“Positioning is why you matter. Messaging is how you prove it.”

Let me break that down.

Positioning is the context that helps people understand what your company is, why it matters, and who it’s for.
It’s what shapes their assumptions the moment they land on your site, see your logo, or hear your pitch.

It answers questions like:

• Where do you sit in the market?

• What are you better at than anyone else?

• Who should care—and why now?

Messaging, on the other hand, is how you bring that strategy to life. It’s the tactical execution—the headlines, emails, web copy, sales decks—that make your positioning real in your audience’s mind.

And if you want a no-fluff way to structure messaging that actually converts, Emma Stratton’s VBF Framework is one of the cleanest I’ve seen.

It breaks messaging into three interdependent layers:

1. 🧭 Value Proposition

This is the core promise. The one-liner that answers:

“Why should someone choose you over everything else?”It’s not about features. It’s not your mission statement.
It’s a clear, bold statement of value that stops the scroll and starts the conversation.2. 💡 Benefits

This is what your customers actually get from working with you.
Think outcomes. Tangible improvements. Business results.
You’re painting a picture of what their world looks like after they say yes.

3. ⚙️ Features

This is the proof. The mechanism. The how.
Features are only compelling when they clearly lead to benefits.
They’re not the star of the show—they’re the supporting cast that makes the promise believable.

And here’s the trap most companies fall into:
They start with features. They talk about the “what” before their customer even cares about the “why.”
That’s how you end up with a brilliant product that no one gets.

Start with why you matter. Then walk people down the ladder—from value, to benefits, to features.

Want a shortcut to get there?

👉 Download the Dream 100 Template—it’s the tool I use with clients to identify the platforms, podcasts, influencers, and communities that already have your buyers’ trust.

Because once you know where they are—and you show up with the right message—you’re not just another option.
You become the obvious choice.

“Positioning gives people context. Without it, even the best product is just noise.”

Customers use what they already know to make sense of what they don’t.
So when you introduce something new—a product, a service, a platform—they immediately reach for reference points.What does this remind me of?
Who is this competing with?
What should this cost?
Is this for someone like me?And most companies let those assumptions happen by accident.

Here’s the problem:
Most companies think positioning is something they inherit.
“We’re a data analytics platform, so I guess we’re in the BI category.”
“We do FPGA design, so we must compete with the usual suspects.”

But positioning is not something that happens to you. It’s something you craft—deliberately.

One of the clearest thinkers on this is April Dunford, and she breaks positioning down into five deeply interrelated components:

1. Competitive Alternatives – Not just competitors, but what customers would do if you didn’t exist.

2. Unique Attributes – What you have that those alternatives don’t.

3. Value – What those features enable for your customer.

4. Customer Segmentation – Who deeply cares about that value.

5. Market Category – The frame of reference that makes all of this make sense.

And here’s what most people miss:Your value is only unique if your features are unique.But your features are only unique in contrast to the alternatives.So if you don’t define the alternatives, you can’t define your value.

The sequence matters.

Start with:If we didn’t exist, what would our ideal buyer do?
Would they hire internally?
Would they piece together a DIY stack?
Would they just live with the pain?

Then:
→ What features do we offer that those paths don’t?
→ What outcomes do those features enable?
→ Who specifically cares about those outcomes the most?
→ And what context—what category—makes that value instantly obvious?

That’s positioning. And it’s not optional.

If you want to start dialing in your positioning,
you need to understand where your buyers are already paying attention.

That’s why I created the Dream 100 Template.
It’s the same tool I use with clients to:

• Map out the influencers, communities, podcasts, and newsletters that already hold your buyer’s attention

• Spot the positioning language your market is already using

• Identify where your brand should plug in and differentiate

👉 Download the Dream 100 Template and start positioning yourself intentionally—
not based on assumptions, but based on real conversations already happening in your market.

Because if you want to win the game of perception,
you have to stop waiting for people to “get it”—
and start shaping how they see you from the start.

If you’re tired of competing, you’ve got two choices: create a blue ocean—or invent a new category.

Both are escape routes from saturated markets.
But knowing which one to pursue?
That’s the difference between standing out and staying stuck.

I work with founders and technical leaders who are building incredible things—but struggling to get traction.
Why?
Because they’re trapped in “red oceans”—markets crowded with noise, copycat positioning, and a race to the bottom.

There are two proven ways out:

1. Blue Ocean Strategy

This is where you innovate inside known boundaries.
You strip away what others take for granted and offer something truly different—not just better.
You don’t fight competitors.
You make them irrelevant by solving a problem in a way no one else is thinking about.

2. Category Creation

This is the bolder play.
You don’t just offer something new—you change how people think.
You reframe the problem. You redefine the solution.
You build a new mental shelf in the minds of your buyers.

Category creation is longer. It’s harder.
But when you nail it? You don’t win market share.
You own the whole market.

