AMA: HackerOne Vice President of Product Marketing, April Rassa on Messaging

It's key to align around a high-level story that powers success—in sales, marketing, fundraising, product development and recruiting—by getting everyone on the same page about strategy and differentiation. Alignment is difficult. If you can start with your CEO, that is key. Ultimately, your CEO is yuor ultimate storyteller and if she is bought in, then its easier to get the rest of the executive team aligned. The story is the strategy and that should be your starting point. What’s driving your s ...Read More

My short answer is to be scrappy and test with customers. Make sure your messaging can answer these questions: - Does your message focus on one main point? People will remember if your message is concise, clear and consistent.- Does the message include “what’s in it for me”? Tell customers what is in it for them right away!- Can the message hook your audience in 7 seconds? - Is the message truthful and factual? - Does it speak the customers language, instead of your jargon? Avoid industry acrony ...Read More

The biggest thing I see when companies develop a product, service or build a brand, is they get stuck on the “what” of the thing. What the product does? What the company does? This thing. And this thing. And this. And that’s great, but the bigger question is why? Savvy consumers/customers look past what a product does; they want to know what makes it authentic? What’s the backstory? Why should they believe in you? People are not just buying products; they are buying better versions of themselves ...Read More

Every company wants to be the #1 in their field. I would argue that if your company is undeniably #1 in its market, you don’t often make this proclamation. People already know it. It’s very similar to the notion that “nobody ever got fired for buying IBM.” Companies believe that by saying they’re #1, consumers will feel a level of comfort knowing that they are buying the best.To solve this problem, ask yourself, “Are my potential customers really trying to buy #1?”Chances are, probably not – the ...Read More

In the Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, he says "comapnies that don't have a clearly articulated story don't have a well-thought-out strategy. The company story is the company strategy." With that said, that is a good starting point to consider. Your story must explain at a fundamental level why you exist. Why does the world need your company? Why do we need to be doing what we're doig and why is it important? Working with product management to make sure the story we are communicati ...Read More

When you think about your product messaging, you may start with the features and benefits the product provides. While those things do need to be defined, they should not be where you start developing your product messaging from.Instead, your product messaging should lead with the intangible value your product provides to customers. How does your product or service improve their life? Focus on how your product impacts their experience rather than the specific functions it offers. Features and ben ...Read More

Most often when you're launching the company's first product, you're most likely launching the company as well. The challenge there is its the first for everything. So, make sure you have a comprehensive launch plan as there are a lot of moving parts. Plus, make sure you define the key metrics to define success, often times this can be a challenge for team.  How do you think about: Awareness: organic search traffic, PR/comms strategy, social engagement Growth: KPIs for the business around MQLs, ...Read More

Developers don't want to be marketed to. Developers are a sharp, no-nonsense group. They work under deadlines and stress that comes from being asked to deliver on the (next to) impossible. They can smell jargon and insincere messaging from a mile away. Since they play a critical role in choosing tools and solutions, it’s essential that to approach developers with thoughtful, engaging, and helpful content. So, with that in mind, developers want to know just what you can do for them and understand ...Read More

Even if you’re selling a commodity—stop selling it like a commodity!This means that the most important part of knowing how to sell commodity products is to stop focusing on price as the primary determinant for why a prospect should buy from you. Reflect on the value that you create in the lives of your prospects or inyour existing customers—ask them if you have to. Understand the value your customers are gaining from your product, the unique use cases your product offers them, quanitfy the value ...Read More