How do you test and evaluate messaging of updated value prop in scrappy way?

Generally, one of the mistakes I’ve seen people make is A/B testing subtle changes in messaging and using these test results to drive decision-making. For example, before Nike was known to the world, I doubt “Just do it” would have performed well in an A/B test or focus group.

But the reason “Just do it” is so well-known and successful is the consistency with which it’s been used and the strong brand underpinning the messaging.

Rather than spending time sweating these small changes in direction, it’s better to focus on collecting data to inform where your core positioning should focus and whether your offering is resonating with users.

One lightweight way to do this is to have a small sample of users walk through the site. Ensure the audience is tailored to your objective; for example, if your goal is new acquisition, make sure your non-users that represent your ICP (Ideal Customer Persona) are part of the target audience.

Have users describe in their own words what they believe the product offers based on the site and how compelling, trustworthy, and memorable the offering is. You can even have them redline messaging and images to get their take on what would be most effective.

If you'd like, you can have them go through the old versus new messaging and compare feedback.

This kind of feedback can be really helpful to inform whether things are resonating as intended/if there are any issues in comprehension, and potentially finding more compelling language. But, these findings should always be seen as input rather than a directive. Trust that the internal team understands the direction the product is headed and have conviction in taking some risks. Going back to the Nike example, great creative should not be crowdsourced!