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     “We-We”Advertising Copy Does Not Work?
  
             “We do this.”  “We do that.”  “We have.”  “We are.”  “We can.”

            If your ads are going to sell anything, you need to convert “we” to “you.”  Your
    ads need to address “what’s in it for your customer.”  They (customers or prospects)
    could care less about you!

            Here’s a piece of copy I just lifted out of a Minnesota newspaper:  “We’ve been in
    business 92 years.”  

            Change that to “You can take advantage of expertise that has weathered the test of
    time.  You can feel confident you’re working with a business that’s not just another
    pretty face or a fly-by-night.”  See the difference in believability?

            Sure you’re proud of your company and what it has to offer.  But understand
    very clearly that your customers care far more about how well you can help THEM
    meet THEIR needs.  If you want your ads to produce results, you need to make your
    customer, your specific target market, your focus in your copy.

            What words you use and how you use them are immediately apparent to the
    reader of your ad.  Don’t get caught up in your own “wonderfulness.”  Talk instead
    about all the ways your customer or prospect can benefit from you and the stuff you
    sell.

            When you “we-we” all over yourself, you send potential customers scurrying for
    the exit . . . As in turning the page!  

            If you want to guarantee that you’re talking benefits, give your copy the “so
    what?” test.  “New coffee mug has built-in heating element to keep your coffee hot.”

            So what?

            “Never sip a cold cup of coffee again!  Our new mug insures that your final sip is
    just as hot as your first!”  Bang!  Benefit copy!  

            Here’s another example taken from a furniture store ad from a Minnesota
    newspaper: “Our multi-functional bench is hand-made of solid oak and is now sale
    priced at 28% off the original price.  This 36” wide bench will fit nicely in most any entry
    way.”  

            So what?

            “Hang hats, coats, scarves, umbrellas and leashes on the hooks of this well-made
    Arts and Crafts Bench.  Store sports stuff, backpacks and phone books down below.  
    Have a place to sit while you put on or take off your boots or shoes.  This 36” wide solid
    oak bench serves many functions without taking up a lot of space.  It will dress up your
    entryway or hall.”  

            Now you’re talking!   You have told me exactly what’s in it for me.  Benefit copy!

            A common problem that small businesses have when trying to translate their
    product or service features into benefits is that they are “looking at the label from the
    inside of the bottle,” (quote from best-selling author, Roy H. Williams.)   They simply
    know too much about their own business (that’s good!) but because they are
    “experts,” they often launch into a replay of what their product or service does or is
    and miss the “so what?” and the “what’s in it for me.”

            They push the “we-we” and customers and prospects are looking for the “me-
    me.”  Take a close look at your next ad and be sure your focus is on your customer and
    that you’re speaking to him/her in their own language.  Results WILL follow!
Marketing Emporium
636 Horizon Drive
Unit 604
Grand Junction, CO  81506
Direct telephone:  970-210-8648
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