You’re on a blind date. To your relief, he or she is attractive, and has a warm smile. Good start!
You order drinks, shoot out a few get-to-know-you questions. Oh, he works there? Cool. She got that degree? He knows so-and-so? After 15 minutes, the answers are coming strong. This person seems interesting, you think, but they’re not exactly burning with curiosity about you. Is this a date? or a soliloquy?
Impressive as your date might be, self-absorption can be a romantic dealbreaker. Like most people, you’re likely looking for someone who takes the time to relate to you and understand what you want or need.
Now navigate to any website URL. Does it say, “We are a full-service blah blah blah, specializing in A, B, and C?” Disengaged copywriting starts with “we,” ends with “we.” The filling for this sandwich? We, we, and more we.
Legitimizing? Sure. Impressive? Maybe. But as with romance, it’s disappointing, disengaging, and tedious. And here’s the part that bothers us most. Nearly everyone does it.
Reader-focused copywriting utilizes a basic rule. Flesh out the benefits, not the features.
Features describe your product or service. They’re rife with characteristics, accolades, statistics. They might earn a wolf whistle—but only in passing.
Benefits translate what you’ve learned into hardcore takeaways for your audience. And if you really know what you’re doing, you’ll build in momentum and delight.
Find out more here and from my TEDx talk. Check in next week for more tips on how to make your copywriting captivating, engaging, and effective.
