Crafting Product Messages that Truly Connect

Product messaging is integral to the way product marketing managers work. It is the critical elements that helps connect with the target users.

August 19, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Hello Readers👋 

Welcome to your free weekly edition of my newsletter. Every week I write on a key product marketing topic. I deep dive into the concepts and frameworks which will help you learn product marketing concepts and grow in your career.

Product Messages that resonates

Imagine being at a bustling party. Everyone is talking, but only a few conversations catch your ear. That is what happens in the market. Your product might be amazing, but unless it is 'saying' something  meaningful, it might just be white noise. Hence the importance of Product messaging

So what is product messaging?

Product messaging is the specific “communication points” that conveys the unique benefits that your users get through your product/features.

Why is messaging so important in product marketing?

Imagine if your product could talk. What would it brag about? It's those juicy details you want your users to know and love!

Product message is crafted to resonate with your potential users, guiding them towards understanding your product’s value, differentiating it from competitors.

It should compel your users to take certain desired actions, such as signup, demo or become an advocate of the product.

Effective product messaging makes sure your product's story is told the same, be it in ads, websites, or sales chats – it is like teaching everyone the chorus to the hottest new song!

Crafting the product messaging framework

Crafting a compelling product message is a layered process. Each layer has a specific objective.

a) The Foundation Layer: Product understanding

  • Product description: What is the product all about?

  • Features: The amazing things that the product can do 

  • Core user: Your dream customer who want your product to solve what's bugging them

  • Unique Sizzle: What makes your product best in class?

  • Market Gap: Opportunities or niches in the market that competitors haven't addressed.

b) The Core Layer: Value Proposition

  • The Big Promise: Why your product is the hero your users need.

  • Benefits Over Features: What do users get as a positive outcome?

c) The Narrative Layer:Storytelling

  • Origin: How your product came to be.

  • Keep it real: Connect on a human level with anecdotes and real stories!

d) Engagement Layer: Call to Action

  • The Ask: What's the next step for your audience?

  • Rewards:  Reasons for taking action, like discounts, or downloadable resources.

Where do you start with your product messaging? Let’s look at two scenarios

a) Product Messages: Early-Stage Startup:

For an early-stage startup, you are introducing a new product to the market, so clarity, simplicity, and differentiation are crucial. The focus is on establishing your presence and securing early adopters.

In order to define your product messaging and the overall value proposition of your product, you need to get precise information on core elements: your market, customer and your product.

  • Product Clarity:

    • Understand the core functionality of your SaaS product. What problem does it solve

    • Highlight the primary and most compelling feature or benefit.

  • Target Audience Insight:

    • Identify “the niche or segment”  that will most benefit from your product. Early adopters often have a pressing need and are willing to try new solutions.

    • Create a basic buyer persona. Understand their primary pain points and needs.

  • Differentiation:

    • Why should customers choose you over established competitors? It might be a unique feature pricing model, or user experience.

  • Value Proposition:

    • Draft a concise statement highlighting how your SaaS product solves the pain points of your target audience better than other solutions.

Feedback and Iteration:

  • At this stage, be open to feedback. Early users can provide invaluable insights that help refine your messaging.

  • Adapt and iterate based on real-world use cases and testimonials.

b) Product Messages: Mature Product:

For a mature product, you have existing customers, brand recognition, and more data to work with. The challenge here is maintaining relevance, expanding reach, and combating market saturation.  

Since there is access to data on performance, user preferences and competition, work on product messaging should start with research and clearly defined business objectives

Customer Data Analysis:

  • Dive deep into customer feedback, reviews, and usage patterns.

  • Identify the most loved features and any gaps that customers wish were addressed.

Refine Buyer Personas:

With more data, refine user personas. Understand the different segments of your user base and their specific needs.

Create an ideal customer profile (ICP ) based on the framework discussed or a version of it to understand user needs, and generate use cases

Value Evolution:

How has your product evolved since its inception? Product evolves with time and change in market and user dynamics. It is important to highlight advancements, integrations, or expanded capabilities to ensure users are updated on product capabilities and also throws open opportunities for growth.

