Read time: 6 minutes

Hey!

Sam here 👋

Have you ever gone to a website and immediately found yourself hooked, reading the whole page, and end up buying without even planning to?

The content just seemed to speak to you and your unique challenges, as if the writer was inside your head.

That's the power of a strong value proposition.

Think of your landing page as your salesman who works 24/7 to convert visitors into customers.

Its main job is to grab attention and guide your visitor into action.

The crazy part of this? You have < 8 seconds to get your reader to stay.

How to get it right? Through your value proposition.

It’s your secret weapon in the battle for your visitor’s attention, it will determine if your visitor keeps reading about your product or leaves your page.

Value proposition is a statement that explains how your product adds value to your audience and why it's better than the rest.

It encompasses four key items:

• 🎯 Target: Who is this for

• 💥 Impact: What’s the value of your product

• ❤️ Relevance: How it solves a problem people care about

• 🚀 Differentiation: Why it’s different from the rest, why should people buy it

But, how do you craft a value proposition that truly resonates with your audience?

It all starts with understanding how your users get value.

Let’s get into how to get it right.

Uncover how your customers get value

When visitors land on your site, they should immediately understand “why you are the best option” for them.

To truly connect and resonate with your audience, you need to use the language they use.

Don't assume you know what they want or need - talk to them directly.

Remember, your value proposition isn't just a tagline or a slogan - it's a promise to your customers.

It's your opportunity to tell them why they should choose your product over the competition.

How to write a winning value proposition

Let’s take a step back and remind ourselves what a value prop is and what is not.

Now, while there is no right way to go about it, a value proposition consists of a headline, sub-headline, and one paragraph of text, along with a visual element (photo, hero image, graphics).

Consider using the following formula by Peep Laja to guide your message:

• Headline. What is your end-benefit in one short sentence? It can mention the product and/or customer. Make it an attention grabber.

• Sub-headline or a brief paragraph. A specific explanation of what you do/offer, for whom, and why it’s useful.

• 3 bullet points. Highlight the key benefits or features.

• Visual. Images communicate faster and are more memorable than words. Show your product’s image, the hero shot, or an image reinforcing your main message.

The Good vs The Bad

Sometimes the best way to succeed is to stand on the shoulders of the giants.

By studying successful examples, we can learn what works and what doesn't, and apply those insights to our own marketing strategy.

Let’s review some good examples first:

The Good

What went right?

• ✅ Clearly communicates what they do, who they are for, and what the main benefits are.

  • If you are a B2B company, you know that getting high quality signups and demos can be a challenge. You need to ensure your messaging resonates. That’s where Wynter comes in.

• ✅ Includes an outcome-based and attention-grabbing headline

• ✅ Subheadline includes specifics addressing common objections 

• 🟠 The hero image provides a quick snapshot of how it works — getting feedback from real people and delivering results quickly ( <48 hours). However, the snapshot could use some work. Is not very clear and focuses a lot on the vehicle (how) instead of the destination

What went right?

•  ✅ Clearly communicates what they do, who they are for, and what the main benefits are.

•  ✅ Their subheadline goes into more specific details on what they offer and how they back the value prop — streamlining their operations, staying compliant, and focusing on growing their business. 

•  🟠 The hero image shows that Deel can help you with all lot of your remote team needs (HR, benefits, equipment, etc). But the graphics are a bit confusing and don't really explain what they mean.

The Bad

Let’s begin with SAP.

What went wrong?

• ❌ No proper value proposition in place at all—the headline talks about their event on March 8th

• ❌ What does “unleash your data” even mean?

• ❌ Imagery above the fold looks from stock photo, doesn’t show the product’s use case

•  ❌ Should have only one clear CTA, currently all about the event

What went wrong?

• ❌ Unclear who this is for and what this is

• ❌ Difficulty understanding what “learn from the best and with the best” will ultimately lead to

• ❌ How are they different from other course sites?

• ❌ Imagery is confusing and doesn’t depict the end result.

•  ❌ Should have only one clear CTA

Make sure you're clear and straightforward when you explain what you do and what makes you different. Try to include ways to attack objections on the subheadline.

Don't beat around the bush - just get to the point.

Think outcomes and benefits, not just features.

Think images, not just words.

Frameworks To Get You Started

Use Peter Thomson’s Value Proposition Canvas to explore the different components of a strong value proposition.

As you go through each section of the canvas, put yourself in the shoes of the customer.

When you list the benefits of your product, think about how it can either increase their pleasure or reduce their pain points. This will help you create a more customer-centric message that resonates.

CopyHackers:

• ​​The “like” value prop formula: Like X for Y, where X is a known thing and Y is your new audience.

• The “who-specific” value prop formula: The only/easy X for Y, where X is your offer and Y is your target audience.

• The “value-specific” value prop formula: My product is the one that ………..

Julian Shapiro:

Bad alternative > Better solution > Action statement

Now, let’s take your value prop out into the wild

👏👏👏👏

There are 3️⃣ ways to test your value proposition:

1. 🧪 A/B testing (⏰ + 4 weeks)

   Select your two best value propositions and test them head-to-head. You'll need at least 500 signups or conversions per month and should plan for the test to take around four weeks. Keep in mind, this will only tell you which option is more effective, not why (for the why you need message testing).

2. 📣 Paid Ads (⏰ 1-2 weeks)

   Test two different value propositions in your ads with the same target audience. Look for the ad with the highest click-through rate (CTR) - this indicates that the ad is getting more attention and interest. Plan for this test to take about one to two weeks.

3. 👥 Message testing (⏰ 1-3 days)

   Test different messages or value propositions with a small group of your best customers. Ask for their feedback and adjust your message accordingly. This process can be ongoing and should help you improve the effectiveness of your value proposition over time.

That's all for now!

I'd love to hear how you plan to apply what we just covered. If you have any questions or feedback, just hit reply.

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If you found this helpful, please forward this email to 1 friend or colleague. They'll appreciate you and you'll help grow the community.

🔍 Resources worth your time

• Value Propositions that Work from HRB

• Master the 10 steps to position your business for success

• Value Proposition Canvas from Peter J Thomson

Until next time 👋

-Sam