Why do people buy a product or a service? They do it for the benefit it offers them.
As the seller, your mission is to answer the question, “What's in it for them?”
Approach your marketing efforts from your customer's perspective. Next time you write content for your website, send an email campaign or update your social media accounts, stop and think – why should customers buy from me? What benefits am I offering them?
There's a difference between the features of what you're selling, and the benefits.
Feature = what the product is, or what it has;
Benefit = what the product does for the customer.
Here are some examples of features vs benefits:
1st generation Apple iPod
Feature = 5GB hard drive storage
Benefit = 1,000 songs in your pocket
Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt
Feature = nutritious and tasty
Benefit = makes you feel healthier and more satisfied
Kleenex Balsam Tissues
Feature = thick and soft
Benefit = soothes your nose and helps you through a cold
Nurofen Plus Tablets
Feature = contains active ingredients Ibuprofen and Codeine Phosphate
Benefit = one dose relieves your headache and gets you through the day
Both features and benefits are equally important when you're writing your marketing copy and campaigns, but it will be the benefits that give you the best advantages for converting customers.
Try making a list of your product’s features and write benefits for each. Do this again for different potential customers, even ones you may not have considered before. You may find a new way of looking at your product that helps you better connect with people.