Understanding the Importance of Message-Market Match

I take calls with B2B marketing leaders every week about fixing their paid media programs. The problem? It’s typically not their ads that need to be fixed. So many “experts” are out talking about the creative being the variable. Sure, of course ad creative matters. But when our new clients have issues with their ads not driving results, there’s almost always a deeper issue with messaging. Simply put: If you don’t have message-market match (which is no less important than product-market fit) spending thousands of dollars on paid media won’t get you there. And reworking product messaging, value propositions, and the core of your message is not the same as tweaking ad copy. Messaging truly is ongoing work. And very few things are more important than iterating to ensure your message/story/narrative resonates fully with your buyers. That’s why we work methodically with our clients to test and validate winning messaging as part of running their paid media programs. It’s how we deliver above-average results on paid media engagements. And yes, the ad creative gets updated as we go, but we don’t start by trying to fix ads. With competition at an all time high and channels more saturated than ever, getting messaging just right becomes the key success factor for paid media in B2B. You don’t have to work with us. But if you don’t, please just make sure your agency (or your in-house team) has a proven approach to figuring out messaging as part of their paid media approach. That’s how you strike the balance between getting results in the nearest possible term while setting your paid media program up for longer term success as well. Good luck! PS: We all know it’s not as easy as fixing ads. But it’s human nature to want there to be an easy fix, right? So this is just a friendly reminder to always look for what’s really holding us back. #b2b #b2bmarketing #marketing #growthmarketing

I’ve seen clients spend $10K on a stunning new site… only to rewrite it six months later. Not because the design was bad. Because the copy didn’t work. And when the copy doesn’t work? It’s usually not a writing problem. It’s a positioning and messaging problem. 💡 Positioning and messaging are strategic. Positioning is where you fit into the market: what makes your brand different, relevant, and worth choosing. Messaging is about connecting the dots to your buyer’s needs, values, and decision-making process. Which means it’s not just about what you want to say. It’s about what they need to hear. That takes deep audience understanding, leveraging customer insights, and understanding the psychology behind why and how they buy. ✍️ Copy is tactical. It’s the execution. What your audience sees, reads, and interacts with. Your website, newsletters, LinkedIn, sales pages, pitch decks… Strong copy depends on strategic clarity. Without it, even "good" writing doesn't connect. The problem? Writing feels productive. It feels like progress. So it’s easy to jump into copy and content before doing the foundational work. If no one’s ever walked you through what positioning or messaging actually means—or how much it drives conversion—how would you know? (It's a screw up even those of us who “should know better” make. I realized a messaging mistake in the Content Circle sales page a bit too late. And uncovered this issue in the last 3 strategy sessions I had with people who work in marketing.) That’s how you end up with content that sounds fine but: - Blends in with everyone else - Creates more questions than answers - Attracts the wrong people - Misses the mark with your best-fit buyers - Sounds smart, but doesn’t resonate or convert And don’t get me started on agencies that tell clients to “just start writing” or “get the homepage up” before doing any foundational work. 😤 It might sound efficient. But what it really leads to? Wasted time. Wasted money. And a message that doesn’t match your market. Because strategic gaps don’t show up as bad writing. They’re cracks in the foundation that you can’t see. That’s why every project I work on starts with strategy. Positioning → Messaging → Copy. In that order. Every time. Curious: Have you ever invested in copy (or content or design) before getting clear on your positioning or messaging? Or realized after the fact that what you thought was a copy issue was actually something deeper? ------- 👋🏻Ready for reach beyond referrals? If you're new around here, I’m Stacy. A messaging strategist & copywriter who helps impact-driven brands position themselves as the only option.

Too many firms are sleeping on the importance of messaging and positioning. The result? Less effective marketing and missed opportunities. Your value prop and differentiators are pivotal in this equation...they're the foundation for your messaging and positioning strategies. And there's a difference between both of them. Positioning needs to be nailed down before you move on to messaging. It defines your service’s place in the market compared to the competition. -What problems does your service solve? -How is it best at delivering the value that your clients cares about? Messaging is the words you use to articulate your positioning. -What does your service promise? -How do you deliver it? It describes the reasons why your ideal customers care about it. Here's why you should care... First, clarity build trust. When messaging is clear and consistent, potential clients understand exactly what you offer and why you’re the best choice. This transparency builds trust and credibility, making clients more likely to engage with your firm. Next, you need differentiation in competitive markets. Strong positioning helps your firm stand out. Period. It highlights what makes your firm unique, ensuring you’re not just another option but the preferred choice for your target audience. Finally, it improves marketing effectiveness. Clear messaging and positioning aligns with your marketing strategies, making campaigns more targeted and effective. It ensures that every marking effort reinforces your core strengths and values, leading to better engagement and higher conversion rates. Look at your firm’s messaging and positioning. Ask yourself… 1. Are our differentiators and unique value propositions clear and compelling?     2. Does our messaging address the specific needs and challenges of our target clients?     3. Are we consistently communicating our strengths across all marketing channels?     If not, refine them. Make sure they clearly convey why your firm is the optimal choice. This is the best way to keep attracting your best clients. The juice is worth the squeeze. Invest time here. It’s an exercise worthwhile that will improve the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and drive better results. 🧃

