I’ve helped Dozens of Startups With Messaging... Here Are Their Top Mistakes

I’m lucky enough to have worked with some of the most innovative tech startups. Yet many of them trip over the same marketing messaging pitfalls. I’ve highlighted a few of them here to help you avoid the same mistakes.

Stop Aiming One Message at Multiple Audiences

I see this so much — startups become obsessed with the idea that their messaging is static. They mistake cloning for consistency, delivering the same message to everyone regardless of whether they’re a vaguely interested party, fully qualified lead, or potential investor.

Yes, your messaging framework should carry a brand voice and personality. No, this does not mean that every message should be identical. Adjust your messages to meet the needs or pain points of the current audience or audience segment.

Stop Getting Lost in the Weeds

“The devil is in the details” is an interesting phrase. It usually means that you’ll find something critical hidden within the details. For marketing messaging, you can shift the meaning — too many details make for a poor messaging practice.

Leads early in the customer journey don’t need a step-by-step guide on how to install and use your product. They don’t need to know the five most common faults and how to fix them — in fact, that’s likely to send them running.

Stay focused on positioning your product or service as a solution to existing problems faced by your ideal buyer. They’ll get all the details later down the line. Right now, they need to know why they should pick you over any of your competitors.

Stop Telling Clients How the Sausage Is Made

You may be very proud of your app or platform and want to highlight the technical intricacies of every aspect of it. Unfortunately, B2B decision-makers simply don’t want to know what goes on behind the scenes — they don’t need to know how the sausage is made; they just want to eat it and enjoy it. So, tell them how tasty, filling, and nutritious it is: How will your tech offering solve a problem, make their life easier, or help their business grow? 

Final Word

Tech startup founders are some of the most passionate entrepreneurs I’ve had the pleasure to work with. The savviest were open to feedback on their marketing messaging mistakes — and getting the right help and support to set them right. If you’d like to refocus your messaging strategy, book a free 15-minute introductory call with Arch Collective, and let’s see if we’re a good fit.

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