AMA: Archer Director of Product Marketing, Jane Reynolds on Messaging

* Work closely with your product team to understand the messaging that performed best * Don't just look at immediate engagement on messaging; which messaging led to the most engagement, highest retention, and highest number of subscriptions * Customize the messaging! Different cohorts will react differently; don't use a one-size-fits-all approach

The benefit of offering features your competitors already have is that consumers understand them—so don't overcomplicate messaging, or try to use unique branding for a product that's not unique. Stick to the names and descriptions users already know.

It's not cliche if it's true and you can prove it—if you're #1 in something, say it! But be specific: Are you #1 in App Store rankings? In consumers? Make that clear. For more "throwaway" terms like "seamless," I recommend being descriptive. Explain what makes your product seamless versus that you are. And finally, let your consumers speak for you! Your consumer saying it goes a lot further than it coming from the brand.

It doesn't just matter what you're saying but when. ABCD test your messaging content and when you are sharing that messaging with your users and review engagement metrics.

These are the steps I think through when crafting messaging: * What is the story I'm trying to tell and to whom? * Why is my brand telling this story, and why now? * What's the user promise and user benefits? * What action do I want users to take? This outline not only helps me identify the key points I want to make, but it's a means of getting internal buy-in. When your team understands how you got there and how you considered the product as part of the messaging, they can better align with your vision.

I don't have a set formula for re-iterating; it's dependent on whether the messaging is around a new or older feature, who your consumer is, and many other factors. But consistency in tone is key. I always ask myself—would someone know this was from my brand versus a competitor's, and how? If the answer is no, it's time to rethink the entire message—and possibly even feature.

It's all about clarity. User education is key when it comes to something new where user adoption is vital. Keep it simple and clear.

Identify the key internal stakeholders from the start. Make sure everyone is aligned on that to avoid last-minute blockers. Context is also key. When I'm presenting to execs, I have the full picture ready. Never show copy without the imagery that will accompany it and the details of how it will be presented.

Extremely! As they say, everyone's a marketer ;) So being able to identify the impact of messaging is incredibly important in demonstrating why certain messaging decisions are made. Data doesn't lie.

When it truly unique, I prefer to go bold. Being able to say you're first is such an asset and is always my preference when it comes to product features because they have an impact beyond within the product—something new can drive press which can be incredibly impactful. Make the description clear, but don't shy away from the fact that you're offering something no one else has.

Disagree and commit. When we come to a crossroads, we often turn to AB testing as the deciding factor—or even launching a survey asking similar audiences what they find most clear. But remember, this is your role for a reason so I recommend clearly identifying how you came to your decision and going on from there—and internally deciding which decisions you're most passionate about. Don't waste time on the back and forth.

Your product is not the exact replica of any other product—if it is, your problem starts there. Your product has it's own identity and that should come through in tone, offerings, etc. Differentiating should never be for the sake of differentiating. Your message should always be in your brand's voice, but it's okay if the overall message may be similar to others.

Revisit, revisit, and revisit some more! Review it yourself multiple times. Share options with customers. Get opinions from potential customers. Get feedback internally. Review your competitors. Focus on one thing at a time and keep the language as concise as possible.

* Find trends in your top-performing messaging that you can reuse in a new way. * Create a list of 2-3 components that your messaging always has. * Customize for each demo, considering everything from user journey to age to gender to location * Test, test, test!

I approach them in much of the same way. Product marketing is about storytelling, and being the advocate for your consumer. For either audience, it's about keeping things simple. Your product may provide a different benefit for each audience so make sure to have identified that first, but otherwise there's no need to reinvent the messaging style.

With Archer, our USP is that all user profiles are selfie-verified and we say that explicitly and directly in our marketing. We tried some cheekier messaging like "Dating that's about face" but ultimately that cleverness just led to confusion. Especially when launching a new product, it's important to be incredibly clear.

If you can make it a one-pager, even better. Stick to the most compelling points and focus on quotes that are descriptive versus just complimentary. And ask your sales team! What are the tools that will be most beneficial to them?

AB test the messaging, and remind leadership of the customization that can be done. Work with colleagues in product to align. Sometimes opinions aren't swayed, but if you come forward with contextual data—and respected people who share your view—there's often wiggle room.

It's so important to listen to your consumers and collect both qualitative and quantitative data. When it comes to brand campaigns, we do extensive messaging testing with our core demo beforehand to gauge reactions to the creative. But it's always important to back those qualitative responses up with quantitative data. I find the most effective way to do that is via AB testing through push, email, or in-app notifications—which drove higher engagement in the product? Which generated the most buzz on social? This is the clearest way to see the impact on user behavior.