Copy-Cat-Copywriting

Did I hear a yawn when you read this title?

Every copywriting class begins with a discussion of
features and benefits. But it's always good to review.
Every so often I'll write a piece of copy, set it aside
and then realize: Oops, I've left out the benefits.

Benefits are:

what the client gets from your product or service
answers to the "so what" question
what differentiates you from your weaker competitors

Feaetures are:
how you get the benefits to the client
why you are the only person (or company) who can deliver those benefits

So can you jump directly to benefits?

Not necessarily. Bob Bly (among others) has pointed out that some
markets couldn't care less about benefits. They're experts. They're
familar with the product. They want to get down and dirty technical.

Experienced markets will often head directly to the features. Their
eyes will glaze over the benefits they've seen over and over. For
example, if you're hiring your first life coach, you might respond to
the "take your life to the next level" promise.

But if you've hired a few life coaches, you'll want to know how you'll
get those benefits. Will your coach be a cheerleader? An advocate of
law of attraction? A mirror to reflect who you are? An expert in your
field who's on the border between consultant and coach?

Regardless, your copy still focuses on benefits.

Here's one trick. Imagine your client compares notes with someone who
went to your weakest competitor - someone who might be a good marketer
but doesn't really deliver. What benefits will your clients get --
how will they be better off than those who went to your incompetent
competitor?

The work backwards. What results will they get? And why?

Labels: benefits, copywriting, features