You know that client I was talking about the other day? Well, once we nailed down who we were talking to, we then had to decide the what.
So I asked them, “Why does this person want to sign up to use your solution?”
And they replied, “Because it does this.”
There’s a big difference between what something is or what something does and why someone wants it.
Think about it.
A microwave is a kitchen appliance. Do I want another kitchen appliance? No.
A microwave heats up food. So? My oven does that too.
But – with my microwave I can reheat leftovers quickly without lots of pots and pans.
So why do I want it?
I get to eat sooner. I don’t need to spend as much time in the kitchen. It’s less hassle dealing with leftovers (so I’m more likely to eat leftovers rather than let them go to waste).
A microwave solves the problems of hunger, time, money and guilt. That’s far more appealing than yet another kitchen appliance.
As copywriters and content marketers, our clients are creating the what and often forgetting the why. They get so focused on the features, they forget about the benefits. And that’s where we step in.
So I sent my client away to do some thinking on the problems they’re solving with their solution and suggested they engage a research agency to do some groundwork too. Because, while benefits are often obvious for one audience, sometimes you need to dig a little deeper to find a compelling “why” for the audience that’s going to really make a difference to the business.
