The essence of good marketing writing

...is to write about what your product or service does for your customers, not about you and your company.

If you've been in business for more than a few weeks you've heard that many times already, but it's good to get some practical examples.

Here are some of the best examples from recent TV and press advertising. They hardly ever talk about the product. They talk about what the customers' life will be like after they buy it.

'Olay fights the appearance of ageing.' (Beauty cream TV ad.)

'My Virgin One account helped me sort out my finances.' (Bank account TV ad.)

'Warning: your drives will go further than you think.' (Golf clubs magazine ad.)

Exercise: make a list of ten great ad headlines and then see if you can adapt your marketing messages, using the ads' techniques.

Another approach you might see a lot is the problem/solution method. This is where you explain the problem that potential customers will have and then say how your solution will help.

So if you sell an amazing new type of chlorine replacement for swimming pools, you'd start your advertisement/leaflet/letter etc. by talking about how swimming pool owners have a dilemma. On the one hand they want to ensure the safety of their swimmers, but they don't want to make their eyes sting with too much chlorine.

Then you would go on to explain that your new product costs the same as conventional chlorine but can be used in much smaller quantities to achieve the same safety levels, so it doesn't sting swimmers' eyes.

But notice that we haven't started talking about how the product does it, or about the chemical make-up of the new product. That can come later once the reader has been drawn into the material.

Here are some good examples of problem/solution marketing. They all make sure the reader is aware of the problem, then they present the solution.

'Le motor broke, vous fix, s'il vous plait?' (Breakdown cover press ad. It then went on to ask what people would do if they broke down in France. Then came the solution: European breakdown cover.)

'Because when friends pop in unexpectedly, you don't want them to leave just as quickly.' (Filter coffee press ad. The accompanying photographs of coffee gave the solution.)

'Don't let them get away with it.' (Bank savings account press ad. Four competitors' low interest rates were also compared to the advertising company's account, establishing the problem and solution: you are not getting enough interest on your savings - bank with us and you will.)

Exercise: try it with your product or service.
Start by explaining the problem. Then explain the results of using your product or service.

© Peterborough Copywriting Bureau 2002

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