Focus on benefits in your marketing copy not features

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Gary Chow | 1 Comment » | Trackback URL

What do you usually see when you pick up a marketing brochure or open a webpage? More often than not, what you will read are a list of features; for example, a car’s engine has 180 Kw, a computer has a 500 gig hard drive, a restaurant uses vegetables grown organically, etc. But, it’s not as common to read about benefits.

Why is this so; after all, marketing 101 has drummed into us the importance of stressing ‘benefits’ not ‘features’? Marketing 101 states that consumers don’t buy a product, they buy what a product can do for them.

Well I think one reason why writers often write about features rather than benefits is they have trouble distinguishing the difference and get the two mixed up. If so, here’s an easy way to sort the two apart:

• A feature is the definition of your product
• A benefit is the value of your product (the solution it provides).

For example, lets say you want to write about the extent of experience in your company. If you start of by writing: ‘Our consultants each have over 25 years of experience…’ and end there, then all you’ve done is write about a feature. However, if you continue your statement by saying ‘…this means we can offer faster outcomes, proven methodologies and lower your purchasing risk…’ then you’ve emphasised the benefits of those years of experience as well. You’ve underlined the value of your feature.

To ensure you emphasise benefits, ask yourself the question ‘so what?’ every time you write about your product This will help identify the real benefits of your product from aspects that are merely features. If you can’t answer the ‘so what?’ question easily, then it’s likely you are merely writing about a feature and not a benefit.

Another approach is to first focus on the problem, and then offer the solution in the form of benefits. Here’s an example from the website of computer repair business Geeks2U:

‘Fed up with those wires? Want to move your computer away from the telephone socket? Want to share your broadband connection throughout your home or use your laptop in the garden?’ (Problem/benefits projected)

‘Geeks2U has an expert group of computer technicians who provide on-site wireless networking services to homes and businesses alike in greater Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Canberra’ (Features).

‘… With a wireless network, you can share an Internet connection amongst multiple computers as well as share files and printers, all without those pesky cables!’ (Features and then benefits)

‘We will not only setup and configure your wireless network for you but also encrypt it to help keep it secure from intruders.’ (Features and benefits)

This is a well written and well designed website with copy that is meaningful, focused on benefits and reader friendly.