Messaging
MES-ij-ing
The specific words you use to communicate your positioning to different audiences. Positioning is singular. Messaging multiplies.
Messaging is how you express your positioning in words. It includes taglines, value propositions, feature descriptions, proof points, and the specific language used on your website, in sales decks, in emails, and in ads.
Good messaging translates positioning into language that resonates with a specific audience. The same positioning might produce different messaging for a developer (focused on DX and docs quality), an engineering manager (focused on team productivity), and a CTO (focused on cost and strategic value).
The test of good messaging is whether your target audience repeats it back to you. If developers describe your product using the exact words from your website, your messaging is working. If they describe it using words you have never used, your messaging is not landing.
Examples
A messaging framework for different personas.
Developer message: 'Ship to production in minutes, not days. One config file. Zero infrastructure management.' Engineering manager message: 'Your team spends 30% less time on deployment ops.' CTO message: 'Reduce infrastructure costs by 40% while shipping faster.' Same product. Three messages for three buyers.
Messaging that is too generic.
The website says: 'We help teams build better software faster.' This could describe any of 500 developer tools. The team rewrites it: 'Deploy 10x faster with zero-downtime releases. Used by Stripe, Shopify, and Datadog.' Specific. Credible. Differentiated.
Messaging tested through customer interviews.
The marketing team drafts three messaging options. They test each one with 10 target customers in a message test. Option B resonates with 8 of 10 customers: they can repeat the value prop and connect it to their own pain. Option B becomes the homepage headline.
In practice
Read more on the blog
Frequently asked questions
How do you create a messaging framework?
Start with positioning. Then for each persona, write: the headline (one sentence value prop), three supporting points (what you do), proof points (evidence it works), and common objections with responses. Test with real prospects before launching.
How do you test messaging?
Show three to five messaging options to 10-15 target customers. Ask: which resonates most? Can you repeat what this product does? Would you click to learn more? The version that gets the highest recall and intent wins. Never test with your own team. They are too close to the product.
Related terms
How you define what your product is, who it is for, and why it is different from alternatives. The foundation of every marketing decision.
A clear statement of the specific benefit your product delivers to a specific customer. The reason someone buys.
A semi-fictional representation of the individual buyer or user. Describes their role, goals, pain points, and decision-making process.
Writing text that persuades people to take a specific action, like clicking a button, signing up, or buying a product.
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