“What’s in it for me?” That’s a common question among advertisement recipients. Perhaps even along with, “So what?”Assume every customer is asking this upon receiving a direct mail piece from your company.
What’s in it for me? (WIIFM) is a marketing tactic every copywriter and marketer should understand before crafting direct mail campaign messaging. Customers are pondering why they should purchase your products or services, and how doing so will help them. You should provide them with an answer that outlines the benefits of your offer and explains how your service or product will solve their problem or satisfy their needs.
Here are several to help you create a message that answers WIIFM:
Retired U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Direct Marketing Specialist Leslie Goldstein explains on LinkedIn that many marketers forget this critical concept prior to devising their message: “We are SO used to our own industry that we often forget that the prospect doesn’t really understand all that we take for granted. There is an assumption that by telling them features—as opposed to benefits—that this will bring them to our doorsteps (brick-n-mortar and internet).”
Before creating your message, you need to understand the difference between features and benefits. The former is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the structure, form or appearance,” while a benefit is “something that produces good or helpful results or effects or that promotes well-being.”
You’ll need to define both your product’s features and benefits to convey the reasons consumers should commit to a purchase. So how do you determine these? Treat them like an “If, then” sentence: If you have this feature, then you will receive this benefit. Transform features into advantages by contemplating the value and results customers derive.
For example, we might list:
If you were to turn these into features and benefits:
Another way to figure out your company’s unique advantages is to simply ask your loyal customer base why they buy products from you and subscribe to your services as opposed to your competitors. This can be done in the form of a survey, with responses dictating your next direct mail message.
For instance, if you receive many responses raving about your customer service, include this in your next campaign.
To ensure you’re addressing customers, change the “we” in your message to “you.”
For example, if a telecommunications company’s original message is “We provide the fastest service,” they should change it to “You can get the fastest service available if you switch today.” Or, if you’re a bank trying to target new clients, your original message “We offer the lowest interest rates” would be more effective as “You can take advantage of our low interest rates today.”
Add personalization to your direct mail piece to create a more targeted, relevant message. The more customized and unique the text and graphics, the more likely customers will recognize the advantages of your products or services. Variable data printing increases response rates by more than 100 percent.
Our HP PageWide WebPress prints customized campaigns at scale to increase your ROI and response rates.
In addition to showcasing the value of your products or service, it’s important to build trust with customers. Consider adding Yelp, Google, Amazon, or other reviews to your brochure or letter to show new customers that others have derived satisfaction and improved their lives from your services or products.
If your company has received accolades or industry-specific certifications, it’s vital to include these as logos or graphics as well.