How to write a good text for a site or email-letter: WIIFM technology
We have already talked a lot about how a quality mailing list should look , what fonts should be used in a letter and why typography and layout are important elements of the work of the team responsible for email marketing. Now it's time to pay attention not only to the form, but also to the content - in this material, an employee of the Digital Telepathy agency Raaf Sundquist tells how to incorporate your company's value proposition into the text. And despite the fact that the article examines the texts of the sites as examples, this advice is suitable for any content, be it a slogan, a booklet or an email.
/ photo Eelke
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In the world of web design, content is often considered an element of secondary importance, but even the highest-quality interface can be fundamentally tarnished by mismatched and unremarkable message text. We always try to make sure that the potential of web design is fully realized.
As a rule, people act according to their own interests - this is a powerful behavioral stimulus inherent in them from birth, which you can use to convince them of the value of your product or service. Answering the question "What is there for me?" [Eng. What's In It For Me? - abbr. WIIFM] with these tricks, you can create compelling calls to action, which, in turn, will lead to significant results.
All the time I come across such slogans as “We are driving competitors crazy!”, “Your main advantage in shopping is us”, and so on and so forth. These phrases of the company show that they are damn satisfied ... with themselves. But what about their customers? What do they care about competitors of these companies? And what exactly is their site better for shopping than others? What is in it for customers?
Ask yourself the question: do you contact your customers or just share information with them?
Each time you compose a message for your customers, answer the question: “What is there for me?” Thus, you will not only determine your advantages and the value of your product, but also show your customers that it meets their needs. Let's face it: this is the main question that buyers ask your brand, so do not forget about it. In this article, you will learn about three different ways to apply the WIIFM method to the value proposition of your product, commercial site or brand as a whole, and about the difference between these methods. But let's take one step at a time: first, let's start creating a value proposition (value proposition).
Before you begin distributing information through the website, email and other channels of communication, you need to determine the value of your product. Even if you made a mistake when creating and developing your brand and distributing, without formulating a value proposition that would answer the question “What is for me here,” the situation is reparable. But where to start?
The answer to this question was given by Daniel Decker, a strategic marketing specialist: “WIIFM shows how important and why your product is important for those to whom you are trying to sell it. This question makes customers understand that your product is worth their time or money. ” So step one: How do your messages express that the product you offer is worth the time and / or money of your customers? Let's try to correct some messages and analyze their new versions based on the WIIFM method.
To solve this problem, I combined the useful with the pleasant - or unpleasant, as in this case. My new sneakers heavily rubbed my feet, so I entered the query "Best insoles" in Google, and as a result, the search engine produced one specific site offering the best solution to my problem. I replaced the name of the company with “XYZ”.
On the site we see two main messages or value propositions:
An interesting choice. I have not fully understood what the value proposition is here. The first message has no value for the client. "Mediocrity" is a subjective concept; it does not explain what happens if the user chooses XYZ insoles. The second message indicates that women's shoes are uncomfortable, and women will finally be able to wear their favorite shoes without suffering from pain. In this case, the WIIFM principle applies. But is it really the whole target audience with which the company offers its product? Only women who wear uncomfortable shoes? I do not think so.
Suppose most of the visitors to the site selling insoles answered that they appreciate comfort and relief from pain. Based on the survey results, we can formulate new value propositions for this brand. For example:
Each of the above examples answers the question: “What is there for me”:
Thus, we expanded the target audience, covering various categories of users, and also indicated the specific advantages and properties of XYZ insoles, which prompts customers to associate the product with its marketing.
You can now go to the analysis of the product, the desired relevant to the content. In social networks, I came across a service called Ceros . I can assume that it hasn’t been done without targeted marketing, but it’s a really useful product that allows you to create infographics, e-books, banners, etc. on your own. And this is great, but let's look at the home page of their website. What is there for me?
Good job. As a potential user, I see that with the help of Ceros I can “create interesting interactive content” using “the most powerful software for marketers and designers”. Ceros has clearly formulated its value proposition. The main advantage of its software is that it allows you to create attractive branded content. I prefer to call this approach the “KISS” abbreviation [Eng. Keep It Simple, Stupid - Keep it simple]. Your value proposition should not be too complicated. It is enough to indicate in it only one main property of the product, which is extremely necessary in your chosen industry. And in this regard, Ceros is an excellent example.
Not so long ago, we applied the KISS approach when working with one of our clients, Unoceros. The value proposition of their services is really difficult to understand, since it is ultra high-tech. What to do in this case? If we talk (not) in a simple way, Unoceros is the world's first distributed, highly efficient computer network, whose work is completely based on mobile technologies.
