B2B Message Layers framework

A four-step B2B messaging framework to move your prospects down the funnel, enter the consideration phase and convert. Here are the four questions you need to answer when developing a page.
Want articles like this straight to your inbox?
Subscribe here

Effective messaging is effective marketing. And if your messaging resonates, more people will convert. Conversions are the effect. But messaging is the cause.

And even though they're by far the most influential part of your website, how do you know whether it works? You likely measure every imaginable metric on your site, but do you know how your words work?

The way to improve messaging is to break it down into five components, measure, and work on each separately:

↑ Clarity (I get it)
↑ Relevance (it’s for me, helps with my specific challenges)
↑ Value (I want the promises)
↑ Differentiation (I get how this is different)
↓ Friction (resistance, doubts, anxieties)

When you conduct back-to-back message testing, you get to see how your copy scores on all of the above. You also see the improvements for each one of those elements in every iteration and notice the changes in your sign-up rate, lead quality, and volume.

Introducing: B2B Message Layers framework

The Wynter team has seen thousands of message tests. And we've been paying attention to the actual levers that make messaging more effective. This new framework is your go-to systematic way to get to messaging that works.

So, if you want to convert more customers through your messaging or get you into more consideration sets, here are the four layers it has to deliver on:

1. Clarity: What is it?

The very first thing you must do is lead with the category (e.g., marketing automation tool). And after you specify what your product is, you need to craft some copy around it. But the language has to be simple.

Don't fall into the jargon trap. Make sure everybody gets what you're talking about. Because if they don't get it, they'll lose all interest, and nothing else will matter.

Wynter's in-app user interface

2. Relevance: Is it for me?

Once your website visitors figure out what a company is about or what a tool does, they want to know whether they should even care.

Is your offer aligned with their priorities and challenges at hand? Are they the right audience for you? And most importantly, do they feel the connection?

To increase relevance, you need to vividly describe their pain points, talk about the desired gains you help them achieve, and show your product's use cases.

3. Value: Do I want it?

You've got clarity, so people understand what you do. Hopefully, you've got relevance, so they also get whether they fall into your category.

Now, it's time for action.

By providing value, you boost motivation and answer the big conversion-related question: "Is this for me?" Here, you have to tease the promised land and paint a picture of the future the customer could have by going with you.

You need to make them want what you've got to offer. Because if they're "meh" about it, the game is over.

4. Differentiation: Why you?

You'd think your job would start after you've cracked the motivation code. But no. You have now unlocked a new product category they're interested in. Because once they get it and want it, they're either wondering if there's anything better out there or if it's a mature category. So, how are you better than the category leaders?

The more mature and competitive a product category is, the more you need to focus on your differentiated value.

The steps are in order

Keep in mind,  all of these steps are listed in order.  They don't care about the value until they get what it is. The differentiation doesn't matter if they think the tool is not for them, and so on.

When you construct your messaging on your home page or elsewhere, focus on one layer at a time to keep your production process clear.

Every step has to be wrapped in proof and credibility. Support all your claims with data and proactively address any objections. Don’t be afraid to put your brand personality in your messaging - your brand might be the reason to choose you.

Conclusion: measuring messaging success

You've gone by the book – or the framework. How do you know if you're succeeding in each of these four layers?

You conduct message testing to measure success. Wynter has this built in, but you can measure a score for each layer using a Likert scale (from 1 to 5) – e.g., how clear do you find this or that?

Check how clear is your messaging with Wynter

Through message testing, you will learn how your messaging performs each step of the way. Through buyer intelligence (surveys and interviews), you will know what the correct information architecture should be.

Once you understand your shortcomings, you can improve your messaging, communicate effectively, and of course, profit.

Out now: Watch our free B2B messaging course and learn all the techniques (from basic to advanced) to create messaging that resonates with your target customers.

Duplicate this page

Template

This will be our first template report, featuring a clean layout and a sticky sidebar for easy navigation.
Get the full report

01.

Introduction

Today’s marketing leaders face a flood of software choices. Every tool promises to solve their problems, but picking the wrong one can cost their company time and money. Using Wynter, we asked 100 top CMOs from companies with 200+ employees how they make these choices. Their answers revealed something surprising: they’re not starting their search on Google anymore. Instead, they’re turning to dark social and asking trusted peers for advice. Meanwhile, AI tools are quietly reshaping how these leaders research their options, creating new decision paths that didn’t exist a year ago.

This report shows you exactly how these leaders pick their tools, where they look for information, and what makes them say “yes” to a purchase.

This year, we learnt the rules of B2B software buying have changed.
1. What’s the core problem or opportunity?
  • What’s not working in current processes?
  • What opportunities are we missing?
  • What’s the cost of doing nothing?
First, we pinpoint exactly what’s broken in our current processes—otherwise, we risk buying features we don’t actually need.
— Nipul, CMO (501–1000 employees; SaaS/Software,IT Services & IT Consulting).
We typically begin with a long list—about five to seven vendors. Then we narrow it down to three finalists once we see which solutions check the boxes on security, budget, and integrations.
— Andrew, Chief Marketing Officer, (5001–10,000 employees; SaaS/Software)
Bar chart showing where CMOs start their vendor search.
Vendor searching: the three-pronged approach
Private communities lead the way (72% of CMOs start here)Every software purchase starts with a problem.

When looking for new software, the majority (72%) of marketing leaders first turn to private groups like Slack channels and WhatsApp groups to seek out honest conversations with peers who’ve solved similar challenges.

This marks a shift in buying CMO buying behavior. Just one year ago in our first version of this report, most CMOs began their search on Google. Today, they’re heading straight to dark social where candid conversations happen beyond the reach of marketing teams.

Why are CMOs turning to “dark social” as the first touchpoint? The answer is simple: trust. Marketing leaders are craving unfiltered truth from peers, it’s word-of-mouth for the digital age. And while you may be thinking that the buzzword of ‘dark social’ has somewhat faded, the behavior has become more important than ever.
Pie chart illustrating how today’s buyers engage across multiple channels.
Follow companies on social media.
Pie chart illustrating how today’s buyers engage across multiple channels.
Read the supplier’s blog.
Pie chart illustrating how today’s buyers engage across multiple channels.
Follow founders on social media.
Pie chart illustrating how today’s buyers engage across multiple channels.
Meet representatives at events.
The message is clear:

While dark social might spark initial interest, review sites help build the confidence needed to move vendors onto the shortlist. It’s not enough to be recommended in private communities, you need the public validation to back it up.

Get the full report here

Know exactly what your buyers want and improve your messaging

Join 10,000+ other marketers and subscribe and get weekly insights on how to land more customers quicker with a better go-to-market machine.
You subscribed successfully.