Competitive Landscape:

Keep a close eye on emerging competitors and how the industry landscape is shifting. Position your mature product as continuously innovative.

Testimonial and Case Study Integration:

Leverage the voice of your satisfied customers. Testimonials, case studies, and user-generated content can reinforce and humanize your messaging.

Use these data points to design a compelling product message which resonates with your users and satisfies each of the key layer elements of your product message framework as discussed above.

Crafting product message for multiple segmentation:

Segment Identification - Know your audience:

1️⃣ Segment Identification - Know your audience:

2️⃣ Data Dive: Use data analytics to identify clear audience segments. Persona Creation: Develop detailed personas for each segment, diving into demographics, behaviors, needs, and motivations.

3️⃣ Tailored Messaging - The Custom Fit:

  • Addressing Pain Points: Each segment might use your product to solve a different problem. Highlight how your product addresses each of these.

  • Emphasise Relevant Benefits: While the features remain consistent, the benefits drawn from them might differ for each segment. Ensure you highlight the right ones.

4️⃣ Channel Optimization - Meeting Them Where They Are:

  • Preferred Platforms: Does one segment engage more on Instagram while another reads emails? Tailor your messaging platform-wise.

  • Content Preference: Maybe one segment loves video content while another prefers in-depth articles. Deliver your product message in the format they love.

5️⃣ Consistency Check - The Cross-Examination:

  • Overlap Assessment: Ensure that if a person from one segment stumbles upon a message meant for another, it still feels authentic and consistent to your brand.

  • Feedback Funnel: Create channels for each segment to provide feedback. This will help in refining the messaging further.

Feedback Loop and keeping the conversation going!

Developing a impactful product message is a ongoing process and product marketing managers need to design cadence to ensure they are on top of it 

Regularly analyzing metrics, gathering feedback, and adjusting messaging as the product evolves, market conditions change, or new insights into customer behavior emerge are critical responsibilities of a product marketing manager.

By following this framework, you'll create a holistic, adaptable, and compelling product message that resonates with your target audience and effectively communicates the value of your SaaS offering.

Periodic Review - Keeping It Fresh:

  • Engagement Metrics: Regularly check which messages are hitting home and which aren’t.

  • Segment Evolution: Audience segments can evolve. Ensure your personas and messaging evolve with them.

Product message teardown: Notion

In the past couple of months, I have extensively used Notion and it has become one of my favorite tools to use for product roadmap and data management, collaboration and also managing my day to day work

Being an user as well as advocate of the product, lets to a message teardown of Notions messaging and positioning and the communication strategy it follows:

Notion Product message layered framework

Problem Statement for Notion:

In a digital world cluttered with numerous tools for documentation, project management, and knowledge sharing, teams and individuals face fragmentation, leading to inefficiencies and reduced collaboration.

Notion’s Positioning:

Positioned as an all-in-one workspace, Notion promises to streamline multiple work tasks into one integrated platform, ensuring better and faster outcomes.

Messaging Structure of Notion:

At its core, Notion’s message is about providing a "connected workspace for wiki, docs & projects," highlighting the unity of diverse functionalities.

Hook, Benefits, and Features:

Notion's primary hook is the concept of a "connected workspace," emphasising integration. This delivers benefits like enhanced efficiency, collaboration, and customisation through features like unified boards, a rich text editor, templates, and integrations

Notion's messaging exemplifies clarity and purpose, astutely addressing the contemporary pain points of fragmented digital workspaces. 

By positioning itself as a "connected workspace," it speaks directly to teams and individuals yearning for unified solutions, thus making the brand instantly relatable. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to consolidate myriad work tasks—documentation, project management, and knowledge-sharing—into one cohesive narrative, offering simplicity amidst the often complex landscape of productivity tools. 

Key takeaways include 

  • Precise market targeting is critical 

  • Well-crafted hook is extremely potent in any messaging framework, and the need to align features with tangible benefits. 

  • Notion's messaging strategy serves as a testament to the power of resonating with audiences by presenting streamlined solutions to prevailing challenges.

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