The summer movie season is almost here. Has me thinking about what most blockbuster movies have in common.
And it’s the same reason excellent marketing and outstanding copywriting draws you in.
I’m talking about the plot or story-line that keeps you riveted as the story unfolds. A well-crafted story-line drifts (ever so slightly) back and forth. Just when you’re feeling carried to another seemingly disconnected place…the plot reappears…drawing you back into the story once again.
Marketing copy compares to the story you’re telling about your business, product, or service. How well you keep your target audience engaged, buying, and doing business with you tells whether they’re riveted as your story unfolds.
Keep ‘em compelled and first-time, front-end clients or customers will become repeat, back-end ones time and again.
This is traceable to a significant element of your marketing-story. Like the plot or story-line of great cinema this is a key within your marketing copy.
It’s your USP…
I’m talking about the Unique Selling Proposition of your business, service, or product.
(Back to the movie analogy) Ever sat through *flick* and thought – this plot seems a lot like… (the movie you saw last year). What’s missing or vague is the UNIQUE story-line that would earn it top box-office.
What I enjoy and am challenged by as a copywriter is exploring deep beneath the surface of my client’s services and discovering their USP. What is it about *Product/Service A* that reeeeeally makes it unique…unlike all the rest in the same or similar industry?
Distinguishing yourself from the crowd sends bigger waves of opportunity flowing your way. Otherwise, you’re merely creating ads, promotions, website content, etc. and all the blah-blah-blah that goes with it. And remember people don’t invest time or money for “blah.”
Here’s how to develop your U-nique story-line – do this and exploit it within your marketing copy.
1>Spotlight your *Feature Presentation*
Sit down to write about your business, product, or service and you’ll naturally and reflexively begin with features. Feature focus is easy because we’re accustomed to spotlighting them.
After all, you see yourself as the newest…biggest…brightest…sexiest…boldest…fastest…and any other *est* that applies. The problem with stopping there (please don’t) and spinning out your promotional copy based mostly on features is that there are others convinced their *est* is better than your *est*.
If you really want to command attention…
2>Promote your edge-of-the-seat *Benefits*
Here’s where the plot thickens. Telling your market about your features – mostly – stops short of the real juicy details that’ll compel them to do business with you, use your services, or buy your products.
Remember you’re unique. So…list all the benefits you can think of. If you’ve developed the fastest this-or-that (feature) get to the core of what you’ll promote (benefits) by asking and answering the question *which means…?* for every feature you spotlight.
Try this. Fill in the following blank with your business, product, or service – “We provide the fastest (or other feature oriented word) ______ which means… (how does providing the *fastest, etc.* lead to a benefit for your client or customer?). Do this for enough listed features and you’ll arrive at your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)…then promote the heck out of it!
And you’ll potentially…
3>Secure *Repeat* status
Not all great movie story-lines have a sequel in them. In fact some excellent box-office films took a nosedive when their sequel was released.
On the other hand, businesses thrive on sequel after sequel. I’m talking about *repeat business or sales*.
Every new or re-purposed product secures its repeat status when its USP is promoted to the hilt. And it’s a process worth repeating – spotlight features…promote benefits (USP)…position yourself for repeat business.
Bottom line: when the credits roll how’s your business story being told?