The e-Marketing Plan - Brief Overview and Working Scheme

I. Summary of a marketing plan

The marketing planning (concretized in the marketing plan) is an essential organizational activity, considering the hostile and complex competitive business environment. Our ability and skills to perform profitable sales are affected by hundreds of internal and external factors that interact in a difficult way to evaluate. A marketing manager must understand and build an image upon these variables and their interactions, and must take rational decisions.

Let us see what do we call a "marketing plan"? It is the result of the planning activity, a document that includes a review of the organization's place in the market, an analysis of the STEP factors as well as a SWOT analysis. A complete plan would also formulate some presumptions on why we think the past marketing strategy was successful or not. The next phase shall present the objectives we set, together with the strategies to achieve these objectives. In a logical sequence, we will further need to evaluate the results and formulate alternative plans of action. A plan would consist in details of responsibilities, costs, sales prognosis and budgeting issues.

The e-Marketing Plan - Brief Overview and Working Scheme

In the end, we should not forget to specify how the plan (or plans) will be controlled, by what means we will measure its results.

We will see how to build the marketing plan, what is its structure: after we will see how to build the traditional marketing plan, we will take a look at the e-marketing plan and see how the unique features of the internet will require some changes in the approach of writing a marketing plan.

But, before we continue, we must understand and accept that steps of the marketing plan are universal. It is a logical approach of the planning activity, no matter where we apply it. The differences you meet from a plan to another consist in the degree of formality accorded to each phase, depending on the size and nature of the organization involved. For example, a small and not diversified company would adopt less formal procedures, because the managers in these cases have more experience and functional knowledge than the subordinates, and they are able to achieve direct control upon most factors. On the other hand, in a company with diversified activity, it is less likely that top managers have functional information in a higher degree than the subordinate managers. Therefore, the planning process must be formulated to ensure a strict discipline for everyone involved in the decisional chain.

II. The general marketing plan

The classical marketing plan would follow the following scheme of 8 stages:

1. Declaring the mission: this is the planning stage when we establish the organizational orientations and intentions, thus providing a sense of direction. In most cases, this is a general presentation of the company's intentions and almost has a philosophic character.

2. Establishing current objectives: it is essential for the organization to try to determine with preciseness the objectives to be reached. These objectives, in order to be viable, must be SMART. SMART is an acronym and stands for "Specific", "Measurable", "Attainable", "Realistic" and "Timed". The objectives must also convey the general organizational mission.

3. Gathering information: this stage is based on the concept of marketing audit. After performing the audit of the macro-environment by analyzing the STEP factors (social, technologic, economic and politic), we should turn the focus upon the immediate extern environment (the micro-environment) and analyze the competitive environment, the costs and the market. Finally, we will conclude with the SWOT analysis, by this way we will have a general view upon the internal environment compared to the external one. The SWOT analysis combine the two perspectives, from the inside and from the outside, because the Strengths and the Weaknesses are internal issues of an organization, while the Opportunities and Threads come from the outside.

4. Re-formulating objectives: after the close examination of data gathered in the previous stage, sometimes it is needed to re-formulate the initial objectives, in order to address all the issues that might have come up from the previous stage. The distance between the initial objective and the re-formulated objective will be covered by appropriate strategies. We must ensure the re-formulated objective is SMART as well.

5. Establishing strategies: several strategies are to be formulated, in order to cover the distance between what we want to achieve and what is possible to achieve, with the resources at our disposal. As we would usually have several options, we should analyze them and chose the one with more chances to achieve the marketing objectives.

6. Plan of actions: consists in a very detailed description of the procedures and means to implement the actions we want to take. For example, if the strategy implies a raise in advertising volume, the plan of actions should establish where the advertisements will be placed, the dates and frequency of the advertising campaigns, a set of procedures to evaluate their effectiveness. The actions we plan to take must be clearly formulated, measurable, and the results must be monitored and evaluated.

7. Implementation and control: consist in the series of activities that must be performed in order to run the marketing plan in accordance to the objectives set by the marketer. At this stage, it is critical to gain the support of all members if the organization, especially when the marketing plan is due to affect the organization from its grounds.

