RULE #1 Calibrate to current brand recognition.

RULE #2 Be specific If people can’t picture themselves using your product, they won’t.

RULE #3 Speak to your buyer personas How will your target audience know they are in the right place? Be clear with yourself about buyers vs end users.

RULE #4 Speak to your Job to be Done When communicating with the value of your product be sure to speak to their situation, motivation and outcome

RULE #5 Make your messaging be singular Your message should only apply to you. If other companies can use your message, you’re not there yet.

RULE #6 Check off their mental shopping list Address buyer intent, not unexpected product result.

RULE #7 Include hard claims ROI, data, and hard claims are powerful. This takes product instrumentation, customer interviews, and updating sales contracts.

RULE #8 Keep it short “I didn’t have time to write a short letter so I wrote a long one instead.” — Mark Twain

RULE #9 Test your messaging Experimenting with your messaging is cheaper than experimenting with your product. Use betas to test messaging, not just product.

RULE #10 It’s all in the editing!