The founder across from me shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

“But our product does so many things,” he protested. “If we narrow down our message, won’t we miss opportunities?”

I hear this concern in almost every startup coaching session I lead. Founders worry that focusing their message means limiting their market.

The reality? The opposite is true.

In the early days of your business, one of the most important marketing moves you can make is to create marketing messaging that attracts the best prospective customers and the right investors.

If your message isn’t clear and memorable, you risk putting both to sleep.

This article shares marketing messaging examples — good and bad — plus a 4-step framework you can use to get yours created.

The hidden cost of “meh” marketing messaging (examples here)

I have watched my fair share of startup pitches. Each founder had built something genuinely innovative, and I was rooting for them.

But their messaging?

Most of it blurred together in my brain — it was a fog of buzzwords and vague promises.

“We’re disrupting the [industry] space with our AI-powered platform…”

“Our innovative solution leverages machine learning to…”

“We’re revolutionizing how businesses handle…”

Sound familiar?

Here’s how uninspiring marketing messaging costs you:

• Prospects who could benefit from your solution don’t recognize themselves in your message
• Investors can’t grasp (or remember) your value proposition
• Team members struggle to explain what makes your product special
• Your marketing dollars get diluted across weak, generic campaigns

The good news? You can fix this. And you don’t need an MBA in marketing or a $60,000 branding agency to create marketing messaging that sings.

A 4-step framework for clear, compelling marketing messaging

I recommend you start with a Google doc, and you set aside about 90 minutes of focused time. 

Here — grab the one I made for you now, which includes a step-by-step blueprint for creating your messaging.

It’s free when you subscribe to my newsletter:

Let’s break this process down into four powerful steps:

Step 1: Define your key audiences

First, get crystal clear about who matters most to your business. Those would be your prospective customers, and prospective investors (if you plan to seek funding). 

Open your doc and create two sections (you’ll find marketing messaging examples in each section):

For your Ideal Prospect (or Ideal Customer):

• What’s their role or position?
• What key problem keeps them up at night?
• How does this problem impact their business or life?

Then capture your definition of an ideal prospect in one powerful line:

“Our solution is perfect for [type of customer] who needs [specific outcome].”

How will you use this ideal customer description? Whenever you talk to a prospective customer, use this messaging so they recognize themselves. And if you’re networking in any way, spread the word about who you help with this single sentence.

For your Ideal Investor (if you’re seeking funding):

• What areas do they typically invest in?
• At what stage do they prefer to invest?
• What value can they bring beyond funding?

Summarize your ideal investor like this: 

“Our company is a good fit for investors focused on [focus areas] who invest at the [investment stage] and bring [value beyond funding] to the table.”

Use this quick description so potential investors know immediately if your company is a match for them.

Step 2: Articulate your unique value

Warning: This step is where most people get stuck when building their marketing messaging. Even experienced marketers jump straight to talking about features instead of focusing on the value those features deliver. 

Advertising legend Jay Abraham said, “When somebody goes to a hardware store to buy a drill, they really don’t want a drill — they want a hole. And they don’t want a hole, they want to fasten something.”

Let’s figure out what your prospective customers want to fix, and find a way to talk about that. Each section below features a framework with marketing messaging examples which are italicized to make them easy to find.

Start with the problem:

• What specific challenge does your prospect face?
• How is this impacting their business right now?
• What solutions have they already tried?
• What’s the real cost of leaving this problem unsolved?

Then clarify your solution:

• How exactly do you solve their challenge?
• What specific results can they expect?
• What evidence proves your solution works?

Pull it all together in your value statement:

“We help [ideal customer] solve [specific problem] by [unique approach], so they can [desired outcome].”

This message is the one you want to use when you want to quickly explain your core solution.

Step 3: Define your communication style

Your brand needs a consistent personality. Think of it as your company’s character traits.

Nail down your personality:

• What’s your primary character trait?
• What supporting traits round out your personality?
• What traits do you actively avoid?
• What existing brand or voice do you most relate to?

