#41: Make It Punchy

Emma Stratton understands good copy.

This is immediately clear as soon as you read her content on LinkedIn. For the past year, Emma (the founder of Punchy) has been my go-to expert on writing positioning and messaging that sells.

So, when I saw her name on the agenda for last week’s Product Marketing Summit in San Francisco, I couldn’t contain my excitement.

Hundreds of product marketers (myself included 🙋🏼‍♀️) gathered in person this week to learn, connect and cry bond over the challenges and joys of being a PMM. I took to the stage to give a talk about how to win at category creation (grab a copy of my slides here).

But, this isn’t about me. It’s about Emma. In today’s edition, I’m going to give you a backstage pass to Emma’s talk and her 3-step process to writing human messaging (that is, messaging that doesn’t sound like a robot).

You’re in for a treat!

How to Write Human Messaging

Raise your hand if you’ve ever read something and then thought, “no one talks like that!”.

We see it all the time in product marketing. Jargon and buzzwords like “all-in-one”, “actionable insights” and “real-time visibility”.

It’s not real! And it’s certainly not authentic. People don’t talk like robots; they talk like, well, humans. And our role as a PMM is to write messaging that reflects that.

Here’s Emma’s 3-step framework to writing human messaging:

1. Translate it

2. Keep it real

3. Loosen the tie

Translate It

Avoid using vague language that leaves buyers confused. Instead, see benefits through their eyes. Ask yourself:

• What does life look like before your product?

• What does life look like after your product?

Then, contrast them in one message. Like this: “Avoid surprises at the end of the month. See where your shipping costs are today - and where they’ll be tomorrow - in a snap.”

Much better, right?

Keep It Real

Many businesses are tempted to appeal to everyone. But we know, when you appeal to everyone, you really appeal to no-one. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of what Emma calls “sanitized” messaging.

Not only is sanitized messaging boring, it’s also inauthentic. But, by keeping it real (using words and phrasing customers would actually say in real life), you can grab attention, inspire emotion and build connection.

Keep it real by:

• Taking a sanitized problem or goal

• Asking, “how do they really talk or think about them”

• And then mirroring it in a headline

Loosen the Tie

This one’s my favorite. If you’re still left wondering if what you’ve written sounds more like a robot than a real customer, use this simple technique: say it like they would at a BBQ.

The trick here is to use natural, conversational phrasing. Replace those long, business-y words with shorter, plainer words where possible. Swap out “identification” for “see” and “diagnosis” for “find”.

And remember, the thesaurus is your friend.

CAMPER ESSENTIALS

• 📚 Reading Material: Emma’s newsletter That’s Punchy is a must-read that delivers fresh takes on positioning and messaging

• 🎧 Playlist: April Dunford’s new podcast Positioning with April Dunford exposes her battle-tested methodology to build positioning

See you bright and early (hint: 8am PT) in the PMM Camp community tomorrow 👯‍♀️

- Tamara