Whichever path you take—blue ocean or category creation—your first step is the same:
Figure out where your ideal buyers are already paying attention.

That’s where the Dream 100 Template comes in.

It’s the same tool I use with my clients to:

• Map out the influencers, communities, newsletters, and platforms their audience already trusts

• Find out who’s shaping the conversation—and how to plug into it

• Build a real-world visibility strategy that doesn’t rely on guesswork or ad spend alone

👉 Download the Dream 100 Template and stop trying to yell louder.
Start showing up exactly where your buyers already are.

Because escaping competition doesn’t start with building something new.
It starts with showing up differently.

There are two sides to the marketing game—Branding and Direct Response.
Most people only play one. The greats know how to play both.

When I first got into marketing, I came in through the branding door.

I loved the craft—voice, identity, storytelling. The stuff that builds long-term reputation.
But everything changed when I discovered Dan Kennedy—the godfather of direct response.

Suddenly I was seeing marketing through a completely different lens.
This wasn’t about being admired. It was about moving people to act.
It brought me right back to those late-night infomercials in the ‘90s—CD clubs, Chia Pets, Tony Robbins, and of course...“But wait—there’s more!”

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was hooked on offers.
On how words could create desire.On how structure could generate urgency.On how copy could drive revenue.

And the best part? Even David Ogilvy, the high priest of branding, admitted:

“Direct response is my first love—and later, it became my secret weapon.”

That stuck with me.

Today, I don’t believe in choosing one side.
I believe in building brand that drives demand.
Messaging that creates trust and action.
Systems that compound visibility and conversion.

And if you want to start doing that—
If you want to know where to show up, what to say, and who’s already holding the attention of your ideal buyers—
You need The Dream 100 Template.

This is the exact template I use with clients to:

• Map out the 100 influencers, podcasts, communities, and platforms their buyers already trust

• Identify content and partnership opportunities hiding in plain sight

• Align their message with where demand already exists

Because when you combine strong offers with smart visibility, you don’t have to scream to be heard.
You just show up in the right rooms—and let your message do the work.

👉 Download the Dream 100 Template and start guiding traffic, building trust, and closing the gap between your brand and your buyer.

“Writing is thinking. AI is the accelerator.”

That’s the core truth.

If you're not writing, you're not thinking clearly.
And if you're using AI to replace your thinking instead of sharpening it—you're doing it wrong.

We’ve entered an era where every founder, marketer, and engineer is being handed a jet engine. But most are still flying it like a tricycle.

So how do you actually use AI to enhance—not dilute—your content, your clarity, your message?

Ann Handley breaks it down brilliantly into three AI archetypes:

1. The Utility Player (Task Machine)

This is AI at its most practical. Minimal human involvement.
Think: summarizing research, fixing grammar, writing meta descriptions, translating, transcribing.

You’re not asking it to be creative—you’re asking it to be efficient.
Perfect for the cleanup crew.2. The Wingperson (Creative Collaborator)

This is where it gets fun. This is the co-pilot model.
You’re jamming together—brainstorming, remixing, outlining, reimagining content in new formats, personalizing, breaking through clutter.

This is how I use AI the most—it helps extend my ideas, not replace them.
I’m still driving. It’s just helping me hit the gas.

3. The Fairy Godmother (Idea Starter)

This one’s the muse. The spark. You’re stuck. You don’t know where to start.
So you prompt it: “Give me 10 headlines.” “Translate this into investor language.” “Write this like Steve Jobs meets Stranger Things.”This is AI as creative caffeine. It gets the wheels turning.
But then it’s your job to write the truth.And here’s where I don’t use AI:

When I’m trying to figure out how I feel about something.
When I’m working through the hard part.
When clarity matters more than speed.
Because some things have to be human-first.

So yes—AI is the accelerator. But it only works if you know where you're going.
If you’re not thinking clearly, AI just gets you to the wrong place faster.

Use it wisely. Use it deliberately.
And remember—the thinking is still the work.
The keyboard is just faster now.

👉 Grab the Dream 100 Template and start showing up where your buyers already are—before your competitors do.

You can’t create traffic. You can only guide it.

That one shift in thinking will change how you market forever.

There’s this myth that if you just create enough content, buy enough ads, or post enough on LinkedIn, traffic will magically appear.
But traffic doesn’t come from you—it comes from them.

It’s already out there.
Billions of people scrolling, watching, searching, DMing, commenting, lurking.
The energy’s moving.

Your job isn’t to manufacture attention. Your job is to find the current and insert yourself into it with precision.

Because the brands that win aren’t louder. They’re smarter.
They know exactly where their buyers already hang out—and they guide them toward action with clarity, not noise.That’s how real demand gets built.
Not by yelling into the void.
But by showing up in the spaces where trust already lives.

That’s why I put together the Dream 100 Template.

