Positioning and messaging can make or break a B2B tech brand. Understanding the cause and effect of good and bad marketing helps us make better decisions. When grounded in solid insight, strategy and execution produce better outcomes. Focus on your best-fit customers, clear messaging, and give your marketing time to work.
Positioning and messaging can make or break a B2B tech brand. This is especially true for startups struggling to get noticed.
When we nail our positioning, messaging gets easier, as mentioned in last week’s article, How to Create Effective Marketing Messages for B2B Tech Companies.
But when we don’t know who it’s for and what it’s for, we just add to the noise.
A few weeks ago, I was a guest on Strategy Cast, an excellent marketing insights podcast hosted by Lori Jones, CEO of Avocet Communications.
We explored how the right positioning and messaging can elevate a campaign, broke down common myths and pitfalls, shared some juicy examples, and offered tips to stay on track.
The walkaway? Understand the ripple effect of good (or bad) positioning and messaging and you’ll be able to build a reputable brand.
Check out the full episode next Tuesday, October 22.
Every business starts at ground zero. We can all relate to the stress of finding new opportunities. And when potential buyers trickle in, we tend to panic.
But chasing more leads without stopping to ask the right questions is like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks.
And hope ain’t a strategy, folks.
When the pipeline’s dry, the issue isn’t always volume.
Is it a messaging problem? Could we be creating cognitive barriers with vague or self-serving messages? If people don’t know how our stuff solves their problems, they’re not going to buy it.
Is it a positioning problem? Maybe we’re targeting the wrong audience. Maybe we think our product is something it’s not. Maybe our brand doesn’t have the cache to stand out. Without clarity on who it’s for, what it’s for, and why anyone should give a damn, we’ll keep blending in.
Or is it a sales and marketing alignment issue? Revenue gaps often start upstream. Misalignment here could be the elephant in the room no one’s talking about. If we’re not on the same page, how do we expect to instill confidence and trust in our customers?
In A More Beautiful Question, Warren Berger offers a three-part Why–What if–How framework to help ask better, deeper questions to get to the root of the problem.
Throwing more leads at a broken system won’t help.
Be curious. Be inquisitive.
Look for the root cause instead of reacting to the effects.
Marketing is all about people. It doesn’t matter if it’s B2B, B2C, or B2Whatever. We are irrational creatures. What works today, doesn’t guarantee it will work tomorrow.
But we do business with people we like and trust.
Marketing is hard. Effective marketing is even harder. And it’s frustratingly hard to measure.
When things aren’t working, it’s easy to jump to conclusions (the most exercise we tend to get) and fixate on more ads, more leads, bigger campaigns, blah, blah, blah.
But that’s just a band-aid on a broken leg.
To get to the real issue, we have to diagnose before we prescribe.
Are we solving the right problems? Or are we throwing tactics at something that needs a strategic fix?
A good example is when we tinker with messaging. Always validate messaging against positioning BEFORE making any updates. Why? Because content quickly becomes a rat’s nest when it no longer aligns with our positioning.
The C-Suite thinks big picture. It’s all about strategic alignment—how do we tie marketing’s efforts to the broader company goals?
Managers? They’re down in the trenches bridging strategy and execution—real, tactical steps they can implement today.
And for team members, it’s about execution. Their world is day-to-day. If the strategy and plans aren’t clear, how can we expect them to carry it out effectively?
The key takeaway here? Diagnose the real problem before diving in with solutions.
Building a successful B2B tech brand is rooted in solid insight. The better the insight the better the strategy. And the better the strategy, the better the execution.
Here’s a quick rundown of my chat with Lori:
For the full scoop plus examples, tune in to my conversation with Lori next Tuesday, October 22.
In B2B tech marketing, everything is connected. Insight drives strategy, strategy shapes execution, and execution determines outcomes. It’s a chain reaction—the better your positioning and messaging, the better the engagement.
If you’re trying and failing to generate more leads, build trust, or create lasting customer relationships, start by digging up the root cause, which is typically a lack of insight. Fix that, and the results will follow.
Remember: A pretty house of cards is still a house of cards. One small gust and down she goes.
For a deeper dive into the cause and effect of successful campaigns, watch the full episode with Lori this coming Tuesday, October 22.
And if you haven't already, connect with Lori on LinkedIn.
If you like this content, here are some more ways I can help:
Cheers!
This article is AC-A and also published and discussed on LinkedIn. Join the conversation!
