On Christmas Day, I wrote a poem. Not to be confused with a Christmas poem, it was a poem about a zipper. An underrated, underestimated piece of fashion, function, and form, and all it has to offer the world.
A series of events around the poem is where I got the idea for THIS episode on Features vs. Benefits and why focusing on the benefits is important!
In the episode:
- What’s the difference between a feature and a benefit?
- Product features vs. service-based business features
- Product benefits vs. service-based business benefits
- Why benefits
- 3 Benefits of focusing on the benefits in your content and marketing
- An activity to try right away to discover hidden benefits of anything!
- And more!
Examples:
Product Features:
A product’s features are the tangible elements or specs of a product or service. I used to write for Eastern Mountain Sports and did copy for product descriptions and it included LOTS of features.
- The weight of the carabineers
- Thread count
- How many degrees below zero this sleeping bag is rated
- The pile of the fleece
- The fact that it had a YKK zipper
Service Features:
A service’s features might be a breakdown of deliverables. So, for me, it looks like:
- A brand questionnaire
- A kickoff call – 90 minutes to be exact
- SEO research and implementation
- Competitive analysis
- Voice of Brand development
- Up to X pages of copy
- A review call
- An organized Google doc.
Features, for most people, are kind of… well… boring.
They don’t set you apart because there are A LOT of copywriters out there with the exact same deliverables as me -so then it becomes a matter of just who offers the most robust package for the best price, when I look at strictly features.
In many cases, people don’t want to know all the ins and outs, every last feature.
They want to know the BENEFITS.
Benefits show you how your life can be BETTER.
Benefits are the emotions, feelings, and filled needs this can offer you. The emotional or practical advantage.
Product Benefits:
- It saves you money, time, headache
- It provides ambiance to your home
- It helps you be happier
- It helps you remember someone you love
- It helps you capture each and every one of life’s little connected moments.
Service Benefits:
Let’s use my copywriting again, and what I’m going to do is take the FEATURES I spoke about before, and turn them into benefits.
- A brand questionnaire – I’ll get to understand you and your business deeply AND you’ll walk away with new, valuable insights about yourself too. It provides us both with clarity.
- A kickoff call – 90 minutes to be exact – Provides more clarity, ensures I’m writing and creating in your voice and speaking to your ideal clients so you can reach exactly who you want to with your business
- SEO research and implementation – brings more traffic and leads to your website and business. Your website designer will thank you that they have it all in one place and everything they need to start designing
- Competitive analysis – I shine a light on what others in your industry are doing well, and distinguish what sets you apart so we can create branding that’s as memorable as possible
- Voice of Brand development – Your copy will sound, feel, and reflect YOU!
- Up to X pages of copy – Saves you time, headache, takes it all of your plate, brings a sense of ease and confidence
- A review call – Where I make sure you feel appreciated, energized, and all your questions are answered with no loose ends.
- An organized google doc, blah blah blah – again, your website designer will thank me.
Benefits speak more deeply to people and share not just WHAT you do but HOW it will benefit and help them. How it will make them feel.
Resources Mentioned:
My Substack: The elusive zipper poem!
Content with Character Episode: Making Stories Work in Your Content
Let’s Connect!
I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character. I’m a dog mom to Sir Clyde and wife to Jason (my favorite person in the whole world). Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking, reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK).
Email: emily@emilyaborn.com
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emily@emilyaborn.com
Emily Aborn is a Content Copywriter for women entrepreneurs, Podcast Host of Content with Character and She Built This. She’s been an entrepreneur since 2014 and has experience in running brick-and-mortar as well as online businesses. She’s worked with over 98 different industries in their marketing and loves helping businesses increase their visibility, connect with their clients, and bring their dreams and visions to life. For fun, Emily enjoys nerdy word games and puzzles, reading, listening to podcasts, and tromping about in the woods with her husband, Jason, and their dog, Clyde.