The Unoceros platform provides access to unused power of mobile phones to data processing specialists, programmers, engineers, and scientists. Their service significantly reduces the cost of data processing by traditional data centers and gives users the opportunity to "try everything" without worrying about a limited budget. And how can you summarize the essence of this technology? The options proposed by our copywriter, you can see here and here.
We highlighted the main advantages of Unoceros described in the message at the bottom of the screen, and added illustrations created by us specifically for this company.
In the upper half of the screen, the copywriter posted a convincing message, showing the user what is there for him: "All the necessary computing power and even more." But the value of the proposal was still difficult to understand, even taking into account the additional message, so below we revealed the phrase “and even more” and presented other advantages of Unoceros. At the moment the product is in beta testing. In the future, the company intends to make data processing even less costly. And now the value proposition will allow the Unoceros advanced marketing team to complete the work that their site has begun.
At the bottom of the main page, we even added a section with a simplified step-by-step instruction, so that users can understand how easy it is to work with the Unoceros platform. First of all, we focused on users using the language available to them. Thus, the value of the product became apparent.
One of the easiest ways to create content in accordance with the principle of WIIFM is to use a second person, namely the pronouns “you”, “you” and “your”. Starting each message with these words, you underline value of the product for the user. When you use the pronouns “your” or “you,” the recipient immediately feels that you refer to him personally.
However, excessive use of such pronouns may also seem strange. Here the imperative mood of the verbs comes to the rescue. For example, the message on the Ceros main page begins with the word “Create” - a shorter version of the phrase “You can create.”
Let's consider a correctly and incorrectly composed message using the example of two brands, and also try to analyze the technology for creating such messages and edit the content.
Salesforce platform has become simply indispensable for many companies with large sales. Look at the company's message posted on the main page of the site, it is fully consistent with the principle of WIIFM: “Increase sales with a CRM solution number 1 in the world. More leads. Less work. ” It begins with a verb in the imperative and contains a sentence of value for users.
In addition, the Salesforce home page draws visitors to the sales funnel. If you are interested in the product, then you are invited to try its free version, and if you don’t, then just watch the demo. Given the specifics of their business, the use of such calls to action in conjunction with the value proposition helps to exclude users who go to the site themselves-unaware-for-what.
I first learned about Betterment when I read a review of the most promising brands in 2016 in the magazine Inc. Magazine. This is a service that helps millennials to manage finances. The founders of Betterment managed to attract huge investments, and now on the main page of their website there is a value proposition for a new audience. It is worth noting that all messages begin with the phrases: "We did it," "we did that" - but what is there for me? What is here for users? This main message can be easily corrected using the WIIFM approach ...
Before:
After:
WIIFM is an effective approach that will help you edit an existing text, create a new one or even create a brand from scratch. Wayne English, president of Web Content Rx, confirms this:
That is why it is so important to adhere to the principle of WIIFM. If you constantly talk about yourself, how will users understand what is there for them?
If you are unable to summarize the value proposition in accordance with the principle of WIIFM, then you need to start all over again - for us in DT this is a common thing when working with many brands. All this brings us to an important idea that many companies are missing: you have to tell users about “what you can do for them, not about what you are doing. These are completely different things, ”Wayne repeats . Keep this in mind when creating any page of your site, and soon you will notice how much easier the process of writing texts has become. Just ask yourself the question: "What is there for them?" And then you will succeed!
/ photo Eelke
')
In the world of web design, content is often considered an element of secondary importance, but even the highest-quality interface can be fundamentally tarnished by mismatched and unremarkable message text. We always try to make sure that the potential of web design is fully realized.
As a rule, people act according to their own interests - this is a powerful behavioral stimulus inherent in them from birth, which you can use to convince them of the value of your product or service. Answering the question "What is there for me?" [Eng. What's In It For Me? - abbr. WIIFM] with these tricks, you can create compelling calls to action, which, in turn, will lead to significant results.
All the time I come across such slogans as “We are driving competitors crazy!”, “Your main advantage in shopping is us”, and so on and so forth. These phrases of the company show that they are damn satisfied ... with themselves. But what about their customers? What do they care about competitors of these companies? And what exactly is their site better for shopping than others? What is in it for customers?
Ask yourself the question: do you contact your customers or just share information with them?