It helps you map out exactly where your ideal clients are already paying attention—

• What podcasts they listen to

• Who they follow

• What newsletters they read

• Which communities they trust

• And who already has their ear

So instead of guessing…
You’re aligning.
Instead of trying to create traffic out of thin air…
You’re guiding it directly to you.

👉 Grab the Dream 100 Template and start showing up where your buyers already are—before your competitors do.

AI isn’t going to save your marketing.
Just like no-code didn’t replace developers, AI isn’t replacing great marketers—it’s just exposing the ones who never learned the fundamentals.

Everyone’s treating ChatGPT like a magic wand.
They’re generating copy, cranking out posts, launching funnels—and wondering why nothing’s converting.

Here’s the truth:
There are principles behind good marketing.
Timeless ones. Things like offer structure, persuasive flow, emotional triggers, audience psychology. These aren’t optional. They’re the engine.
And AI can only work with those principles—never in place of them.

If you want to learn what actually makes people click, buy, and share?
Start with the real stuff:

• The Ultimate Copywriter’s Handbook by Joseph Sugarman

• Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson

Read those and you’ll start to hear it. The rhythm. The reasoning.
The why behind what works.

But even then—knowing how to write and promote is only half the game.
The other half?
Knowing what your audience is already paying attention to.

That’s why I created the Dream 100 Template.
It’s the fastest way to find the influencers, communities, newsletters, podcasts, and platforms where your ideal buyers already hang out.

You’re not just guessing anymore.
You’re plugging into a system.
A real map of where attention already lives.

👉 Download the Dream 100 Template and start building offers and content that meet your buyers where they already are.

Because once you understand what they care about—you don’t need to chase them.
You’ll already be in the conversation.

Imagine this: five billion people are at one massive networking event.

That’s what social media is.
Different rooms, different platforms, different conversations—Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, Discord—it’s all happening at once.

Each person is either in the crowd, at a table, or on their own little stage.
And when you click on someone’s profile? That’s you stepping into their event.
You’re entering their space. Their worldview. Their audience.

Now—if you walked into someone’s event in real life and immediately started pitching your service? You’d look like a jackass.

But that’s exactly how most people treat social media.
They slide into DMs with cold pitches. They comment with links. They treat every room like it owes them attention.

That’s not how you win.

Here’s how you actually build trust in this ecosystem:

1. Step into their room with respect.
   Like any good guest, you show interest in what they’re saying. You ask questions. You engage with the host, not just the audience.

2. Add something to the room.
   You drop a comment that makes people think. You contribute insight. You show them you’re there for more than just clicks.

3. Let them come to your room.
   Because when you show up with generosity and clarity, people get curious. They click on your profile. They see your content. They start to realize:
   “Oh… this person actually has something to say.”

And now?
They’re reading your posts.
They’re watching your videos.
They’re clicking your links—on their own terms.

That’s how buyers are made in 2025.
Not through pressure. Through proximity.

So stop treating social like a sales floor.
Start treating it like a community.
Because the people who win this game?
They’re not yelling the loudest.
They’re the ones everyone else is quietly watching.

Get the spreadsheet to create your "Dream 100" here.

Click here to follow me on LinkedIn.

Once you start putting the puzzle pieces of a community together, something shifts.

You stop just seeing followers, and you start seeing ecosystems.

You start to notice:

• Who the real thought leaders are (not just the loudest).

• Who’s curating the conversations.

• Who’s hosting the rooms—literal or digital—where your dream clients are hanging out.

And the magic question becomes:
How do I get my message in front of them?

Because once you're in that circle, you're not just marketing anymore.
You're speaking into conversations that are already happening—ones your ideal client is already paying attention to.

This does two things for you:

1. It shows you who to actually engage with.

Not just to “build your network,” but to build relevance. You’ll know who’s worth commenting on, DMing, podcast-pitching, partnering with.

2. It gives you a direct line into your ideal buyer’s psyche.You’ll start hearing—in their own words—what they’re struggling with, what they’re worried about, what they’re trying to figure out at 11pm when they should be sleeping.

And now you’re not just guessing what to say.
You’re answering questions they’re already asking.
You’re speaking directly into their moment.

But here’s where people mess this up:

They view the community only through the lens of what they want to sell.

When you do that, you miss the nuance. You miss the human stuff.
You become another vendor, shouting into the void.

The brands that win?
They study the ecosystem like anthropologists.
They show up to understand before they try to be understood.
And when they finally speak, it lands.

Because it wasn’t crafted in a vacuum.
It was built in the wild—where the buyers actually live.

Get the spreadsheet to create your "Dream 100" here.

Follow me on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinjsalgado/

Want to get your prospects to take action?

Create better offers.

I'm not just talking about free consultations but offers that are so irresistible that they would have to be idiots not to take action right then and there.

In order to do that you have to know what is going on in their heads.

In today's episode, I go in to how creating your "Dream 100" can help you do that.

Get a free marketing strategy at https://influentialagency.co/free-b2b-marketing-plan/

And follow me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinjsalgado/