How to create an effective value proposition for your campaigns

Imagine you have launched an amazing new product that will significantly improve the lives of your customers.

Then you created a message to promote it and send it to your contact list, but when you check your metrics, you notice a worrying trend.

While you get a high open rate, your click-through rate is low. Why aren't your contacts getting excited about this new product?

It could be that the value proposition chosen was not the right one.

What is a value proposition?

It is a brief statement that concisely explains the benefits to be gained from using a particular product or service, and is the main reason why a prospect or customer should choose to buy from you rather than your competitor.

The value proposition must motivate the recipient to click and convert.

Why are value propositions important?

Because they are one of the first things people see in your email marketing message.

Today's customers receive more than 120 messages a day; if your campaign doesn't have a compelling and relevant value proposition, then you've blown your chance of getting the recipient to read the rest of your message and click the call-to-action button.

The value proposition explains:

• How your products solve problems and improve certain situations
• What specific benefits does it provide?
• Why buy from you and not from your competitors?

The value proposition is not:

• A slogan like Nike's "Just do it", Apple's "Think different" or L'Oréal's "Because we're worth it".
• A statement such as "first to market" or "leaders in email marketing".

Elements of a value proposition:

• Header: Summarize the benefits you will offer to your contacts.
• Descent or paragraphs: Explain in detail what your offer is about, to whom it is addressed and why.
• Bullet points: List of benefits or functionalities.
• Visual support: A video or an image to highlight your message.

Evaluate your current value proposition by checking if it answers the following questions:

• What product or service does your company sell?
• What is the ultimate benefit of its use?
• What is the target audience for this product or service?
• What makes your offer unique and different?

3 key elements that a value proposition must have

Regardless of whether you are sending out a campaign about a new product, a new feature or even a new article on your blog, there are 3 key elements that cannot be missing from your value proposition:

1. Benefits

   People don't buy your product or service simply because they love to spend their money, but because they want to solve a problem or receive the benefit your product offers.

Therefore, a value proposition should focus on the benefit that a user will derive from the use of that product or service.

2. Clarity

One of the most common mistakes in developing a value proposition is believing that the use of buzzwords will make the product appear to be innovative or revolutionary.

On the contrary, a value proposition should use a common vocabulary that your customers understand.

Speak in your customer's language. It is very important to use the same type of language as your customers to describe the product they are looking for.

If MasterBase® were to use the following value proposition for your prospects: "a tool aimed at increasing your revenue by automating your marketing and sales communications", chances are you would not sell much.

We also recommend avoiding "world-leading" or "revolutionary product" jargon. If you remove expressions like these from your value proposition, you will allow people to really focus on how your product can help them.

3. Differentiation

   We must assume that there will be competitors offering similar products and competing for a similar customer base.

Therefore, for potential customers to choose you, your value proposition must differentiate your product or service from the competition, highlighting why you are the right choice for them.

Consider what differentiates you from the other options available and be sure to highlight it in your value proposition.

Some good examples of value propositions:

It is difficult to create a good value proposition and therefore perfect examples do not abound. Even in most of them there may be flaws or room for improvement; but, in our opinion, they are good examples:

Shopify: Shopify is everything you need to sell anywhere.

KISSmetrics: KISSmetrics gives you the insights you need to optimize your marketing.

Geekdom: Geekdom is a new kind of collaborative coworking space where Entrepreneurs, Technologists, Developers, Makers & Creatives help each other build businesses & other cool things together.

Evernote: Your life's work. For everything you'll do, Evernote is the workspace to get it done. For everything you'll do, Evernote is the workspace to get it done).

All of the above examples are very clear, focused on benefits, and many accompany these words with images that reinforce the concepts simply and clearly.