Product Messaging Is Kind of a Big Deal – Here’s Why

Finally, it’s week 10 of the ongoing CXL Scholarship program. This week was a little tough in terms of the education content followed up with a very brief quiz. I’ll get to it later. Let’s see what the week had in store for me.

Learning the Art of Product Messaging with Momoko Price:

Momoko Price is a seasoned copywriter, content optimizer, and conversion specialist. Week 10’s course was all about understanding product messaging, and how to optimize your content for the best conversion effect.

Now, when I say: Content, it involves a lot of nitty gritties, such as, but not limited to:

·        Why Is Product Messaging Important?

·        Creating Your First Sales Draft

·        Wireframing and Content Optimization

·        Optimizing Your Sales Arc and Content According to Customers

·        Value Demonstration & Emphasis on UVP (*Unique Value Proposition)

… and about a bazillion other things. Momoko also talked about tools used for wireframing. Balsamiq is the best in her opinion has it helps content creators during the mind mapping process, and implementing their ideas in a sales page format.

I won't go into too many details about the Balsamiq tool. You can look it up on Google in your spare time.

Product Messaging is Important Because?

I think you already know the answer to this question, especially if you have been affiliated with sales and marketing services. Product messaging is imperative because it sends a proper impactful message to your potential customers.

Everyone can shed insight on their product, but doing it the right way is the key. Getting the message out there is easier said than it is done. If you are a layman level Webmaster, you can probably create a website with a prebuilt template in about 20 – 30 minutes.

All you have to do is scribble/ plaster the webpages with your services, product descriptions, and viola that’s about it. However, optimizing it to see meaningful conversions is going to take a lot of work. On that note, you’re going to have to analyze competitor webpages; see what they are doing, and try to enhance that experience at your own website.

Now speaking of your online platform and services, focus on your unique value proposition. Ask yourself questions, such as; what makes your product so special/ different? Why would a customer want to purchase something from you that other online competitors are already doing?

Also, did you know that when customers come to a brand new website, their awareness is really low? To increase the awareness factor, try to think of your own product from the customers’ point of view. Answer this question: “What’s in it for me?” Are you able to convince yourself as a customer about your UVPs?

Crafting the Right Kind of Product Messages!

Now that I have elaborated on the basic concepts of product messaging and its importance, the next step is to know how to do it the right way. As mentioned earlier, start with a basic concept of your product’s unique value proposition.

I am referring to those key highlights that make a difference.

In the worst-case scenario, there is a high probability that your product is just like any other product which is showcased on other competitors’ website. In that case, try to play with the following elements from a customer’s psychological perspective:

·        See if you can leverage the price: Try to introduce discounts (*if possible), and launch limited time discount sales. They are a great way of turning heads.

With time-gated sales, customers experience the ‘FOMO (*Fear of Missing Out) effect. It’s natural; everyone experiences it when their favorite product goes on sale for a short duration.

However, while doing so, be honest in your approach. DO NOT misrepresent sales, product volume, and any other thing that may not be true about your product. This phenomenon occurs a lot in PDF/ eBook sales websites. The owner of these websites say something like: “Hurry up! Only XX copies are left before so and so time.”

Why would you do that? PDFs are always unlimited. Stop saying that you have limited stock. What you can do is that you could possibly suggest that there’s a limited time sale on eBooks and it will expire after a set amount of time. That’s the right way of doing it instead of suggesting that only “limited” copies of the ‘Secrets to Becoming the Next Dotcom Millionaire’ are available. Speaking of becoming instant millionaires, millennials often fall to such traps easily.

How Does One Demonstrate Value?

Demonstrating product value is not only important, but it could also differentiate your product from the rest of the crowd.

Try to show potential customers how your product looks and feels like in real life. You can experience this phenomenon at Kickstarter, where tons of brilliant product ideas are in motion. A lot of these products are backed up by pre-launch hype and videos that especially demonstrate how:

·        The said product works.

·        People are benefitting from the said product as compared to other items already available in the market.

Specifics are the Bane of Product Messaging:

I have to agree with Momoko on this point because whenever we talk about product-related specifics, it helps us to take the main highlights of a product and bring them to the front of the row.

Also, with specifics, there’s very little room for bullshitting. Words like Guaranteed to Work, XXX Customers Satisfied Already & Counting and such elements highlight the truth factor. When you squeeze in the satisfied customers' count, you are backing up your claims with social proof.

This is the best way of convincing potential customers of your unique value proposition. With social proof and specifics about how your product can create a difference in customers’ lives, you are alleviating your conversion chances.

Catch my drift? Try to do it with your products and see where it takes you.

If All Else Fails, Refresh and Backtrack a Bit:

Wouldn’t it be great to see your product selling like hotcakes? Of course, it is, but there are chances that you may not succeed during the first attempt. That’s okay. Adversity is a great chance of learning and setting things straight.

If everything fails, go back to the drawing board. Analyze your competitor and see what you have done wrong? Your approach might be correct, but you may not have applied the proper product messaging strategy.

And of course, it also depends on the niche and the product itself. Some things are easier to sell, while others require a lot of emotional convincing. Play with website colors, fonts, and everything that can boost the customer experience through a friction-free conversion process.

Good luck and ill see you on the other side with my next post.

Stay tuned.