This article is based on Ryane Bohm’s insightful talk at the Chicago Product Marketing Summit. PMA members can enjoy the complete recording here. 

What makes some brands instantly recognizable while others struggle to stand out? It all comes down to positioning and messaging – the foundation of every great story your company tells.

I’m Ryane Bohm, and if there’s one thing I love about product marketing, it’s the art of storytelling. At Clari, Gong, and Salesforce, I’ve seen firsthand how strong, strategic messaging can make users believe in and connect with a product.

In this article, we’ll break down:

  • The difference between positioning and messaging – and why one always comes first.
  • The five key ingredients of strong positioning, from differentiation to consistency.
  • Real-world examples of what works.

If you want to build messaging that cuts through the noise and drives results, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in.

Positioning vs. messaging – what’s the difference?

Let’s start with a quick quiz: What’s the difference between positioning and messaging? I’ve heard plenty of sales teams use them interchangeably – maybe you have too – but they’re not the same thing.

Positioning is about where your product fits within an existing market category. What’s your defined market area? What’s the internal reference point that everything else builds from?

Messaging is how you externalize that positioning – it’s the art of defining what you’re going to say and who you’re going to say it to. In short, it’s about how you tell your story.

Positioning and messaging are two sides of the same coin, but positioning always comes first.

Positioning vs. messaging. Product positioning is about figuring out where your product sits within an existing market category. Product messaging is the art of defining what you will say to the personas you’re targeting and what form that message will take.

Why you’ve got to get your positioning right

Your go-to-market (GTM) metrics – from top-of-funnel awareness to post-sales engagement – are all directly shaped by your positioning. It’s the foundation that everything else is built on.

There’s an ongoing debate in PMM about whether we’re even in the right department. Perhaps, rather than sitting under marketing, we sit under product or sales. After all, when you look at our metrics, they don’t align with marketing alone; they tie into go-to-market strategy and product adoption and usage.

That’s the reality of product marketing – we’re the hub with all the spokes, touching every part of the business. That means we have to nail our positioning and messaging. No half-measures or room for guesswork.

Great messaging stems from great positioning. Jumping straight into a pitch deck, a blog post, or social media content without a solid foundation? That’s a mistake. You need consistency. You need a clear brand voice. You need to know exactly who you’re talking to and why.

It’s easy to get excited about the fun stuff – writing blog posts, crafting snappy social media copy, putting together a flashy deck – but positioning comes first.

The good news? There are plenty of simple ways to get it right. PMA has a ton of templates, and plenty of other people have created their own. No matter what approach you take, positioning needs to be your starting point.

Product positioning template | Free Download
A structured approach for developing a clear and compelling value proposition, ensuring your product stands out in the market.
Product Marketing AllianceJames Shaw

The five key ingredients for clear and compelling positioning

To help you nail this vital element of your strategy, I’ve put together a simple checklist – the five key ingredients for strong positioning and messaging:

  1. Know your target market: Seems obvious, right? But it’s worth repeating. Everything starts here.
  2. Be crystal clear: Clarity beats cleverness every time. You don’t want to rely on jargon or jump straight into being funny. I love humor, but clarity comes first.
  3. Tap into emotion: People buy with their hearts before they buy with their wallets. Speak to that.
  4. Differentiate or die: My CEO says this all the time, and he’s right. SaaS competition is exploding. Differentiation is tough, and using the same old jargon won’t help. Everyone’s AI-powered. Everyone’s doing more with less. Those phrases won’t set you apart.
  5. Stay consistent across all channels. Your brand voice should be unified, no matter where you’re speaking – no exceptions.

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these ingredients.

1. Know your target market

Understanding your audience isn’t just about gathering data – it’s about actively listening. Your best insights will come from talking to real people:

  • Happy customers want to see you succeed. Keep a list of friendly contacts who are willing to share feedback, help you refine messaging, and participate in win/loss analysis.
  • Unhappy customers can be just as valuable. They may need a little incentive, but they’ll tell you why they chose a competitor over you or stuck with the status quo.
  • Field reps are low-hanging fruit. They want to close deals, so they’re highly motivated to share what’s working (and what isn’t) in your messaging.

It’s also important to know your competition inside and out. This isn’t just about understanding them – it’s about knowing their strengths and weaknesses as well as your own. The better you understand their pitfalls, the easier it is to highlight your advantages.

Leveraging listening channels

To truly know your market, you need multiple sources of insight. Product marketing might not own every channel, but you have access to more than you think. Here are just a few key sources: