7 mistakes startups make with their messaging. 1/ They opt for formal language instead of informal language. Describing their product/services, they say, "We accelerate responsiveness and optimize for engagement." No one has any idea what that means. As a result, customers leave.
2/ They have no awareness of their category. The very first sentence of a company's messaging should NAME the category they're in (ex: "Mushroom Coffee" is a dif category than "Coffee" which is dif than "Premium Colombian Coffee").
3/ They aim for catchy. "We help in ways no one else will." That sentence literally means nothing. Zero. 0000. Any real estate you give to messaging that is not EDUCATING your customers on 1) your category, and 2) why it's different, is a waste of space—and will cost you $$$.
4/ They over-spend on branding. Many startups assume because their brand looks expensive, modern, "Gen Z," they don't need to explain what they actually do. This makes customers feel dumb. They feel like they SHOULD know what you do, but can't figure it out.
5/ They misuse their blog. Companies love using their blog for company announcements. That's fine, just realize nobody is going to read it except prospective hires and maybe a VC. Blogs should either be niche publications for your target market, or nothing at all.
6/ Their ideologies don't align with their actions. Startups today LOVE saying, "We believe in a more transparent world," and then communicate that message through a press release from the company. If you truly believed in transparency, your CEO would just say that on Twitter.
7/ They fear taking a stance. On anything. They think "picking a side" (of any topic) means alienating "some" potential customers. This is false. When you try to make something for everyone, you make something for no one. Learned this one from @craigclemens.
Welp this thread started blowing up before I even got finished writing it. Thanks for reading! For more writing and messaging insights, check out my weekly newsletter: howiwrotethis.substack.com
Some shout outs here: @garrytan your fund and your portfolio companies are great examples of messaging done well.
@HarryStebbings big fan of your podcast. I have a new book about online writing and digital messaging coming out Sept 1st, if you have any interest in doing a podcast episode about startups and messaging!