8. Performance measurement: constitutes the last but not the less important stage of the marketing plan, since we can achieve only what we can measure. In order to measure the performances achieved through the marketing plan, we need to constantly monitor each previous stage of the plan.

The marketing plan that has a feedback cycle, from 8th stage back to the 4th. That is because sometimes during the planning process, we might need to perform stages 4 to 8 several times before the final plan can be written.

III. The e-marketing plan

The e-marketing plan is built exactly on the same principles as the classical plan. There is no different approach, but there might be some formal differences given by the uniqueness of the internet environment. Many of these differences come from the necessity to ensure a high rate of responsiveness from the customers, since the e-world is moving faster and requires faster reaction from its companies, compared to the traditional offline marketplace.

Even though it is perfectly acceptable and is a common practice to use the 8-stage classic model for the e-marketing plan as well, you might want to consider the simplified version proposed by Chaffey, who identifies four major steps to build the e-marketing plan:

1. Strategic analysis: consists in continuous scanning of the macro- and micro-environment. The accent should fall on the consumers' needs that change very rapidly in the online market, as well as on surveying the competitors' actions and evaluating the opportunities offered by new technologies.

2. Defining strategic objectives: the organization must have a clear vision and establish if the media channels will complement the traditional ones, or will replace them. We must define specific objectives (don't forget to check if they are SMART!) and we must also specify the contribution of the online activities to the organization's turnover.

3. Formulating strategies - we do that by addressing the following essential issues:

- develop strategies towards the target markets;

- positioning and differentiating strategies;

- establish priorities of online activities;

- focus attention and efforts on CRM and financial control;

- formulate strategies for product development;

- develop business models with well-established strategies for new products or services, as well as pricing policies;

- necessity for some organizational restructuring;

- changes in the structure of communication channels.

4. Implementing strategies: includes careful execution of all necessary steps to achieve established objectives. It could refer re-launching of a website, promo campaigns for a new or rewritten site, monitoring website efficiency and many more.

Note: a common strategy to achieve e-marketing objectives is the communication strategy. The steps to built a coherent communication plan will be presented within a further article.

IV. The e-marketing plan (sample titles)

1. Executive Summary

a. overview upon present conjuncture;

b. key aspects of the strategic e-marketing plan.

2. Situational Analysis

a. characteristics of the e-market;

b. possible factors of success;

c. competitors' analysis;

d. technological factors;

e. legal factors;

f. social factors;

g. possible problems and opportunities.

3. The e-Marketing Objectives

a. product profile;

b. target market;

c. sales objectives.

4. The e-Marketing Strategies

a. product strategies;

b. price strategies;

c. promotion strategies;

d. distribution strategies.

5. Technical Issues

a. website content;

b. website "searcheability";

c. logging security (for customers and staff);

d. customer registration procedure;

e. multimedia;

f. autoresponders;

g. order forms and feedback forms;

h. access levels to online resources;

i. credit card transactions;

j. website hosting;

k. website publishing;

l. technical staff (size, requirements)

6. Appendix

7. Bibliography

The e-Marketing Plan - Brief Overview and Working Scheme
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Otilia Otlacan is a young certified professional with expertise in e-Marketing and e-Business, currently working as independent consultant and e-publisher. She developed and teach her own online course in "Principles of e-Marketing" and is also a volunteer Economics teacher.

You can contact her via her personal website at BRAINmarketing.net [http://www.brainmarketing.net] or check out her developing Marketing, e-Marketing and e-Business resources portal at TeaWithEdge.com

What Makes a Good Writer?

So you want to be a writer? How can you be a good writer? It would be difficult to define a good writer with just one definition.

Writing is an art as well as a science. Writing is an art since it has various styles to it and it is a science as you would use different techniques to write it.

Good writing however has much more to it than just the common techniques used. [It depends on who your target audience is and whether you know your audience well]

What Makes a Good Writer?

The parameters for a good writer depend on the audience who is going to read it.

For instance, the differences between the style content writers use and the style full-time is that the content-writers mostly use first and second person; whereas a writer for a newspaper would use an objective tone (third-person reporting). The language used is also different for different media of communication.

The general yardsticks to determine whether one is a good writer are to check whether his/her article has a good flow, eye-catching content and the language. The sentence structure, grammar, ideas and the form used are some of the other factors that play an important role in determining whether one is a good writer.

However, there is no one way to find out who a good writer is.

What Makes a Good Writer?
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I was born on October 24, 1982 in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. I started writing poems at the age of 17, when I was in my 12th Grade. I won several poetry contests in school and that is what made me decide to get my poems published in anthologies and enter poetry contests. I won the "Editor's Choice Award for Outstanding Performance in Poetry" from ILP, MD, USA in July 2001. My poems got published in 2 anthologies - Muse Whispers Vol. 2 and Vol. 3. I also write articles and translate documents, etc. (from German to English and English to German) on a freelance basis.

This was a great boost to me. I plan to publish my own book of poems in a few more months. You can contact me at skorpionqueen@rediffmail.com.

Freelance Editing Jobs From Home - Yes, You Can Get Paid to Read Books, Ads and Magazines!

With more and more jobs disappearing overseas and with a struggling economy, many people are searching for legitimate ways to make extra money online. If you enjoy reading and can easily spot mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation -you may have what it takes to make money with freelance editing jobs from home.

Freelance editing is fun and rewarding work and it pays fairly well too. Many freelance editing jobs pay at least .00 per page and some as much as .00 per page. If the author or publisher is in a hurry, they may ask for expedited service and be willing to pay you much more.

The important things to remember when editing as a freelance, is that the work that you are editing is not your own. It does not matter if you agree with the author's point of view -or even if you think the author is telling the truth. As a freelance editor, your only concern is the written word. You are only looking for mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Anything else is the author's problem.

Freelance Editing Jobs From Home - Yes, You Can Get Paid to Read Books, Ads and Magazines!

Try and think of freelance editing as a service. You are providing a valuable service that will make that author's work more polished and professional. Many writers hurry through their work because they are filled with inspiration and cannot take the time to carefully proofread what they have written. -That's where you come in.

As a professional freelance editor, you have the time and talent to clean up the author's inspiration and help him or her get their work published out into the mainstream. Without your talent, many authors would never find success because their work was unreadable or filled with so many mistakes that they could not be taken seriously.

Working as a freelance editor from home can be a satisfying way to make money legitimately online. You are providing a professional service to authors and publishers that need your talent and expertise. Reading books, advertisements and magazines is enjoyable for you -and now it can be profitable too.

For more information about this and other legitimate online money-making opportunities, please visit to link to my website below. Freelance editing jobs are just one of the many legitimate business opportunities that are available to you online. Don't you owe it to yourself to learn more?

Freelance Editing Jobs From Home - Yes, You Can Get Paid to Read Books, Ads and Magazines!
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Dennis Anthony is a successful entrepreneur and freelance editor from home. Dennis' sole purpose in life is to help others achieve success in their own home businesses. Free Business Resources [http://www.home-business-ideas-online.com] are available for you if you are interested and want to work freelance editing jobs from home.

Power Words And Phrases

I like to use power phrases when writing sales material. These power phrases add punch to a line or a paragraph and I usually use them to start off a sentence.

You can generally find a lot of "power phrases" when reading good sales copy. I usually keep a notebook nearby so that whenever I come across a line or a phrase that I Iike in sales material, I write it down for possible future use.

They are also great for writers block too. When I am stuck in the middle of writing, I'll usually refer to my power phrases, and the next thing I know, the sentences sometimes start writing themselves.

Power Words And Phrases

Some examples of the power phrases I use include:

"Listen closely..."

"As you may already know..."

"Now, I don't know about you..."

"Well, I've got news for you..."

"Let me explain..."

"And best of all..."

"In fact..."

"Here's the bottom line..."

"Quite frankly..."

"Now, I know what you're thinking..."

"Take a deep breathe and relax..."

"The answer is yes..."

