Discover the Secret to Crafting Messages That Truly Resonate with Your Audience!
In the realm of "scalable" software, we often fall into the trap of assuming that messaging can be scaled just as easily. But here's the truth: 💢 Messaging does not scale like software. Why? Because your target audience is made up of diverse segments and personas, each with their own unique situations, problems, and desires. Attempting to cover all these bases with a single broad message results in, well, broad messaging that fails to connect with anyone.
As a new entrepreneur striving to launch your first Minimum Viable Product (MVP), it's crucial to focus on targeting a very specific persona. Instead of aiming for a lofty $1 million next month, prioritize achieving your first milestone: acquiring 10 loyal customers. By honing in on a specific persona and addressing their unique needs, you increase your chances of building a solid foundation for your business.
Remember, success is built on meaningful connections with your audience, not just chasing arbitrary numbers. So, let's dive into the world of personalized messaging and lay the groundwork for your entrepreneurial journey!
So, what does good messaging look like? It's all about 🔥 personalization. When your audience reads your message, they should be thinking, "Wow, this is exactly my situation!" That's the power of a personalized product message.
To achieve this level of personalization, there are two areas you need to figure out:
1️⃣ Know Your Target Customer Persona
Focusing on a specific persona is a powerful strategy. It helps set boundaries for your message, both for the receiver and the message creator. By understanding the characteristics and needs of your target persona, you can tailor your message to resonate with them on a deeper level. However, be cautious not to overload your persona message with too many details, as this can lead to messaging overload.
Let's dive deeper into this concept using an example - a better writing tool. If your target persona is too general and broad, your product messages may be along the lines of "X help you to write better" While this message might capture some attention, it lacks a personal touch. However, when you narrow down your target persona to a specific group, such as aspiring newsletter entrepreneur, you can create a message that better resonates with them. Imagine crafting a product message like "X helps you to write better newsletters" instantly striking a chord with individuals who is thinking about or already writing a newsletters to their audience.
Examples
Aspiring Twitter Influencer with <100 followers
English as a Second Language workers
Just promoted Engineering Managers
etc
There are too many persona you can think of? Let me save you a breathe. Choose the one that suffers from highest pain! When AirBNB started, their target persona was people who is visiting for big conferences in SF (<— see how niche and specific it is?), because the hotel prices are typically skyrocketed and often you can't even book one.
By tailoring your message to address the specific needs and challenges faced by your target audience, you establish a powerful connection that surpasses generic messaging.
2️⃣ Understand the Use Case and Why
Anchoring your message to a specific use case narrows down the situation. It provides context to the problems your customers might be facing and sheds light on the "why" behind those problems. The better you understand the situation, the higher the chance of crafting a personalized message that truly resonates.
On the flip side, generic use cases lack the power of personalization. They fail to address the specific pain points and desires of your audience.
Let's revisit our example. 📝 What are some use cases for improving newsletter writing, and more importantly, why? Here are a few possibilities:
Synonyms and rephrasing: Sometimes, individuals need assistance finding alternative words or rephrasing sentences to enhance the clarity of their newsletters.
Bullet point <> Full paragraph: Crafting concise and impactful bullet points and vice versa can be a challenge. People may seek help in transforming their thoughts into a professional, organized format.
Proofreading: Ensuring the quality and correctness of a newsletter is crucial before sending it out. Some individuals may require proofreading services to catch any errors or improve overall readability.
These are just a few examples of the various use cases you can explore and cater to when it comes to enhancing newsletter writing.
💪🏽 Create Highly Engaging Product Message
Use User Persona & Use Case & Why Together
The best approach is to combine these two levers. Use them to triangulate a specific message that speaks directly to a particular persona with a specific use case and why. By repeating this exercise, you can create a matrix of highly targeted messages, forming an arsenal ready to deploy in your go-to-market strategy.
The result? 🚀 You'll have a range of highly targeted messages that capture the attention of your audience, make them feel understood, and drive them to take action.
Even better, the targeting in your product message will attract the right crowd to provide you their feedback to prioritize the next steps for very specific audience, helping you to build an edge and differentiation from other similar products in the space.
Remember, scalability in messaging is not about trying to cover every possible scenario. It's about understanding the unique situations, problems, and desires of your audience and crafting messages that speak directly to them. Personalization is the key to unlocking the true power of your product message, especially when you are launching a new product.
❄️ Getting out of the cold start problem is a real challenge. Getting the first 10 customers should be your only focus 👓.
After you are saturated in your niche market, then you can start expanding to other segments or broader Persona and Use cases.
Stay tuned for more tips and insights on how to get your new business off the ground!
If you want some feedback on your Persona and Use Case, visit my twitter and comment on this blog post thread. I promise to think with you 💪🏻
Disclaimer: The examples provided are for illustrative purposes only.
