What messaging frameworks are best-in-class?

I think some of the work April Dunford has done in terms of the framework she lays out in her book is super practical and easy to use.

There are some good examples you can find here.  

I'm a big fan of the Content Marketing Institute and they have some great content around messaging framework you can find. This is one example.  

There are a lot of messaging frameworks out there to choose from, but I take a bottom up approach: I start with the differentiators and proof points and then build my elevator pitch, value prop statements and long descriptions from those foundational components. I also use the rule of 3 for my differentiators and proof points. If you find yourself with a laundry list of differentiators or proof points, start looking for similiarities among those components to create larger "buckets" so that your audience has an easier time remembering your message.

Positioning is about showcasing how you solve your customer's needs in a unique and beneficial way. 

I firmly believe that you can not create strong messaging if you have not completed an audit of your competitor's messaging. I typically use the following framework to audit competitors: 

Competitor framework:

• Company name 
• Tagline 
• Positioning statement 
• Core benefit 
• Problem solved 
• Messaging pillars 

Once completed I’ll map on a 4 x 4 the key territories the competitor sits in and where our company currently stacks up in comparison to the competitors. 

Once I’ve identified where we currently sit, we discuss our positioning strategy: 

• Do we want to challenge our current position in the market? 
• Do we want to challenge a competitor in the market? 
• Do we want to carve out a unique space in the market? 

Once we have our strategy, we speak with customers to see: 

• How they describe the product and features?
• What do they believe the core benefits to be? 
• What language do they use to describe certain aspects of the functionality?
  

From there we have the competitive intelligence and strategy to start our positioning. 

The framework I use is:

• Product Feature Name
• Tagline 
• Short boilerplate 
• Long boilerplate
• Pain points solved 
• Feature 1: Benefit/problem solved 
• Feature 2: Benefit/problem solved 
• Feature 3: Benefit/problem solved

I actually tend to take bits and pieces from different ones that I've used in the past to create my go-to. Whatever framework you use should help you get to a focused opinion on the tagline, elevator pitch, and 3 benefit pillars. This means it should capture who is this for (primary personas) and what you're competing against (competitors) as "givens" to set the stage. Then the most valuable thing to have in the messaging are the 3 key benefit pillars of your product/solution/feature that are untouchable by the competition and matter most to your target audience. To justify your 3 key benefits, it's important that a messaging framework make you "show your work" so to speak. For each, why was it a challenge prior? How do you make it better? What's unique? What's the impact to your customer? Answering these in the framework also can make it easier when you're collecting feedback and buy-in, because it gives enough background for folks to debate. And then once you've nailed those pillars, the tagline and the elevator pitch tend to stem from there.

Sure. While I cannot share internal documents necessarily, I can share a few elements that I think make up good messaging frameworks.

1. Market and competitive context
2. Product strategy/objective (i.e. why we are introducing this particular product/capability and how it fits in broader portfolio of products
3. Clear articulation of target customer segment and their pain points we are trying to address
4. Value prop (ideally backed up by research validation!) and finally
5. Messaging (1-sentence articulation, 2-3 mins 'elevator pitch' you'd want sales team to make) 

I find that you have to:

1. Understand the audience, their problem, and how they currently solve it

2. Use that to define your product's key benefits and proof points

3. Once you have both the problem and solution well-defined, build your messaging. This is a high-level exercise that tells the story you want to tell about your product.

Here's my messaging framework template if you want to see how this comes to life.

Your messaging should always aim to influence and shape the market's perception of your product. Good messaging accelerates trust between your company / product and your buyer, which in turn leads to demand, adoption, revenue, etc. Your audience is multi-faceted and so your messaging should be as well.

Strong messaging addresses the following points in a clear and compelling way:

• Persona: Who is the target audience?

• Job to be done: What is their "job to be done"?

• Pain points: What's their challenge to accomplishing that?

• Differentiated solution: How can you help them solve that problem in a unique and better way than anyone else?

• Features: What technical features prove that solution?

• Benefits: What's the value they get?

As your go-to-market evolves and matures, you can layer on additional lenses such as regional nuances, business size, and industry. The more personal and relevant your messaging is, the more impact it will have on your buyer.

Absolutely, when it comes to top-tier messaging frameworks, the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework stands out as a real game-changer. This framework delves deep into comprehending your users' underlying motivations, aspirations, and pain points. While it might not be the most straightforward approach, as it often demands persona interviews to solidify your insights, the effort is well worth it. JTBD enables you to grasp what truly resonates with your audience, capturing not only their preferences but also their emotions.

It's crucial to emphasize that JTBD goes beyond product-centric messaging. Instead, it encourages a holistic perspective. This means considering the larger context and addressing broader needs that your product can fulfill. By doing so, you create messaging that isn't just about selling a solution but about crafting a genuine connection that taps into what users genuinely love and hate. In essence, JTBD empowers you to create messaging that speaks to the heart of your users' desires and challenges, elevating your marketing strategy to a higher level of effectiveness.