100 Positioning Angles and Message Rules

Formulas#

• For [who] who [pain], [product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternative], it [difference]. (Geoffrey Moore, Crossing the Chasm)
• Build positioning in this order: alternatives → unique attributes → value → best-fit customers → category. (April Dunford, Obviously Awesome)
• Message = pain + outcome + proof. If one part is missing, the message doesn't land.
• Clear > clever. People skim. A confused reader never becomes a customer.
• Awareness decides the headline: unaware → problem-aware → solution-aware → product-aware → most aware. (Eugene Schwartz)

Foundations (1–15)#

1. Positioning means choosing who the product is not for.
2. Start from what they'd use if you didn't exist. It's often a spreadsheet, a freelancer or doing nothing, not a competitor.
3. List the things you have that the alternative lacks.
4. Turn each of those into value by finishing the sentence "…so you can ___."
5. Target the customers who care most about that value.
6. Pick a category that makes your value obvious. In the wrong category, you get judged on the wrong features.
7. Name an enemy: a status quo, a habit or a pain. Never a person.
8. One product, one sentence. If it takes two sentences, you have two products.
9. Own one word in the customer's mind. (Al Ries & Jack Trout, Positioning)
10. Being first in a small category beats being second in a big one.
11. Positioning lives in the customer's head. Test it by asking customers to describe you back.
12. Use the customer's words, taken from interviews and reviews.
13. Specific beats general. Use numbers, names and timeframes.
14. Repositioning is cheaper than rebuilding. Try a new frame before writing new code.
15. Write the positioning before the homepage, and the homepage before the product.

Angle templates to fill in (16–50)#

16. X for Y. "A CRM for freelancers."
17. X without Z. "Analytics without cookies."
18. The anti-X. Define yourself against a bloated leader.
19. X, but simple. For people drowning in features.
20. X, for pros. For people who outgrew the easy tool.
21. The X alternative that [difference].
22. Get [outcome] in [time].
23. [Outcome] without [hated task].
24. Stop [pain].
25. The only X that Y. Use it only if it's true and you can prove it.
26. From [before] to [after].
27. What [big company] uses, sized for [small company].
28. Built by a [peer] for [peers].
29. X inside the tool you already use.
30. Your [role] on autopilot.
31. Replace [3 tools] with one.
32. Pay once, own it forever, in a market where everything is a subscription.
33. Own your [data / audience / content].
34. The [calm / fast / private] way to [do the job].
35. [Job] for people who hate [job].
36. Made for [a country or language].
37. One superlative: the fastest, the cheapest or the simplest. Pick one, and only if you can prove it.
38. The tool for [a moment or event].
39. [Number] [results] in [time].
40. Like [famous product], for [new domain].
41. The open-source X.
42. The private X.
43. The X that works offline / on your own machine.
44. The human-checked X.
45. An AI [role] that does [job] end to end.
46. Built and supported by one person. Here, being small is the selling point.
47. The done-for-you version of X.
48. The beginner-friendly X.
49. The honest X. Public pricing, no dark patterns, easy cancellation.
50. Move from X in one click. Position on how easy it is to switch.

Choosing the angle (51–65)#

51. Pick an angle the leader can't follow without hurting its own business.
52. Pick the angle customers already use when they complain.
53. Pick an angle you can prove with a screenshot.
54. Speak to their identity, not a feature. "For indie makers" sticks better than "with 12 integrations."
55. Cover all three jobs: functional (get it done), emotional (feel calm) and social (look good). (Jobs to Be Done)
56. Test 3 angles with small traffic and keep the winner.
57. Match the headline to the reader's awareness. Lead with the pain for problem-aware readers, with the difference for solution-aware readers, and with the price and offer for product-aware readers.
58. Niche positioning compounds. Broad positioning costs ad money.
59. When in doubt, pick the audience you'd enjoy serving for 10 years.
60. Never position on price alone. Someone will always be cheaper.
61. Avoid "all-in-one" unless you're already the leader.
62. Don't position on a feature the leader can ship in a sprint.
63. Against a much bigger brand, attack a behavior rather than naming them. It's safer and it ages better.
64. If prospects keep comparing you to the wrong thing, change the category.
65. Keep the positioning when a competitor copies it. Being consistent beats being novel.

Words and copy (66–85)#

66. The headline says what it is, who it's for and why it's better, in under 10 words.
67. The subhead says how it works, in one line.
68. Avoid puns. They fail when people skim.
69. Copy their exact words from reviews and interviews.
70. Benefits first, with features as proof.
71. One call to action per page.
72. Show the product on the first screen.
73. Numbers > adjectives. "Set up in 4 minutes" beats "fast setup."
74. Before/after in pictures, demos or numbers.
75. Put proof next to every claim: a testimonial, a number or a screenshot.
76. Every objection becomes an FAQ entry.
77. Write simply. Short words, short sentences, one idea per line.
78. Cut every word that doesn't change a decision.
79. Name the customer in the copy so they recognize themselves.
80. Give the reason why. A "because…" makes a claim more believable.
81. Put risk reversal next to the button: a guarantee, "cancel anytime," "export anytime."
82. The 5-second test. Can a stranger say what it is after 5 seconds on the page?
83. Read it aloud. If you wouldn't say it to a customer, rewrite it.
84. Use the same message everywhere: homepage, bio, directory listings, email signature.
85. Write for AI readers too. State plainly what it is, who it's for, the price and how it compares. AI answers quote clear pages.

Name and brand (86–100)#

86. Choose a name people can spell after hearing it once.
87. Make the name unique enough to search and trademark.
88. A short domain beats a keyword domain.
89. Descriptive names are easy to understand but hard to protect. Invented names are the reverse. A suggestive name is the solo founder's middle ground.
90. Check the name in every language your market speaks.
91. One brand per mission. A brand stretched over everything means nothing.
92. Pick 3 adjectives for your voice and write to them.
93. Consistency beats beauty. Keep the same colors and voice for years.
94. Show the founder's face. People trust people more than logos.
95. Publish a point of view. Say what you believe about the industry.
96. The tagline can change and the name can't, so put your effort into the name.
97. Own one visual shortcut: a color, shape or mascot.
98. A brand is a promise you keep again and again. Support is part of the brand.
99. Review your positioning yearly, and whenever a big competitor moves.
100. You're done when customers describe you the way you describe yourself.