By focusing on the benefits, you won’t get carried away by the advertising. Many agencies and marketing firms want you to believe that creative, edgy, even risky advertising works, that advertising is about getting people interested in the ad first. This isn’t true. People don’t buy ads, they buy products and services. Your ad may get noticed - but so what? How many times have you said “great ad!”, only to quickly forget about the product or service? Your benefits will interest people, not your ads.
Your product or service may have many benefits but don't overwhelm your audience. Stick to your top one or two benefits, no more than three. Clearly communicate them in meaningful ways - igniting interest from your target audience(s)
What are features? They are descriptions of what qualities a product possesses.
1. The XYZ car delivers 55 miles per gallon in the city.
2. Our ladder’s frame is made from a lightweight durable steel alloy.
3. Our glue is protected by a patent.
And what are benefits? They are what those features mean to your prospects.
1. You’ll save money on gas and cut down on environmental pollutants when you use our energy saving high-performance hybrid car. Plus, you’ll feel the extra oomph when you’re passing cars, courtesy of the efficient electric motor, which they don’t have!
2. Patent-protected glue ensures you can use it on wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, glass, and tile…without messy cleanup and without ever having to re-glue it again—guaranteed!
3. Lightweight durable steel-alloy frame means you’ll be able to take it with you with ease, and use it in places most other ladders can’t go, while still supporting up to 800 pounds. No more backaches lugging around that heavy ladder. And it’ll last for 150 years, so you’ll never need to buy another ladder again!
If you were selling an expensive watch, you wouldn’t tell your reader that the face is 2 inches in diameter and the band is made of leather. You show him how the extra-large face will tell him the time at a glance.
No sir! He won’t have to squint and look foolish to everyone around him trying to read this magnificent timepiece. And how about the way he’ll project success and charisma when he wears the beautiful gold watch with its handcrafted custom leather band? How his lover will find him irresistible when he’s all dressed up to go out, wearing the watch. Or how the watch’s status and beauty will attract the ladies.
The point is to address the benefits of the product, not its features. And when you do that, you’re focusing on your reader and his interests, his desires. The trick is to highlight those specific benefits (and word them correctly) that push your reader’s emotional hot buttons.
Lastly, your ads need to have a clear call to action. Far too many advertising dollars are wasted without any call to action. Just flip through a magazine or channel surf on TV. You’ll find that even some of the top brands miss the mark on effective advertising. When developing your call to action, think about what you want people to do next? Do you want your audience to call you, fill in a Web survey, purchase tickets, clip coupons, or enter a contest?
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