Put your brand in a unique position to reach your target market. Use this tool to attract attention!

Tuesday: Write with the Pen of the Masters FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Every copywriter knows that features and benefits play an important role in copywriting. Every ad includes these things. With these factors being a commonality among different brands, how do you make your marketing message stand out? One way is by using a product positioning document to keep track of your brand and your competitors’ similarities and differences. Keep reading to know how this tool can help you attract your target market’s attention and place your brand in a unique position. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Put your brand in a unique position to reach your target market. Use this tool to attract attention! Features. Benefits. Durability. As a copywriter or marketer, the items listed above can help you write an effective marketing message. The challenge? Making your marketing message stand out. Since all other copywriters, marketers, and business owners know that product features and benefits play an important role in attracting consumers, how will you create a message that doesn’t sound exactly like what your competitors are saying? Know your product! Like… really know it… INSIDE-OUT. According to Joanna Wiebe’s CopyHackers Book 1 titled, “Where Stellar Messages Come From,” in order to convince those who’ll read your marketing message, you have to make them feel that the product is all about their needs and demands. Start by answering these questions: “What value will the user get out of using the product?” “What part of the product lets the customer get that value?” Sure, your marketing message should be appealing to your target market but if you were to focus only on that, your copy might end up saying things that are only “half true” just so you could please and satisfy your readers. Your marketing message should contain the features and benefits that are UNIQUE to your brand or product. You can identify the things that set you apart with the help of a product positioning document, a simple table where you input all your product’s features and benefits. Here’s what it looks like: Feature Under this column, list every feature the product has. Don’t leave anything out. Is there a feature that you think might be too small or meaningless to mention? Put it on the list as well. If that feature gets included in your marketing message or listed on your website, there could be someone who might think it’s unique enough to convince him or her to buy your product. Note: At this point, you are not yet writing copy. Make sure everything you jot down on the document is clear and easy to understand and recall. Unique to Us In this column, place a checkmark beside the feature that you think is something only your product offers. If a feature is also offered by your competitors, write all their names in the box. If one of your product features is similar to a competitor’s feature, briefly describe the competitor’s feature in the corresponding box. The more thorough you are in this part, the more you’ll understand whether or not your product can fulfil customers’ unmet needs. Customer Pain Solved Now it’s time to look outside of your product. Go and immerse yourself in places where your target market usually talks about their pains, problems, and demands. In this column, use the voice-of-customer messages that you’ve taken note of during your field research. In the corresponding boxes, note down each of the customer pains that each of the listed product features solves or addresses. Since this document is only for YOUR reference, which means you will not publish it, you can choose to either paraphrase your target market’s soundbites or write it as is. As you fill out the boxes in the first three columns, you might also begin to realize the value of each of the features. Once you do, list it down immediately under the Benefits column to avoid forgetting it. Benefits This is where some of the things you’ve listed down in the first three columns get trimmed down. Under this column, list down all the benefits or value that each of your product features offer your target market. Some of the features may have more than one benefit―list them all down. At this point, you might also realize that some of the features you’ve listed do not offer value or benefit. Remove those. You don’t need your target market to learn about these features. Priority This column is designed to help you rank the product features and benefits that are most important to your target market. Assigning a priority to each row will help you create a messaging hierarchy that will serve as your guide as you write a marketing message. [Messaging Hierarchy: The order in which product features and benefits should appear on each page of your copy or across your website for your readers to see.] You can use any type of ranking in this column - make it your own. Once you’ve completed the whole product positioning document, you may now proceed to writing your marketing message. Just a reminder: Don’t fall into the trap of summarizing when you’re copywriting. Summaries are not always noticeable or memorable―characteristics that you want your copies to be in marketing. Specifics stick in your target market’s minds. Make it as creative and interesting as possible! The next time you write a marketing message, don’t make it sound like everyone else’s copies. Know your product. Use the product positioning document as your guide. Remember: Every benefit to using your product is a benefit worth sharing to your prospects. Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn.