— You think features but your customers want BENEFITS.

You’re thumbing through a solar products catalog and come across sales copy like this:

“Extra AUX connection provided. Accepts up to 250 watts, larger model accepts 500 watts. PWM float is set at 14.1 volts, adjustable from 13 to 15 volts. ATC-type automotive fuses supplied on input/output. LDV also included.”

You see the words but you don’t understand them. Your eyes roll back in your head, your jaw goes slack, your tongue lolls out of your head, your mind numbs. Ready to buy? I don’t think so.

Advertiser: what on earth were you thinking?

From a manufacturing point of view, all those AUX’s, watts, and PWM’s are endlessly fascinating. But put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. What good is an LDV if your customers don’t know what it is…and, more importantly, if they don’t know what it’ll do for them?

People don’t buy products or services – we buy benefits.

Here’s some of the text from above put another way — in benefit terms:

“Easy-access AUX (auxiliary) connection provided at no extra charge. Keeps generator starter battery fully charged for dependable starts every time.”

Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Tell your customers about features…but in the context of “How do I benefit from this feature? What’s in it for me?”

Got it? OK, now take a look at your own advertising. Chances are you’ll find lots of features and precious few consumer benefits. Because we all focus on what’s near and dear to us.

“Here’s what’s in it for YOU.”

Communicating how your customers benefit from your product or service is near and dear to EdwardsDirect.net. We’ll review your advertising and communicate your features in benefit terms.

What’s in it for you? Stronger online and offline advertising that is vastly more engaging and motivating to customers than dry old features. And that means more sales for you.

Your benefit: increased sales

E-mail me, Steve@EdwardsDirect.net or call me at 1-802-447-4939.

Send me some of your ads, brochures, sales sheets, or a link to your website. I’ll get back to you quickly and show you how I can turn your features into benefits…and how you’ll benefit with increased sales.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net

…And why most businesses don’t.

(And be sure to read below, “But you don’t understand….”)

May we blog for you? Steve@EdwardsDirect.net

“Blog” is a contraction of the term “web log,” or an online journal. The first bloggers may have been bored teens pouring out their angst in online diaries but blogging has morphed into a powerful communication tool savvy businesses are folding into their marketing mix and corporate communication program.

Communicate or die

Businesses can’t thrive without communicating — externally and internally. Your advertising and publicity communicate with your customers. Your internal memos, meetings, and newsletters communicate with your employees. Savvy businesses have an internal blog, or external blog, or both, to communicate all these thing and more. Here’s why…

Blogging benefits your business by…

• …promoting your brand.
• …putting you in contact with your customers.
• …creating contact with prospective customers.
• …giving you meaningful input from customers and prospects.
• …adding valuable, relevant content to your website.
• …raising your search engine rankings.
• …communicating and advertising at low cost.
• …reinforcing your other forms of communication.
• …giving employees a voice.
• …promoting increased communication among employees.
• …getting information out quickly and efficiently.

You’re swimming in blog-worthy news

What to post to your corporate blog? Just about any newsy item is blog-worthy…and things you take for granted are big news to others. Break your USPs (unique selling points) into bite-size articles and post each one. New product coming soon? Blog it. Promotions? Innovations? Successes? Blog ‘em. Customer letters? Pure gold. Pose questions and read the blogged responses.

“But you don’t understand…”

So, with all these low cost, high value benefits, why don’t more businesses blog? Here are some of the reasons we’ve been given.

“We don’t have time.” “We’re going to start a blog next quarter.” “The girl who was doing our blog left.” “Our customers don’t read blogs.” And the classic, “What’s a blog?”

May we blog for you?

Blogs are the quintessential “delivery system” for online content. EdwardsDirect.net is big on creating content — text, graphics, videos, testimonials, news, articles, e-mails, websites, brochures, mailings, advertising, and much more.

We blog for our business; creating, posting, and delivering content. And we’ll do the same for your corporate blog, too.

Turnkey service — Steve@EdwardsDirect.net

E-mail Steve@EdwardsDirect.net and we’ll begin a discussion about how blogging can benefit your business…and how we can handle every aspect of your business blog on an efficient, cost-effective turnkey basis.

SteveEdwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net