09 Jul Don’t Get Benefits and Features Mixed Up
How well do you understand the difference between benefits and features? If you think they are both pretty much the same, you might not be achieving the results you want to get with your marketing campaigns.
Let’s say you have a product that is designed to clean carpets quickly and effectively and get out any stain you care to think of. Now it would be tempting to create a marketing campaign telling everyone how good this product is. It is fast acting, it’s good at getting out lots of different stains and it comes in a spray bottle. There are probably plenty of other plus points to mention too, but let’s take these as an example.
You will probably be tempted to include these features in your marketing materials. However these are features and not benefits, so the trick is to convert them into statements that would appeal to a time pressed potential customer.
The fast acting spray will appeal if you tell them it is quick and easy to use, with no fuss or hassle. We know it is good at getting out lots of stains, so you could say something like takes care of all stains, from muddy footprints to food and drink spillages. Everyone experiences these kinds of problems from time to time, so they will identify with a product that can solve them easily.
Finally we have the spray bottle. This is a feature of the product – no one will care what it comes in providing it works. But if you say it comes in a convenient and easy to use spray bottle, so no need to dilute it, this sounds more appealing.
You can see that you’ve created the bones of a strong marketing message here. This can be used on a website, on a flyer, in a brochure and in many other places too. With assistance in creating a strong brochure or website, your marketing message can be sent out to many people who are perfect customers for your product. Just remember to focus on the benefits rather than the features when you are trying to sell your product.