Product Messaging - CXL Course Review

As a part of the series of CXL Course review articles, today we will explore the "Product Messaging" Course, one of the Growth Marketing Minidegree trainings.

This course is part of the "Conversion" section, where Momoko Price teaches conversion-focused copywriting.

Product Messaging

This course approaches copywriting in an analytical and data-driven way. Momoko begins the course by presenting the theoretical foundation her technique is based on. She demonstrates that copywriting can be far more than creativity-driven and can, indeed, be based on reliable data.

Copy "Teardown"

The first part of the course is dedicated to the understanding of how to identify a good piece of copy. The trainer suggests three main approaches to create a definitive copy checklist:

• Tested CRO Principles by MECLabs Elements;
• Tested Psychological Principles by Cialdini’s Principles of Persuasion;
• Tested Copywriting Principles - Claude Hopkins’ Scientific Advertising;

Whereas each one of those approaches could have an exclusive training by itself, she proposes a method that considers the main elements of each technique, allowing a comprehensive assessment.

Moreover, her "teardown" takes into consideration where the copy is placed, when it comes to the marketing funnel:

1. Attention-Capturing Copy (SERP Snippet, PPC Ads, Display Ads, FB Ads);
2. Persuasive Copy (Home Page, PPC Landing Pages, Product Details Pages);
3. Confirmation Copy (Payment Success Message, First-Time UX Copy);
4. Transactional Copy (Cart Page, Order Summary, Checkout Page Signup Page);

Equipped with a solid theoretical base and a hands-on checklist, the trainer explains how to accurately identify the gaps in your copy.

Message mining

Momoko goes on to explain that when you need to enhance or create a copy from scratch, one of the most useful approaches is the message mining.

The idea is to identify key messages from your customers and "swipe" memorable copy. By basing your copy directly on your customers' vision and expression, you will be able to create a message that effectively resonates with them.

The first step to message mining is to define the product or service your copy will focus on and then start to look for real customers' opinions and experiences about it.

Some of the good places to look for are:

• Product reviews;
• Niche forums;
• Customer service transcripts;
• Social Media;
• 1-1 customer interviews;
• Survey/poll to existing customers;
• Survey/poll to visitors;

After you have collected all of those key messages, the next step is to organize them into a spreadsheet and properly organize all the diffuse content into some key clusters. With this in hand, you can now base your copy on what the users say - and what they want to hear.

Copy for existing companies and products

For existing companies and products, Momoko presents a copy model based on storytelling. She takes into consideration all the elements used to assess copy and all the key messages mined to create a powerful method to structure her writing.

The backbone of this method is layering the messages onto a storytelling framework. The final product os this is a clear copy hierarchy:

1. Motivation - UVP / Desired Outcome / Purchase prompts;
2. Value - Unique benefits and advantages / Product features;
3. Address Anxiety - Address uncertainties, objections, and perceived risks;
4. Call to action + Incentives

Have this structure ready, you can now just organize the messages previously gathered and polish the final copy.

Copy for startups

For new companies and products, Momoko introduces an especial approach. She demonstrates that the best approach for startups is to gather product specificities and translate them into benefits for the users.

After having these benefits, the idea is to create a rank of the most appealing messages to consumers, considering how relevant and unique each benefit is to the targeted audience.

It takes into consideration the assumptions made by the team (that must be further validated). Although it isn't the best option to accurately match the users' expectations, the final product is the most promising one, considering the available resources.

Punching up your copy

After having the copy properly structured into the frameworks, Momoko teaches how to edit the texts to have an efficient final version.

The first rule she presents is that "clarity trumps persuasion". If you can't show your customer what your product is about, you won't be closer to convince him to buy.

The second one is to match the reader's mindset. You will only be able to persuade someone if you can speak their language. Therefore, it is important to match not only how your customers want but also how they feel and communicate.

The next rule to improve your copy is to fill it with a lot of value. Having specific desired outcomes and addressing pain points can make you skyrocket the effectiveness of your text.

Following, Momoko shows that another way to improve your copy is to use quantifiable proof, if possible. It makes the next look more real and trustworthy.

The fifth rule is to "paint a picture" with your words, which means to make the reader imagine a situation with sensations rather than just reading a plain text.

The sixth one is to "show and tell", filling your text with examples, case studies, and images that contribute to drive engagement.

Finally, the last rule to enhance your copy is to make it simple, remove everything that doesn't really contribute to the final goal of the page.

Tools for copy prototyping

The last section of the course explains how to prototype and enhance the layout of the copy, guaranteeing readabiliity and a nice look.

The trainer presents several design principles to guide your copy layout and dives deeper into some tools you can use to prototype sales pages.

She demonstrates how to use Figma, Balsamiq and Sketch, sharing small tutorials about how each one effectively works.

My thoughts

Named "Product Messaging" I took some time to figure out that it was a copywriting course. Finishing an analytics section and starting a more tactical approach, this course excels in its proposition.

The best part, in my opinion, is the approach to startups. Most of the available courses consider that you already have a lot of information to base your marketing on. However, most small companies and startups must deal with a lack of resources.

This course, therefore, presents the right tools to succeed in copywriting whether you work at a traditional company or startup, and contributes to the mini degree as an important asset.