How can you test the effectiveness of a messaging framework?

you can use tolls and activities you already have in company such as events (online, offline), newsletters, demos. For example, at the end of a webinar, you can hold a short feedback round and send nice giveaways to the most active users. During the conference, offer different segments of your target group to fill in a questionnaire asking some questions about what they understood from the messages. A small gift or a QR code to you new plagin always welcome. Set up a box in your new newsletter asking for feedback via link and propose a T-shirt or powerbank in return.

Before you begin testing, you should have clear objectives in mind. What do you want to achieve with your messaging framework? Objectives can include increasing brand awareness, driving conversions, improving customer retention, and more.

Quantative metrics like open, response, click and traffic rates are qreat, and they can tell you quickly if your message is resonating or flopping, but make sure to also invest heavily in getting a broad array of qualitative feedback. Reach out to your sales team, your good customers and ones you're losing, your service group, and the the competion to understand their messaging. This could be a voice of the customer program, a 1 question survey asking for feedback, joining sales on their calls or just picking up the phone with customers. These types of info collection are sometimes low-tech but can offer tremendous insight.

Two things that have worked well from my experience: 1. Focused groups. Structure 2-3 within your target personas and create a list of messages with visuals to test with them. Often we got a lot from those discussions and sometimes they can even help us come up new ideas and/or something we have not considered. 2. A/B tests with objectives in mind. Randomly divide users up into different segments and serve with all messaging and visuals. Evaluate different metrics from their responses, e.g. click-through rate, conversion rate, retention rate etc.

In my view, a messaging framework should include a description of the problem for which your value proposition has been designed. So, one of my first steps is to validate how we message the problem we are setting out to solve. Does the language we use for framing the problem resonate with our target audiences? Do they have the problem as we have described it. The logic for this approach is because what comes next -- messaging the solution -- needs to first and foremost address a problem our target audience is aligned with.

This article severely underemphasizes the importance of direct customer feedback during sales cycles. As a PMM, you need to get yourself invited to as many sales calls as possible (a good way is to become a product demo expert and/or subject matter expert) so you can see their reaction to messages first-hand. Complement this by surveying sales teams on their experiences presenting the messaging in front of customers.

Join sales calls, listen to sales calls after they are held, shadow a BDR. These are all great ways to get qualitative feedback on messaging and positioning. I found that there are too many marketers out there, that work in a silo and present their work to the world as a finished product. Customer validation is the cure to this disease.

Being clear about the target audience across the product lifecycle, and involving sales/presales team while seeking feedback from the TG, goes a long way in getting desired inputs and being able to validate them. Needless to say, any research is indicative and not conclusive, so it merits viewing the feedback with one's own understanding and views. Don't be shy of going back to the audience for additional inputs, should you feel the need to do so.

Get on customer calls There is no better way to get feedback on positioning than getting it directly from the customers. Other ways to get this information are by listening to call recordings and using tools like Gong, Chorus, etc. These tools also allow you to report quantitatively

?? A 'fly on the wall' is an observation approach worth considering. ?? While surveys and discussions can yield responses, it is important to note that responses generally express 'wants' while observations can yield real 'needs' from customers that they may not realise themselves.

The key thing here from my point of view is to keep testing and iterating. A messaging framework is never done. Try to leverage all internal and external opportunities to gather further insights on what resonates and when people reach the "aha"-moment.

(!) When analyzing and optimizing your messaging framework, it's crucial to create a feedback loop that quickly incorporates customer reactions and market shifts. - after each round of analysis, make prompt, targeted adjustments to your messaging - break down your data by customer segments. Different groups may respond differently to your messaging - while metrics and numbers are vital, don’t overlook the qualitative feedback. Sometimes, a single customer comment can illuminate a perspective that numbers alone can't capture.

Understand your messaging framework is ever-changing. Stay nimble, be ready to adapt quickly based on what's happening in the market. It's not a one-size-fits-all deal; it's a living, breathing thing that evolves with time. Keep it dynamic, keep it real, and watch your messaging game level up.

This final phase is an ongoing process that never ends, and I find it effective to incorporate A/B testing, using a sample database or customers unaffected by the changes. Continuously monitoring your existing customers and their evolving preferences over time is vital. External factors, such as trends and current events, can make your messaging more appealing, so staying aware of what's happening in the world is essential. Regularly assessing and adjusting your messaging framework is key to its continuous improvement, ensuring it remains aligned with your product, market, and audience.

Use various tools available to A/B test your messaging with the target audience. Wynter is an example of a tool for testing B2B technology messaging. More often than not, you'll be surprised by the feedback and the data here also helps support the messaging decisions you make.

When I'm tackling messaging, I take these two high-level steps: 1. Take stock of what's working and what isn't. I make updates based on internal/external feedback, changes to our value from the product roadmap, market factors, and sessions with the broader GTM team. 2. Review and gut check I make it a point to poke holes in messaging, so I'm 1) not leaning into my biases on product-market fit AND 2) talking to the right audience (vs. confusing target buyers, users, influencers, gatekeepers, and influencers). For me, it's essential not to be reactionary and watch out for biases along the way. Why? Speaking from experience, it'll create a big mess you'll only realize when the dust settles.

listening to your customers feedbacks and ideas not only helps us make the most user friendly offering but also makes them our lifelong customers and advocates.

What's effective today may require adjustments in the future as audience preferences and market conditions change. Flexibility and adaptability are key to maintaining effective messaging over time.

Positioning is semi-permanent once you decide your product category, solution space, etc. but messaging needs to be optimized continuously based on feedback.

Test, iterate, test again! It's best to consider your current message as the "champion" that could be dethroned anytime. Consumer likes and expectations constantly change and the champion always needs a challenger.