Here’s something I learned pretty early on in my marketing career…
Nobody really cares about you or your products.
Clients don’t care that you’re proficient in HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP, or that you studied for 5 years to get a qualification in X.
Nobody is bothered that you use a particular camera model to shoot wedding photographs, or that you have 10 years’ experience in designing widgets.
They just want to know what you can do for them.
Stop banging on about yourself
Constantly talking about yourself or the features of your products/services is one of THE biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to writing copy.
(‘About’ pages containing a 1,000-word essay documenting your life story… I’m looking at you.)
Instead, you need to concentrate on demonstrating how you can help the reader solve a real problem they are experiencing.
Let’s look at an example.
Do you buy a washing machine because you like washing machines?
Hell, no. You buy it because you want clean clothes – and you want to achieve that end goal with the minimum of fuss.
Likewise, most people don’t want a new website because they love WordPress. Well, some people might – but usually it’s because their existing site isn’t doing what they want it to. Perhaps it isn’t bringing in enough (or any) sales, or the company has evolved, and the site no longer reflects what they offer.
Do these people care that you have 10 years’ experience in WordPress, Magento and Python? Those things are still relevant, but they’re only interesting if you also show what it means to the client.
Know your audience
Of course, a buyer’s motivation for purchase will vary a lot depending on what the product actually is.
That’s why it’s so important to understand your audience and get to the crux of what they actually want or desire.
For example, you probably have no emotional attachment to a cleaning product. You just need it to do its job and nothing more.
But what about someone buying a car?
On the one hand, buyer A might be looking for basic utilitarian transport. In this case, the copy might be focused around showing them that the vehicle will be reliable and safely get them to their destination.
But many people also buy cars based on their lifestyle, aspirations and emotions. For example, someone considering a Merc or a BMW is probably more concerned with prestige, style, driving experience, etc. They still want it to get them where they are going, but that probably isn’t what will persuade them to sign on the dotted line.
In this case, the copy might be focused more on the lifestyle the buyer can achieve if they buy the car. If their current vehicle doesn’t present the right image, the new one will definitely impress the neighbours!
Your job is simple
Stop writing about features and focus on the benefits for the client/customer.
Show people quickly and clearly:
- What you can do for them
- Why you are different
TIP: Use the ‘So What?’ question after every sentence to check the statement is relevant to the reader.
For example:
“We specialise in designing website.”
So what?
“We boost your revenue with conversion-optimised websites that drive sales.”
Demonstrate what you can do for the customer and your copy will be MUCH more effective.
They probably still won’t care about you, but they WILL be much more likely to part with their cash.