Month: January 2009

Copywriting 101: Features vs. Benefits

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

A good copywriter can instantly identify the difference between a feature and a benefit. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for that difference to get a bit fuzzy in web copy. So, how do features differ from benefits.

• Features physically describe what your product or service entails. It might mean a watertight seal, 24-hour service, or 8 GB of RAM. Whatever the case may be, features are the things that make your product or service unique.

• Benefits, on the other hand, explain how the feature is useful or beneficial to the customer. Your copy about benefits should help potential customers answer questions like “why do I need 8 GB of RAM?” or “how will your 24-hour service help my business?”

So, when you’re writing, which do you want to put more emphasis on? The answer is that both features and benefits are very important, but you need to spend more time explaining your benefits.

By explaining benefits – and how each benefit affects your customers – you are essentially educating and persuading your customer at the same time. Basically, a feature without a benefit is nothing. When explaining the benefit of your feature, your copy needs to be targeted to your specific audience, to clearly and concisely give readers major insights into the product.

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One way I like to explain a feature in copy is to lay it out plain and simple. For example: “Company X’s widget has a glow-in-the-dark dial (FEATURE). This means that our widget is perfect to use at night and to take with you on camping trips (BENEFIT).” One of my favorite phrases to use is “this means that,” because it lets you directly translate the benefit of your feature.

Another way to help separate features and benefits is to use a chart. You can do this as a preliminary brainstorming exercise to organize your thoughts before you write, or just paste it up on your website as a great visual aid:

Feature
On-call industry experts

Benefit
With over 70 years of combined experience, our expert advice helps you solve software issues in minutes.

Feature
24-hour service

Benefit
No matter what time it is or where you are in the world, there’s always someone available to help you troubleshoot technical issues.

Effective copy will clearly outline the features and benefits of whatever you’re selling – and it will convince the customer to buy at the same time. Rev up your homepage, brochure, sales emails, and other marketing collateral by making sure that both your features AND benefits are clearly oriented toward your customers.

And, if you’ve got any tips or thoughts about features and benefits, leave a comment and let me know!

Beyond Blogging: Making Your Copy Stand Out

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

So, we all know that a blog is essential to any well-rounded marketing strategy: A good blog helps you connect with your customers and lets them see you as more than just a faceless company or organization. It builds content and credibility for your web site, and it allows you to share industry news and connect with others in your industry.

Problem is, everyone has a blog nowadays, from marketing gurus to Fortune 500 CEOs. Some are fantastic – interesting, with no-fluff content and good information. Some are mediocre at best. But, regardless of quality, they’re everywhere. Do a search for “copywriting blog” for instance, and you’ll get thousands of results. Ditto for “marketing blog,” “advertising blog” – you name it. A blog in itself is no longer a big differentiator.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that you should give up on blogging. But, if you really want to stand out, try some of these strategies:

• Get on Social Media. Social media sites let you connect easily with potential customers and business partners. Create a profile for your business and start reaching out to people in your industry – be sure to include a link to your company web site and share your blog posts. It’s a great way to build connections in a casual setting. Even better: Start a group or forum and invite people to join you for a discussion about the latest industry news.
• Be Interactive. Why simply dump information on your readers when you can invite them to join the conversation? If you’ve got a blog, invite comments and make sure you respond to the readers who take the time to leave them. Have contests and invite your readers to get their creative juices flowing, whether it’s coming up with a name for a product or writing a catchy tagline. The more fun and interactive your blog is, the more likely it is to develop a following of regular readers.
• Leave Comments. If you’re like me, you probably have a handful of blogs that you read regularly. Next time you read something you really like, why not leave a comment? A good blog isn’t a one-way street. But remember: No sales talk. Keep comments insightful and don’t use them simply as a chance to toot your own horn.
• Write a Whitepaper. A whitepaper is a great way to connect with potential business partners and establish yourself as an industry expert. They’re meatier than a simple blog entry and require a lot more work, but the payoff for an interesting, well-written whitepaper is worth all the effort.
• Blog often. Sure, you’re busy. Projects, meetings, phone conferences, and the day-to-day business of running a business can leave you strapped for time. It’s easy to let your blog fall by the wayside in favor of more urgent deadlines. But, your blog doesn’t do you any good if you’re only posting once every six months. Set aside some blogging time at least once a week to keep your content fresh and give readers a reason to come back.

Got any tips for making your blog stand out? I’d love to hear them.

Most Stupidest Grammatical Mistakes

Posted on by The Writers For Hire, Inc.

Hopefully you’ve already met the New Year refreshed and invigorated – and you’re still on top of those resolutions. I suggest adding another resolution to the list: No more absolutely embarrassing, lowest of the low, flat-out dumb grammatical mistakes.

Grammar certainly isn’t for everyone (non-essential relative clauses? Gross.). But some rules – especially the most basic ones – you’ve just gotta know. I’ve put together a list of the top 3 grammatical mistakes that will make you look stupid.

The good news: These stupid mistakes are easy to fix.

1. Your vs. You’re
The difference between your and you’re is simple: your is the possessive form of you (if you don’t know what that means, don’t worry), while you’re is a contraction of “you” and “are”

Your should only be used to describe something a person has:

Is that your idea of a joke?
I didn’t know your daughter plays tennis.

You’re is you + are, so if you’re ever in doubt, try replacing with these two words to see if the sentence makes sense:

You’re (you are) a lifesaver!
He thinks you’re (you are) his best team member.

2. To/Too/Two
English is remarkable in that you can have three words that sound exactly alike, spelled differently, and mean completely different things. Here we go:

Two is rarely mixed up with to and too. Two is a number in between one and three, so use it accordingly:
Can you hand me two lemons?

Too has two meanings (pun intended): “also” and “excessively.” If you can use either one of these words in your sentence without changing the meaning, then you should be using double-o too:
I love you too (also).
You’re standing too (excessively) close to me!

Simply put: To is a preposition, and you should use it anywhere that two or too doesn’t fit.
She’s going to the grocery store.
To be or not to be …

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3. Their vs. There vs. They’re
Another triumvirate of homophones. Here we go again:

There refers only to places, whether concrete or imaginary.
Put the books over there.
There is a bakery on the next block.

It sometimes has a more abstract meaning:
There goes the neighborhood!

They’re is a contraction (much like you’re) meaning they + are. Always check your sentences by substituting they are.
They’re (they are) always out late on weekends.
Do you know where they’re (they are) going?

Their is a possessive pronoun (like “his,” “my” or “your”). Their shows possession. Try substituting another possessive pronoun to check your usage.
This is their car. (Substitution: This is my car.)
I didn’t like their attitude. (Substitution: I didn’t like his attitude)

Unfortunately, the spelling and grammar check on your computer won’t usually catch these mistakes, so it’s up to you to practice these rules. So remember to double-check your emails, newsletters, web copy, brochures, even notes to your child’s teacher. Cheers to a smarter, error-free 2009!

Just for giggles, I’d also like to start the New Year by highlighting some of the best of The Write Blog’s archives. My top 10 picks:
10. Online Reputation Management: David and Goliath v2.0
9. Four Online Tips to Ride Out Recession – and they Won’t Cost You Anything
8. Drawing More Traffic to Your Website
7. Shave the Fluff Off Your Copy
6. Beat the Block
5. How to measure the results of your SMM campaign
4. Writing solid pay per click ads
3. Social Media Marketing: The Top Four Reasons You Should Try It
2. Stamp Out Wimpy Verbs
1. Don’t sell the car. Sell the Nissan.

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