Simple Steps To Creating Compelling Copy
Features and Benefits: A FAB way to convey your marketing message.
Small business owner, writing content that connects with your ideal audience is really a series of simple steps.
The way to creating the best copy for your website or in any of your marketing is by systematically going through a process known as extracting benefits from features.
It’s a straightforward approach, but it does take time and patience to dig through the ‘what’ of your business and turn it into ‘why your customer should choose you.’
This is what separates ‘great’ from just ‘good enough.’
It’s easy to reel out the same things that everyone else in your industry is saying, but if you want to stand out you need to really show that you offer something extra special to your customer.
If you are new to the concept of extracting benefits from features, let me give you a short run down:
Features are the facts, characteristics and details of your product – what it is. For example: 100% cotton t-shirt would be a feature.
Advantages are how the product or service helps with a problem - what it does. E.g. ‘100% cotton t-shirt is a natural, breathable fabric that keeps you cool.’
Benefits are why someone should value that advantage - what’s in it for your customer: E.g. ‘You stay comfortable when wearing it in warm weather so that you can enjoy your day.’
Putting it all together: ‘100% cotton t-shirt. Breathable, natural fabric to keep you cool so you can enjoy your day and have fun in the sunshine.’
Can you see how this solved a problem? Needing something comfortable to wear on a warm day.
This is the aim of your marketing- to show how your product or service benefits your ideal customer. When you find a meaningful benefit, that resonates with visitors to your website, they will be compelled to act.
Now you understand why it’s so important to uncover who your customer is, because without that knowledge, you don’t know what constitutes a meaningful benefit.
Don’t stop there!
Now may think that goes far enough, but if you truly understand your customer, you know that they want more than just the basic experience. Each of us want to feel like we are living our best life, so it’s not enough just to cover the bare essentials - no matter what your Mum says.
We could dig deeper with the t-shirt example, because some customers will want more than just comfort on a warm day: e.g. style, design, favourite colour, sustainability, ease of washing etc. These motivators go deeper than the basic need to be covered up on a sunny day.
Someone who values fashionable design might desire to be appreciated for looking good, boosting feels of self-esteem. Or fear being rejected by their peers for not looking ‘cool.’
Someone who buys organic Fairtrade cotton might want to feel they have made a conscientious choice, engendering feelings of doing the right thing.
Your challenge is to take you product or service, list the features and advantages and extrapolate the meaningful benefits so that you appeal to your ideal customer.
And then go even further in order to uncover the big benefit: the thing that offers them a better version of themselves.
Once you go through the process then you will have the right information to create content for your website.
Look out for my copywriting cheatsheet which has easy tips you can quickly apply to your content. Stay Tuned.
In the meantime if you need help with your marketing copy get in touch: rachel@rachelhunterwriting.co.uk. Get in fast as I have fewer working hours now due to lock-down and homeschooling commitments. I have space from May for one or two new clients, depending on Co-parent’s self-isolation status.
Rachel