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Far too many early-stage companies make the same messaging mistake: They talk about themselves.
Their product. Their ingredients. Their features. Their team. Their values. Their “why.”
While it sounds accurate and earnest to internal teams, it’s 100% ignorable to the rest of the world.
Because the uncomfortable truth is people don’t buy the best product or service. They buy the one they like best, because it tells a story that’s relevant to their situation.
We cover this in depth in our Value Props module in the Growth Program, but the short version is: If your messaging leads with what you do instead of why it matters, you’ve fallen into The “What” Trap.
Today’s newsletter is here to help you spot it, flip it around, and create copy that connects with your audience instead.
–Gil
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Insight from Gil Templeton - Staff Writer
*This lesson focuses on lead marketing messages (your homepage, ad copy, pitch deck headlines, social content, etc.) Of course there are places where customers are seeking more technical or detailed info, but let’s focus on high-level copy today.
The “What” Trap shows up when your messaging answers questions such as:
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All fair questions internally. But externally, they produce messaging like:
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None of this is wrong per se, but it’s answering the wrong question. Because your customer isn’t asking “What do you do?” They’re asking “What’s in it for me?”
While this messaging might be technically accurate, it’s emotionally vacant.
Most founders and marketers don’t set out to write ineffective, self-centered copy. But when you’re so deep inside the business, it’s like trying to read your label from inside the jar. And it’s easy to default to what you know best:
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