Social Media. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 53(1), 32-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.06.005 (Original work published 2021)
3. Crudu V. and MoldStud Research Team (June 13, 2025). Boost Your Marketing ROI – The Power of Strategic Communication Design. MoldStud. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://moldstud.com/articles/p-boost-your-marketing-roi-the-power-of-strategic-communication-design
4. Ibraham S. B., Fadul T., & Balla B. E. (August 27, 2025). A Proposed Theoretical Model for Customer Role Clarity and Perceived Value: Mediating Role of Customer Participation Behaviors. Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394853696_A_Proposed_Theoretical_Model_for_Customer_Role_Clarity_and_Perceived_Value_Mediating_Role_of_Customer_Participation_Behaviors