Set your brand guidelines:

• What’s your typical tone of voice?
• What expressions do you commonly use?
• What topics do you avoid?
• What subjects do you love to discuss?

Capture your voice in one clear statement:

“We’re the [adjective] voice that helps [ideal customer] feel [emotion] about [outcome].”

This one sentence will help keep your brand voice consistent over time, no matter who is creating your marketing.

Step 4: Craft your origin story

Every compelling brand has an origin story that explains why they exist. Here’s how to find yours:

Document these key moments:

• When did your “aha moment” happen?
• What problem did you witness firsthand?
• How did it impact you personally?
• What action did you take in response?
• What future did you envision?

Create your story statement:

“When we saw [specific situation], we knew we had to [take an action] to ensure [meaningful outcome].”

Then paint a picture of the transformation you deliver:

“[Your prospects] will experience [transformation you deliver], so they can [do/have/become].”

Where will you use your origin story? In pitch decks, at networking events, and when you get that precious 15-minute meeting with the investor you’ve dreamed of.

Put it all together to build your core marketing message (examples of bad a good messaging)

Now it’s time to weave these elements into a clear, compelling message. Here’s your formula:

“We help [specific customer] solve [painful problem] by [unique approach], which means [desired outcome].”

This message is your universal, overarching statement about who you help, what challenge you solve, how you solve it, and why it matters. Memorize this, and ask your team to do the same!

Marketing messaging examples (bad and good)

Let’s look at some bad examples and some good ones. Can you spot the difference?

❌ “Our platform uses AI to optimize retail operations”

✅ “We help independent retailers compete with national chains by automating their pricing strategies, so they can maintain healthy margins without working endless nights and weekends”

❌ “Our innovative HR solution streamlines employee management and engagement with powerful analytics”

✅ “We help HR leaders at high-growth startups solve unexpected employee departures by detecting burnout signals in communication patterns, which means they can retain top performers without conducting endless stay interviews”

❌ “Revolutionary marketing platform that optimizes campaign performance using machine learning”

✅ “We help B2B marketing teams solve low conversion rates by automatically personalizing website content for each visitor’s industry, which means they can double qualified leads without hiring more content writers”

❌ “Next-generation payment processing solution for modern businesses”

✅ “We help ecommerce businesses solve payment failure issues by automatically retrying failed transactions with optimized timing, which means they can recover lost revenue without growing their support team”

❌ “Collaborative workspace platform that enhances team productivity and project visibility”

✅ “We help remote engineering teams solve fragmented communication by centralizing project updates in an automated dashboard, which means they can ship features faster without endless status meetings”

Each of the first examples includes generic jargon. The second ones use precise, aspirational benefits that make prospective customers and investors say, “Yes!”

How to use your core marketing messages

Once you’ve crafted your core marketing messaging:

Consider creating message variations for different contexts

• 5-word version (elevator pitch)
• 25-word version (email signature)
• 50-word version (website homepage)

Share your marketing messaging with your entire team

• Add it to your internal wiki and brand guidelines
• Review it in your next all-hands meeting
• Use it to guide product decisions
• Put it in the hands of your customer support and sales teams

Test it with real humans

• Share it with current customers
• Try it at your next networking event
• Use it in casual conversations

Keep in mind that marketing messaging is organic — and should evolve over time. As your business adapts and grows, so will your messaging.

That’s one reason capturing marketing messaging examples in a shareable document makes sense — you can easily keep everyone updated with any changes.

The key is to start with a focused message today, then let real-world interactions guide your refinements.

Clarity attracts. Confusion repels.

Remember: Your marketing messaging is often the first impression prospects and investors have of your business. 

Make it clear and compelling, and you’ll open doors. Make it boring and forgettable, and those same doors will remain firmly closed.

If you’re “not a marketer” and feel uncomfortable creating your marketing messaging yourself, I get it. But here’s what I know:

No outside consultant or agency will ever understand your business like you do. That’s why I believe you are uniquely qualified to lead your early stage marketing efforts.

Subscribe to my Minimum Viable Marketing Moves newsletter to get my Core Messaging Blueprint for free.

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