How Positioning & Messaging Ensures Your Startup’s Growth
Why Positioning and Messaging are the Foundation of Startup Marketing
‘Doing’ positioning and messaging sounds a bit boring. It is not as sexy as A/B testing ideas or optimising your website for conversions.
But the reality is—as boring as it may seem—positioning and messaging is to your marketing what a foundation is to a house. If it is weak, the house will eventually crumble.
Hence, before you flush your startup's money down the drain with the 'fun' marketing bits, consider these four reasons why you should take care of your foundation sooner rather than later.
1. Building Long-Term Brand Recognition
When your positioning is clear, you speak to customers in a language that resonates. Doing this consistently creates brand recognition and "mental availability"—meaning they remember you when they’re ready to buy—ultimately driving sales.
2. Influencing the Perception of Value
Your positioning tells your customers why they should buy your solution and why now. It creates the desired perception in the customer's mind about your product or service.
3. Creating a Foundation for Consistent Communication
Positioning provides clear guidance for campaign development and content creation. As a result, you build communication that is consistent with your values and mission.
4. Driving Internal Alignment Across Teams
A clear positioning brings your sales, marketing, customer success, and product teams together. They are united by one goal centered around your customer. When teams are in sync, they win.
Last but not least, here’s the reality most SaaS companies operate in: thousands of competitors in each and every segment, all selling similar features and benefits, and going after the same demo-fatigued buyer personas.
If you’re not clear on your differentiation from the outset, your chances of standing out in the sea of sameness are slim.
From Strategy to Execution: Nailing Your Messaging
Most founders mistakenly believe that messaging is just talking about their features. They describe their integrations, speed, and capacity, and think they’re done.
In contrast, effective messaging is about dropping the "geek speak" and explaining how the product will ultimately improve the buyer’s life.
Just as we cared about becoming the super version of Super Mario, buyers care about the ‘super versions’ of themselves: reaching their goals, hitting targets, getting promotions, or simply removing stress to spend more time with their families.
The last thing they’re interested in are the intricacies and complexities of your tech.
The main question on their mind is: "What’s in it for me?"
The ultimate goal of your messaging is to answer this question by explaining how your product eliminates their pains and helps them become that better version of themselves.
Only once you explain the value of your product in the context of their pains and position it as a tool for helping them get from A to B, will you see the conversions.
Taking care of marketing fundamentals takes time and effort. But it is worthwhile knowing that it will set you apart from the competition and ensure your growth.
