How to Communicate Complex SaaS Value Propositions in 150 Characters or Less

LinkedIn gives you 150 characters for your headline. That's about 20-25 words to explain why someone should care about your product.

For complex SaaS products, this feels impossible. How do you explain your multi-feature platform in a tweet?

Here's the framework that works.

Start With the Outcome, Not the Features

Nobody cares that you have "AI-powered analytics with real-time dashboards." They care that they can "make faster decisions with instant data insights."

Bad: "Advanced project management platform with Gantt charts, time tracking, and resource allocation"

Good: "Ship projects 30% faster without the chaos"

The second one tells you exactly what you get. The first one lists tools that might help.

Use the "So What?" Test

Write your headline, then ask "so what?" If your answer reveals the real benefit, that's your headline.

"We automate customer onboarding" → So what? → "Get customers to value 5x faster"

"We provide sales intelligence" → So what? → "Know exactly which prospects to call first"

Keep asking until you hit the outcome that matters.

Replace Jargon With Plain Language

Your product might use machine learning, but your headline shouldn't say that. Say what the machine learning actually does for them.

Technical jargon: "ML-powered predictive lead scoring"

Plain language: "See which leads will buy before you call them"

If your mom wouldn't understand it, rewrite it.

Steal This Formula

Here's a plug-and-play structure that works:

[Action Verb] + [Specific Outcome] + [Without Common Pain Point]

Examples:

• "Close deals 40% faster without adding sales reps"

• "Cut support tickets in half without hiring"

• "Launch features weekly without the bugs"

This formula tells them what they get, how much better it'll be, and what painful thing they avoid.

Use Numbers Whenever Possible

Specificity beats vagueness every time. "Faster" is vague. "3x faster" is concrete.

Vague: "Improve your team's productivity"

Specific: "Save your team 10 hours per week"

If you have customer data, use it. "Join 500+ SaaS companies" is better than "Join top SaaS companies."

Test Different Angles

Your product probably solves multiple problems. Test headlines that focus on different outcomes.

For a customer support tool:

• Speed angle: "Reply to customers in under 2 minutes"

• Quality angle: "Turn support into your best sales channel"

• Efficiency angle: "Handle 10x more tickets with the same team"

Different audiences care about different outcomes. Test to find which resonates.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't try to mention every feature. Pick one strong benefit.

Don't use industry buzzwords. "Digital transformation" and "synergy" say nothing.

Don't lead with "we." "We help companies..." wastes precious characters. Jump straight to the benefit.

Don't be clever at the expense of clarity. Puns and wordplay rarely work in B2B ads.

Examples That Work

Let's break down why these headlines work:

"Stop losing deals to slow proposals" (41 characters)

• Clear problem (losing deals)

• Specific cause (slow proposals)

• Implies the solution without stating it

"See exactly where your pipeline is leaking" (46 characters)

• Visual metaphor (leaking)

• Specific outcome (see exactly where)

• Addresses a real pain point

"Ship code 50% faster without breaking production" (51 characters)

• Specific metric (50%)

• Desired outcome (ship faster)

• Common fear addressed (breaking production)

The Bottom Line

You don't need to explain your entire product in the headline. You just need to make someone curious enough to click.

Focus on one strong outcome. Use specific numbers. Cut the jargon. Test different angles.

The rest of your landing page can handle the details.

Need help crafting the perfect headline? Stirling analyzes your SaaS product and generates dozens of headline variations optimized for LinkedIn's 150-character limit. Try it free at TryStirling.com