Jason OakleyMessaging frameworks can easily get overcomplicated. Especially for product / feature launches.
Here's a simple framework that works 80% of the time 👇
There are really three parts to it:
- The need
- The solution
- The benefit
Here's what each one means: (I’ve also included some snippets from a PostHog blog post, when they launched their Slack integration)
1️⃣ The Need
This is where you describe the situation where your target customer would need your product. Usually, there is some type of job that they need to do. It could be a clear task or some bigger objective/goal they have. But there is some type of problem in the way. It could be a problem with the current tool they are using or a big obstacle standing in the way of their goal.
PostHog Ex: “We built it for those times when a colleague flags an annoying UI quirk, or a customer mentions a bug. The issues that normally end up on a backlog, untouched and ignored.”
2️⃣ The Solution
This is where you get to introduce your product or service and explain how it works. That usually includes highlighting a few of the most important features or capabilities. And if these are unique, differentiating things about your product, make sure that's clear!
PostHog Ex: “With the PostHog Slack app, you @PostHog to "fix this" or "build that". It spins up a sandbox, makes a plan, edits files, runs checks, opens a draft PR, and answers review comments in the thread. The bot uses your product data as context and follows your repo's rules. It even reacts with emojis while it works, which makes it feel less like a coding tool and more like chatting with a clever teammate."
3️⃣ The Benefit
This is where you describe the outcome or the benefit that your target customer will get from using your product or service. The key is that it has to be believable, and you do that by talking about things that are closely tied to the use of your product and back them up with proof. Things like testimonials, stats, and examples.
PostHog Ex: “It's awesome when a prolific engineer gets even more productive, but what makes @PostHog really magical is that it empowers every role. Sales, marketing, customer support – anyone can tag the bot with a bug, a papercut, or a feature idea. Here's a few examples of @PostHog usage across the org chart:”
‼️ One important thing to point out about this is that these ingredients don't always need to flow in this exact order. And in some cases, I see a lot of launch posts and product content that might not include all of these things. And that's okay.
What I like about this framework is that it's not too rigid and doesn't give you a lengthy “template” you need to fill out. It's more-so just getting the key parts of a story that you can tell around your product.