Each time you compose a message for your customers, answer the question: “What is there for me?” Thus, you will not only determine your advantages and the value of your product, but also show your customers that it meets their needs. Let's face it: this is the main question that buyers ask your brand, so do not forget about it. In this article, you will learn about three different ways to apply the WIIFM method to the value proposition of your product, commercial site or brand as a whole, and about the difference between these methods. But let's take one step at a time: first, let's start creating a value proposition (value proposition).
Theses of the article (which will be discussed in this material):
- Analysis of current content and its editing in accordance with new principles
- Developing a strategy for creating content in which in the future it will better reflect the essence of your proposal and the advantages of your brand.
- Examples of writing texts by other brands, including Digital Telepathy
Fundamentals of the WIIFM Method: Determination of Value Proposition
Before you begin distributing information through the website, email and other channels of communication, you need to determine the value of your product. Even if you made a mistake when creating and developing your brand and distributing, without formulating a value proposition that would answer the question “What is for me here,” the situation is reparable. But where to start?
The answer to this question was given by Daniel Decker, a strategic marketing specialist: “WIIFM shows how important and why your product is important for those to whom you are trying to sell it. This question makes customers understand that your product is worth their time or money. ” So step one: How do your messages express that the product you offer is worth the time and / or money of your customers? Let's try to correct some messages and analyze their new versions based on the WIIFM method.
To solve this problem, I combined the useful with the pleasant - or unpleasant, as in this case. My new sneakers heavily rubbed my feet, so I entered the query "Best insoles" in Google, and as a result, the search engine produced one specific site offering the best solution to my problem. I replaced the name of the company with “XYZ”.
On the site we see two main messages or value propositions:
- “Put an end to mediocrity. Choose insoles "XYZ"
- “Beauty does not always require sacrifice: your favorite shoes without pain”
An interesting choice. I have not fully understood what the value proposition is here. The first message has no value for the client. "Mediocrity" is a subjective concept; it does not explain what happens if the user chooses XYZ insoles. The second message indicates that women's shoes are uncomfortable, and women will finally be able to wear their favorite shoes without suffering from pain. In this case, the WIIFM principle applies. But is it really the whole target audience with which the company offers its product? Only women who wear uncomfortable shoes? I do not think so.
How can we improve these posts?
- Ask site visitors to participate in the study or gather a focus group of the ten most active users.
- Find out why they like your product, service or offer.
- Only by finding out the main value of your brand from the point of view of users, you can begin to create a value proposition.
Suppose most of the visitors to the site selling insoles answered that they appreciate comfort and relief from pain. Based on the survey results, we can formulate new value propositions for this brand. For example:
- # 1: Get rid of the pain and experience incredible comfort with the XYZ.
- No. 2: With XYZ insoles, every journey will be enjoyable from beginning to end.
- No. 3: XYZ insoles provide your feet with the comfort and care they deserve.
- # 4: Just put the XYZ insoles in any shoes and feel the difference. Your legs will say thank you.
Each of the above examples answers the question: “What is there for me”:
- No. 1: comfort and pain relief;
- No. 2: every walk will be more pleasant;
- No. 3: my legs deserve comfort;
- No. 4: ease of use and convenience.
Thus, we expanded the target audience, covering various categories of users, and also indicated the specific advantages and properties of XYZ insoles, which prompts customers to associate the product with its marketing.
Basics of the WIIFM Method: Product Marketing
You can now go to the analysis of the product, the desired relevant to the content. In social networks, I came across a service called Ceros . I can assume that it hasn’t been done without targeted marketing, but it’s a really useful product that allows you to create infographics, e-books, banners, etc. on your own. And this is great, but let's look at the home page of their website. What is there for me?
Good job. As a potential user, I see that with the help of Ceros I can “create interesting interactive content” using “the most powerful software for marketers and designers”. Ceros has clearly formulated its value proposition. The main advantage of its software is that it allows you to create attractive branded content. I prefer to call this approach the “KISS” abbreviation [Eng. Keep It Simple, Stupid - Keep it simple]. Your value proposition should not be too complicated. It is enough to indicate in it only one main property of the product, which is extremely necessary in your chosen industry. And in this regard, Ceros is an excellent example.
The value proposition of a product should not be too complicated. It is enough to indicate one thing in it - only one thing - the main feature of the product, which is extremely necessary in the chosen industry.
Not so long ago, we applied the KISS approach when working with one of our clients, Unoceros. The value proposition of their services is really difficult to understand, since it is ultra high-tech. What to do in this case? If we talk (not) in a simple way, Unoceros is the world's first distributed, highly efficient computer network, whose work is completely based on mobile technologies.
