Many companies think they have a copy problem, but it's usually a messaging problem underneath.

Most companies blame bad copywriting when their real problem is muddled messaging. Without clarity on what you do and why it matters, no amount of polished words will fix it.
A lot of companies think they have a copy problem, but the reality is they have a messaging problem. When we're looking at a homepage, we're looking at the copy. And often for many people who are assessing what you see on the homepage, like they can't see past the copy. Right there is messaging. Messaging, essentially. If I'm going to break this down, because a lot of people ask me, okay, what's the difference between messaging and copy? Isn't it the same thing? So the way that I break this down is messaging is what you say about your product or services. And then simply put, copy is like how you say that. So messaging, we need to really get down to the nitty gritty. It's all about articulating, you know, the value, the uniqueness of your product and a clear, relevant, differentiated way. What are the messages? What are the interesting things that we need to bring to the forefront? How can we articulate what you do and why that matters and who for in a clear way? Right. Those are the kind of. Those are those key messaging blocks. And there are so many different ways that we can shape your messaging. And then that's what most people see when we're looking and we're going in and we're analyzing headlines, we're analyzing, you know, benefit messages and product and kind of the structure. A lot of companies think they have a copy problem, but the reality is they have a messaging problem. And so many companies are coming in, looking at the homepage, and like, we want to tweak this and optimize and change wording and realize that actually you need to take a step back and figure out, like, what is it that we're saying and why? And part of that prioritization, refining that, that's how I kind of approach messaging. I don't think that's controversial. I just think that sometimes it's worth kind of clarifying.
More from Dave

Asynchronous work isn’t a trend. It’s how teams actually get things done without burning out.

AI is changing product marketing. Here's how top B2B teams are scaling without cutting corners.

How Product Marketing Is Evolving in 2025: Lessons on AI and Leadership with Jennifer Cannizzaro

Why referral programs look different outside of SaaS (and why that’s a good thing)

The secret to scaling dual GTM? Give every marketer ownership and get out of their way.

From content to CMO: how Jess Cook made the leap (and built her first budget from scratch)

Leading B2B Marketing for the First Time: Strategy, Budget, Content & Team with Jess Cook

Most B2B advice is built for SaaS. But what if you don’t have demos, PLG, or lead goals?


