{"id":503,"date":"2016-01-06T07:30:48","date_gmt":"2016-01-06T12:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crestconsultingllc.com\/?p=503"},"modified":"2016-05-20T23:12:27","modified_gmt":"2016-05-21T03:12:27","slug":"want-content-marketing-strategy-works-focus-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crestconsultingllc.com\/want-content-marketing-strategy-works-focus-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Want a Content Marketing Strategy that Works? Focus on Benefits!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Product Features? Advantages?<\/h1>\n

Benefits = Value!<\/h1>\n

Many years ago, I interviewed for a sales job. The sales manager leaned across the desk and said \u201cSo, you think you\u2019re a good salesperson? Sell me this pen!\u201d This was a very long time ago. I was young and totally unprepared. I sat in silence. Stunned.<\/p>\n

My mind raced with possible one-liners or ways to talk about a pen that seemed, at the time \u2013 and still to this day — ludicrous. Unsure how to proceed, I refused to commit to a path I was not comfortable with.<\/p>\n

It turns out I did get a job offer that day \u2013 but not because I sold a pen. In my frozen state I meekly asked, \u201cWhat are you going to use this pen for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Selling<\/div>\n
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Pens, really? Let\u2019s talk about that!<\/h2>\n

Writing instruments have been around for thousands of years. The word pen, in its Latin form penna<\/em>, means feather. Quills were used for applying ink to parchment as far back as the 7th<\/sup> century. Today, pens offer a variety of ink delivery systems, are made of countless materials and in styles that put prices in a range from pennies to tens of thousands of dollars<\/em> each<\/em>. No lie — you can Google it.<\/p>\n

So outside of the need to write on something, what influences someone to spend money on a pen? What factors are in play when looking at the vast array of writing instrument offerings? In a few words: Features<\/em>, Advantages<\/em>, and Benefits<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Think about your own business and the products and services you offer as we consider the following.<\/p>\n

Features<\/strong> — distinctive parts, important elements of your offering.<\/p>\n

For a pen this might include the materials it\u2019s made of (gold or plastic — affecting the price) and the styling: a clip to secure the pen to your shirt or in your purse.<\/p>\n

Advantages<\/strong> \u2013 a superior position, why it\u2019s better.<\/p>\n

Sometimes a lighter, or heavier, pen can be an advantage. Ink that dries fast or one that writes upside down can be an advantage \u2013 especially, but not exclusively, if you\u2019re an astronaut.<\/p>\n

Benefits<\/strong> \u2013 Describe the feature in terms of what it will do for the end-user.<\/p>\n

This answers the question, What\u2019s in it for me? (WIIFM).<\/p>\n

If I lose my pen all the time, low cost may be a benefit<\/em>. If pens leak in my pocket, I may benefit<\/em> from one with a cap. If I write on a dry erase board all day, a permanent marker<\/em> is not a benefit<\/em> to me.<\/p>\n

\"Content<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t Make Me Think!<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s 2016. Stop making your customers and prospects do all the work. Benefits are personal. They help prospects see what\u2019s in it for them and how it will make their lives easier. As a customer, benefits describe the future state I will be in because I have chosen to do business with you and your product.<\/p>\n

Some buyers don\u2019t care about anything but the benefits for them. Business owners and marketers need to consistently enunciate the benefits of what we offer in all of our communications. Technical buyers, on the other hand, may be concerned with features and advantages — a good reason to carefully segment your database.<\/p>\n

When the benefits outweigh the cost of what you provide, it becomes easier for me, as a consumer, to justify my purchase. There is an end-state I wish to attain. I value it because of the increase in something that I didn\u2019t have before I purchased it.<\/p>\n

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Takeaways<\/h2>\n

So what are the marketing lessons here?<\/p>\n

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  1. Know your audience and what\u2019s important to them. (Find your intended audience<\/a>)<\/li>\n
  2. Segment your database<\/a>\/audience.<\/li>\n
  3. Know your product really, really well.\u00a0What makes you different?<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Know your industry. Become a\u00a0Subject Matter Expert<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  5. Educate your audience<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  6. Align your messaging to your audience and use language that resonates with them.<\/li>\n
  7. Make it easy for them.<\/li>\n
  8. Show them you care.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As marketers, we can produce more leads for less money when we think strategically, coordinate our efforts, educate prospects and communicate the right messages\u00a0to them throughout their journey to becoming customers.<\/p>\n

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    Focusing on the benefits your products and services provide puts you in the mindset of your buyers. When you understand what customers want, it’s easier to start developing a content marketing strategy.<\/p>\n

    In 1974, Sy Syms said: “An educated consumer is our best customer<\/em>” and it’s even more appropriate today.<\/p>\n

    What are you doing to educate your customers?\u00a0How do you communicate the benefits of what you offer to prospects?\u00a0Let us know in the Comments section below.\u00a0A real person reads and responds to all comments!<\/em><\/p>\n

    Have you put off this exercise long enough? Need help? Click here<\/a> to schedule your free Educational Assessment<\/a> and start connecting with your customers now.<\/p>\n

    \"Quill<\/p>\n

    Thanks,<\/p>\n

    David
    \n    contact me<\/a>
    \n    www.crestconsultingllc.com<\/a><\/p>\n

    At Crest, we help companies:<\/p>\n