Want to write better copy?
Here’s a simple trick you can use to instantly improve almost any sentence you write.
After each line, ask yourself the ‘So What?’ question.
While there’s a good chance you’ve heard of this concept before, stick with me because I genuinely believe it’s the simplest yet most effective way to boost the impact of your words.
Okay, so let’s imagine you’re writing copy for the latest MacBook Pro.
Along the way, you might say something like:
The MacBook Pro has 16gb of RAM.
This is a fact, but it doesn’t actually tell the reader anything about why it’s important or, critically, what it means for them.
The simple truth is that most people don’t care a jot about you, your business or your products. They just want to know what’s in it for them.
So, let’s try again and use the ‘So What?’ question to get straight to the important stuff.
The MacBook Pro has 16gb of RAM.
So what?
With 16gb of RAM, you’ll have enough memory for all your applications to run smoothly.
Better, but not quite there.
So what?
With 16gb of RAM, you’ll be able to run even the most demanding applications smoothly and quickly get through all your most important tasks.
Much more like it.
Now, we’re actually showing people the benefit of the feature and how it can improve their life on a practical level.
Remember: if you’re selling a washing machine, what you’re actually selling is cleaner clothes.
Likewise, if your product is a piece of B2B software, you’re probably selling an easier work life, increased productivity, or the ability to make more sales.
In this case, we’re talking about a technical feature of a computer. But that alone is not enough. We need to talk about what this means to the reader.
Put simply, the ‘So What?’ test is a fantastic shortcut to writing better copy that connects with your audience on a deeper level.
So what?
You can use it to boost conversions, drive sales and generally improve the effectiveness of your copy.