The Unoceros platform provides access to unused power of mobile phones to data processing specialists, programmers, engineers, and scientists. Their service significantly reduces the cost of data processing by traditional data centers and gives users the opportunity to "try everything" without worrying about a limited budget. And how can you summarize the essence of this technology? The options proposed by our copywriter, you can see here and here.
We highlighted the main advantages of Unoceros described in the message at the bottom of the screen, and added illustrations created by us specifically for this company.
In the upper half of the screen, the copywriter posted a convincing message, showing the user what is there for him: "All the necessary computing power and even more." But the value of the proposal was still difficult to understand, even taking into account the additional message, so below we revealed the phrase “and even more” and presented other advantages of Unoceros. At the moment the product is in beta testing. In the future, the company intends to make data processing even less costly. And now the value proposition will allow the Unoceros advanced marketing team to complete the work that their site has begun.
At the bottom of the main page, we even added a section with a simplified step-by-step instruction, so that users can understand how easy it is to work with the Unoceros platform. First of all, we focused on users using the language available to them. Thus, the value of the product became apparent.
Basics of the WIIFM method: marketing messages and text
One of the easiest ways to create content in accordance with the principle of WIIFM is to use a second person, namely the pronouns “you”, “you” and “your”. Starting each message with these words, you underline value of the product for the user. When you use the pronouns “your” or “you,” the recipient immediately feels that you refer to him personally.
However, excessive use of such pronouns may also seem strange. Here the imperative mood of the verbs comes to the rescue. For example, the message on the Ceros main page begins with the word “Create” - a shorter version of the phrase “You can create.”
When compiling marketing messages, use the WIIFM method, it will help you formulate a value proposition, revealing the main features and benefits of your product, service or offer. With this method, even novice marketers will be able to highlight important information and create a brand image that will reflect the value indicating the advantages and properties of the product.
Let's consider a correctly and incorrectly composed message using the example of two brands, and also try to analyze the technology for creating such messages and edit the content.
SALESFORCE: Great job!
Salesforce platform has become simply indispensable for many companies with large sales. Look at the company's message posted on the main page of the site, it is fully consistent with the principle of WIIFM: “Increase sales with a CRM solution number 1 in the world. More leads. Less work. ” It begins with a verb in the imperative and contains a sentence of value for users.
In addition, the Salesforce home page draws visitors to the sales funnel. If you are interested in the product, then you are invited to try its free version, and if you don’t, then just watch the demo. Given the specifics of their business, the use of such calls to action in conjunction with the value proposition helps to exclude users who go to the site themselves-unaware-for-what.
BETTERMENT: There is work to do ...
I first learned about Betterment when I read a review of the most promising brands in 2016 in the magazine Inc. Magazine. This is a service that helps millennials to manage finances. The founders of Betterment managed to attract huge investments, and now on the main page of their website there is a value proposition for a new audience. It is worth noting that all messages begin with the phrases: "We did it," "we did that" - but what is there for me? What is here for users? This main message can be easily corrected using the WIIFM approach ...
Before:
“ We are the largest auto investing service that gives you the opportunity to achieve your goals.”
After:
“ Achieve your goals with the largest auto investing service that will support you every step of the way.”
Conclusion
WIIFM is an effective approach that will help you edit an existing text, create a new one or even create a brand from scratch. Wayne English, president of Web Content Rx, confirms this:
“One thing is certain: if your site does not tell people how you can be useful to them, and your competitors say, then the advantage is not on your side. Never make the reader guess about the meaning of your message. ”
That is why it is so important to adhere to the principle of WIIFM. If you constantly talk about yourself, how will users understand what is there for them?
If you are unable to summarize the value proposition in accordance with the principle of WIIFM, then you need to start all over again - for us in DT this is a common thing when working with many brands. All this brings us to an important idea that many companies are missing: you have to tell users about “what you can do for them, not about what you are doing. These are completely different things, ”Wayne repeats . Keep this in mind when creating any page of your site, and soon you will notice how much easier the process of writing texts has become. Just ask yourself the question: "What is there for them?" And then you will succeed!
Other materials on the Pechkina blog:
- Email, social networks, instant messengers: What does the media influence and how to choose them
- How to create email-auto-answers: Analysis of 100 applications to support services of IT companies
- Working with email: How to reduce the number of incoming messages to zero
- Why spam is so hard to beat
- Email and Security: Is it possible to protect email correspondence?
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/305722/
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