Test your high-level message strategy initially by applying it in a short, 100-word description. If your message strategy can be executed in a way that seems logical, compelling and makes sense, then keep testing it as explained below.

Here’s how to write your 100-word description. Combine your positioning statement with its support points and see if it delivers the right message to the market. You don’t need to use the message strategy verbatim, and you may need to add additional detail to enhance the description. By applying your message strategy, you’ll know whether your support points are complete and set the stage for talking in more detail about your product.

This is a test of a message strategy for a startup company that has developed software for banks and credit unions:

Positioning statement: Stratezy cost-effectively gives your financial institution more time to make data-driven decisions.

Support points:

• Stratezy lets you spend less time on research and reporting and more time deciding what to do.
• Stratezy costs significantly less than most competing products while delivering far more data and functionality.
• Stratezy brings together all the information you need to understand your options before you make a decision.
• Stratezy makes your strategic planning more productive and effective by quickly providing all the information you need to understand risks, opportunities and threats.

Here’s the 100-word test:

Stratezy cost-effectively gives your financial institution more time to make data-driven strategic and operational decisions. The cloud- based software-as-a-service lets you spend less time on research and reporting and more time deciding what to do such as add a new branch, offer a new product or respond to competitive pressure. It costs significantly less than most competing products while delivering far more data and functionality. Stratezy brings together all the information you need to understand your options before you make a decision.

Designed by industry veterans, Stratezy makes your strategic planning more productive and effective by quickly providing all the information you need to understand risks, opportunities and threats.

Other usability tests

If your message strategy works for a 100-word description, keep testing it for usability. Create a short press release, the first page of a brochure, and website copy for your home page. Be prepared to present your usability testing during the iterative process of getting stakeholders to buy into the final message strategy.

If there is a need or even a perceived need to market to secondary buyers, make sure your positioning statement or support points, or both, can meet this need.