How To Write More Effective Ads – Emphasize Benefits, Not Features
The fact is that flat advertising copy just doesn’t sell.
So to make your advertising copy more compelling, and ultimately more effective, tweaking your copy to talk about the benefits of your product or service instead of the features is a great place to start. Today we’ll explain the difference between ‘features’ and ‘benefits’ and show you how to turn a lifeless list of features into advertising copy that really sells:
What are ‘features’? Features are simply the qualities a product, service or even a company possesses.
For example, one of the features of a new cross country bike might be the fact that its made from steel alloy.
What are ‘benefits’? The benefit of a product or service is the real value a particular feature gives your prospect. Using the example above, the benefit of the steel alloy frame is that it is lightweight and durable.
What’s wrong with simply using the features of your product or service in your copy? It just results in less than engaging advertising. The sentence below is how a sentence in your ad copy might sound if you only used features to describe it to your audience:
“Our bike’s frame is made from steel alloy.”
Pretty flat. Not because steel alloy isn’t an amazing material, but because the advantage of steel alloy isn’t immediately obvious just from stating it this way.
A better way to sell this feature to your prospect, in a way they can emotionally identify with and immediately see the benefit in, might be something like this:
“Say goodbye to backaches and lugging around heavy, awkward bikes of the past. Our bike’s steel alloy frame makes it so lightweight, you can lift the entire bike with just one hand making it easy to load and unload from the car. And because steel alloy is so durable, it may be the last bike you ever have to buy!”
Its all about identifying what matters most to your prospect and what they desire most. The more your customer can see them self enjoying the benefit your product delivers, the more sales you will get. So make sure you emphasize the benefits, not the features in your advertising copy and you’ll be on your way to more effective ads immediately.
Until next time, to your marketing success!
Kathy
PS: Have a specific question about online marketing or creating an online passive income stream? Click the “Ask Kathy” tab above and send me your question. I’ll answer it personally by email or in my next blog post here!