Founders - don't bring on a sales team until you nail Product Market [Message] Fit. Your value proposition or your messaging is the bread & butter of what makes communication about your product idea successful. Yet many founders don't get the importance of that early on and will hire too early in sales. Especially if they have no background themselves in sales. It is uncomfortable. You will get turned down a lot. But your sales person will get turned down even more if you can't articulate what the problem you're solving and how your solution will solve it. Always be A/B testing different messaging (& use AI to help). When you’re sending cold outreach emails, follow-up emails, running a demo, etc. Don't let ineffective messaging hinder your sales. Iteratively test and refine until you strike gold. Product Market Message Fit is just as important as Product Market Fit when you begin to layer on a GTM motion.

Product Market fit and message market fit are not the same thing, and force-merging them as concepts is killing you Product market fit generally = when someone will pay you for what you sell to fix a problem when they know they have that problem and that your solution exists Message market fit is what you can say to an audience go get them excited to come talk to you In “an ideal world” they’re the same I.e. you can just go “hey I have some salesforce crm” and people are jumping at the chance to learn more More often, your brand isn’t compelling on its own & no one knows you This is actually a hidden advantage You ONLY get to win off competitive reasoning - aka only the ideas you share // transfer will compel your market It’s an advantage also to separate why people buy vs why they talk to you; there’s usually “up funnel” discussions that have to happen before demand for what you do exists Being the catalyst of those convos, injecting ideation into the scene EARLIER than your competitors gives you an advantage Some messaging chases transactional hacks to get someone to take a call Imo ideal messaging fosters intrigue, which creates an opportunity to sell vision & then strategy to hit that vision and then the tactical X’s and O’s to carry out that strategy… If you can define a more granular audience, and speak to the nuanced needs of the people in that audience, it’s a strong start towards message market fit Importantly, very little has to do with “us”… you have to know the market itself Go get em :)

80% of entrepreneurs miss this foundation. Yet it will make all the difference in your content marketing. If you’re consistently publishing content... But not seeing the results you want: - higher revenue - increased visibility - attracting the right type of clients to your offers The problem isn't your content strategy. But your MESSAGING strategy. If your message feels off and you’re not showcasing who you are, what you do, and how you can help. Things will feel chaotic and random. You might have years of experience but if your message is not: - clear with tangible solutions - deeply rooted in who you truly are - focused on the core topics that make you an expert - relevant to where your audience is and where they want to go It will get lost in the noise. And struggle to create the emotions and associations you want the right type of people to come into your world. Messaging is THE foundation of all your offers and content. When your message is solid, you’ll have no problem showing up consistently and dialing up your voice. You’ll go from surface-level to a deeper understanding of your topic and serve your audience where they’re at. So before nailing your content strategy get clarity first on: - what you do - how you get clients results - what’s your unique positioning - why your clients need this now And make this message the foundation of your entire marketing. Don't omit the basics before going bigger. _ If this resonates with you, I can help you consolidate your message and translate it into highly resonant content that attracts more of the right clients and spreads your impact.

"This is culturally inappropriate." Trying to scale before people understand what you do and why it matters. That line echoes throughout Clipse’s new album, Let God Sort Em Out. And honestly? It’s what comes to mind when you see startups try to scale without earning trust and belief from the people they claim to help. You want growth but it feels abstract. And you don’t know where to start. Here’s what usually happens. You get a few users. Then you sprint into growth mode. You hire, run ads, build partnerships. But nothing sticks. Because growth without message–market fit is just noise. And for pre-seed and seed-stage startups this is where most of your money and momentum gets wasted. Here's the 5 growth foundations every startup needs and why they're important. 1. Market & Customer Research → Guessing what people want instead of knowing what they need. 2. Competitor Positioning → You sound like every other startup in your space and don’t stand out. 3. Messaging & Value Props → Your product makes sense to you, but your ideal customer isn’t convinced. 4. Brand Signals That Build Trust → You expect people to trust you, but you haven’t given them a reason yet. 5. Revenue & Pricing Model Fit → Pricing is logical to you, but not aligned with how your customer sees ROI. (Your) Message × (Your) Market × (Your) Business Model = Your Growth Foundation. Without all three? You’re scaling noise, not traction. Message–market fit doesn’t come from sounding perfect. It comes from being honest about the mess your audience is already in. The founders who win are the ones who turn that mess into their message. And trust their product enough to let God sort 'em out. --- 🔗 Link in the comment for the full breakdown + Notion guide to build your Growth Foundation.