Are you selling features or benefits?
When writing content for your website, brochures or leaflets- getting the right message across can be more difficult than it sounds.
You are probably passionate about your products and services and know them inside and out. The temptation is to tell our customers all that information. But think of yourselves as a consumer. When you buy something you are rarely interested in a long winded description, you just want to know the benefits, what is it going to do for you! So when you are writing about your products and services, put yourselves in your customer’s shoes and think what is important to them – what are the benefits.
For example, my vacuum cleaner has just broken and I’m looking for a new one. There are so many different models that I can choose from, so how do I make my decision?
Vacuum Cleaner A- product description (features):
Type: Upright
Dust collection: Bagless
Power: 1300 Watts
Cord Length: 9 metres
Vacuum Cleaner B- product description (benefits):
Type: Upright- ideal for large carpeted areas.
Dust collection: Bagless- you can see when your vacuum needs
emptying, so that you can maintain optimum suction at all times.
Power: 1300 Watts- the high powered motor picks up more dirt and dust than other cyclone models.
Cord Length: 9 metres- gives you maximum reach around your home
Which would you choose?
Personally I would choose example B, by describing the benefits of this product I can relate to how the product can help me. Whereas the features listed in example A are simply a list of technical things that don’t mean anything to me.
When writing copy for any of your marketing collateral you need to take a step back and think about who your customers are, and have a good understanding of their needs.
The ‘So What?’ Test
A good way of recognising if you are describing benefits in your marketing collateral is to do the ‘so what?’ test.
Once you have written something about your product or service, you need to ask yourself, so what? This will then prompt you to back it up with a benefit. For example:
The new FL2001 widget was launched by Brown Ltd on August 10th in London
So what?
Claiming to increase production by 30% and cut costs by 10%
Brown Ltd’s new FL2001 widget caused a great stir at its launch on 10th August in London.
Summary
Next time you are writing content for your marketing collateral imagine you are buying your products or services for the first time:
- What problems are your customers trying to solve?
- How can the features of your products or services provide benefits that make a difference?
- Describe these benefits succinctly
Still having trouble getting your message right? Need the help of a professional copywriter? Contact First Impression today on 01457 857111 or email us .