Revealing Deeper Benefits
Every good copywriter knows the difference between features and benefits. (You DO know the difference, don't you? If not, I strongly urge you to go back and review Section 19 of your copywriting course.)
But do you know the difference between "benefits" and "deeper benefits?" And, just as importantly, do you know how to pack them into your promo copy?
I realize I'm hitting you with a barrage of questions here. My apologies.
Let's slow this down and start from the beginning …
A feature is what a product is or does. A benefit is what it will do for whoever chooses to use it. Quantitative vs. qualitative.
Prospective customers need to know features because they want to know what's included for the price. You want to translate those features into benefits just to make sure the customer sees what's in your offer for him or her.
So, what's a "deeper" benefit?
A deeper benefit is the unseen part of the product iceberg. It's the great goodness implied between the lines of your pitch. The larger-than-life stuff. Often, it's an intangible, emotional thing. It's the feeling beyond the feeling.
Let me give you an example …
When a local gym that is selling memberships talks about the equipment they have upstairs, that's a list of features.
When they tell you how that equipment can get you slimmer and stronger than equipment that's available at other gyms, that's a translation from feature to benefit.
But when they start flashing you photos of lithe-looking members in gym gear … chatting confidently … flashing big smiles and toned flesh. Well … that's approaching the deeper benefits.
I could spell it out further, but I think you see what I mean.
Trouble is, deeper benefits are more abstract. Intangible. So, conveying them can be difficult. For instance, stating them outright doesn't work. Deep benefits sink in much better when they're absorbed or realized, rather than stated or explained.
So … how are you supposed to get these intangible benefits across?
Recently, I heard Michael Masterson give a good speech. In it, he ran through his personal techniques for communicating these kinds of richer, deeper benefits to customers …
Tell a Simple Story.
Everyone loves a story, said E.M. Forster. Every prospect loves a story that shows a product benefit hitting its mark. Testimonial stories are perfect for this. But, in the happy endings that result, you can also share other details of how the testimonial-givers' lives improved.
Keep Idea Clutter to a Minimum.
Most good promos center not just around a big promise, but around a "big idea." That is, a core idea that's rich and original and engaging. That ties directly to the product and the problems it solves. But big ideas can be hard to handle. Sometimes, they multiply. They can bog your package down and wear out your prospect.
Think of a blockbuster movie.
The easier it is to sum up the plot in a single sentence, the better it seems to wash with a mass-market audience. Keep your core-package idea equally as simple, and packing "deeper benefits" between the lines will be easier.
Lay on the Details, Nice and Thick.
Just because you're keeping your core promo idea simple, don't think that means you should skimp on detail. Rich details can be the strongest mules in your stable, pulling your reader relentlessly to the sale. It's details that make your pitch feel real, original, and engaging. Which brings us to this final point …
Keep It Real.
There's a reason testimonials with poor grammar and real customer snapshots out-pull polished quotes and airbrushed photos. It's because authenticity builds trust. And trust leads to more checks in the mail.
To get to a trustworthy level, unfortunately, takes work. You actually have to BE sincere. Study the product until you see it in your sleep. Strike out every single cliche, every fake sentiment, every vague promise or contrived piece of logic.
There are two big sins of the copywriter, says Mike: laziness and insincerity. If you can't be sincere about what you're saying, write for another product. Or find another career.
How to Land Clients in 21 Days with Just Your Computer
How do I land my first client? It’s a question every aspiring freelancer asks eventually. Now, there’s a proven system for landing clients that removes the guesswork. Best of all? No cold calling. Learn More »
“I’m no longer stuck in a 8-5 job in an industry in which I have little interest, for an average salary, with very little time with my son. Copywriting’s made all the difference in the world.”
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money, writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world you choose to be.
Get Nick Usborne’s step-by-step system for creating money-making information websites.
In just 6 hours and 35 minutes, you can be in business earning $60 – $150 an hour writing simple resumes.
Learn the secrets behind succeeding in this in-demand career.
The work is plentiful … the pay scales are generous and the competition is scarce!
Get the answers to the hundreds of questions and concerns commonly asked in specific, step-by-step details.
Use this eight-step plan to make the leap from aspiring copywriter to professional copywriter this year.
Let your fellow AWAI members show you firsthand the easiest, most powerful way to land your first client … BEFORE you finish the program.
Writing for the web is a huge opportunity for copywriters. Let web expert Nick Usborne show you how to write blockbuster web copy in record time … even if you're a complete internet “rookie”!
It’s an opportunity to make $50,000, $75,000, $100,000 a year or more … working just a few hours a day.
A once complicated profession is now something you can do on a standard computer – even if you have little or no “artistic” ability.
It’s one thing to have a website. But if your website can’t be found by the search engines, it may as well not exist.
The Internet creates new income possibilities every day. The biggest among them: online video marketing.
Get the very techniques top-performing copywriters use to rattle off one groundbreaking control after another.
In his new book, Michael Masterson teaches you his very own formula for powerful persuasion and how to apply it to direct mail sales letters as well as online promotions.
Thank you for this informaion and deep understanding benefits or promises. I will save this for futur references.
Timothy – September 29, 2009 at 11:18 am
Practical, doable, learnable tips.
Thanks, John!
Roger A Ford – March 20, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Wonderful article, and a great quote at the end about the 2 big sins of the copywriter.
Amen!
Suresh Nair – August 4, 2010 at 5:18 am