Power phrases can be used to grab and hold people's attention so that they keep reading. Some may even call these "hypnotic" phrases.

Even single words can invoke a reaction in some people that can be used to add "punch" to your sales material. I call these power words.
Some power words to use in your marketing include:

Free, Powerful, Incredible, Easy, Shocking, Cheap, Revealed, Best, Uncovered, Hidden, Proven, Results, Revolutionary, Profits, Fantastic, Inside, Learn, Enhance, Hottest, New, Improved, Unbelievable, Ultimate, Offer, Master, Scientific, Private, Breakthrough, Save, Guaranteed, Tricks, You, Love, Limited, Special, Secrets

You can use power words to add punch to a headline, sentence, a short ad, or whatever fancies you.

Those are just a few of the power words and phrases that I have collected over the years.

Do yourself a favor:

Another power phrase...?

No really... do yourself a favor:

Always keep a notebook nearby and look out for words or phrases that capture your attention in sales material. Then write it down. If it captured your attention, it's sure to capture other people's attention too.

And over time, you'll have plenty of power words and phrases to choose from when writing your sales material.

They sure make life a lot easier...

And profitable too!

Power Words And Phrases
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Al Martinovic publishes a popular internet marketing newsletter at http://www.milleniummarketers.com and runs a successful home business at [http://www.ineedsmokes.com]

Born With The Moon In Scorpio

According to Astrology, the exact location of the moon during the time of your birth determines your emotional reaction to the world around you. While the astrological sun colors your outwardly aggressive actions, the moon dictates your inner, passive or receptive urges. The moon is your "female energy" - she represents the type of nurturing energy you project, and/or the type of mothering you received as a child. Today we will discuss the Moon in Scorpio.

The Scorpio Moon: Joy and Pain

The Moon is literally in its fall, or denouement, in this sign. For this reason, Scorpio Moon folks are known to grapple with themselves on the inside. They typically experience all emotions extremely, deeply and totally - ecstasy, sorrow, elation... and yes, their tempers, when provoked, can be explosive. To complicate matters, Scorpio Moon people regard their own emotions as a source of vulnerability and therefore try to keep their true feelings under wraps. So, it's not surprising that while many Scorpio Moons are traveling this earth feeling everything very intensely, they're also wearing this kind of detached look. After all, if they were to be found out, there would be very grave consequences indeed. What those consequences might be is anybody's guess... but if the Scorpio Moon is the one doing the imagining, it's sure to be quite catastrophic.

Born With The Moon In Scorpio

The Scorpio Moon, in a nutshell: intensity. Intense likes, intense dislikes, intense fascination, intense disgust... and yes, in keeping with the general Scorpio reputation, intense love affairs. This is a very black-and-white, all-or-nothing moon with extremely fixed notions about things. If you're loved by a Scorpio Moon then you are loved fiercely, totally and completely; but if you're despised by a Scorpio Moon, then you may as well not exist. And it's quite possible in dealing with this turbulent moon native that both emotions may be directed at you at different points in this lifetime. If a Scorpio Moon perceives that you have slighted them in some way... better make good immediately, or run and hide until the mood passes, because in all likelihood, revenge is being plotted against YOUR head!

The Scorpio Moon: Offsetting the Drama With Private Relaxation

Scorpio Moon people tend to go through life acting on hunches, "reading between the lines" - picking up subtle nonverbal cues, moods, intentions, underlying messages and such. Indeed, someone with this moon placement may get a very different meaning from the same conversation heard by someone with a more literal and pragmatic mind. This is not only quite distracting to the moon native, but when they react to these perceptions it often leads to undesired consequences and drama. Thus, the irony of the Scorpio Moon; being consumed by the very internal composition one despises in himself, and attracting drama-infused situations as a direct result of trying to avoid them.

A troubled Scorpion Moon person should allow herself some distance from time to time... a private sanctuary where she can sort out her emotions, get a healthy perspective and then emerge from the "cocoon" with renewed inner peace and a higher purpose in mind. Indeed, reflection and meditation feels quite natural to this introspective moon native and is encouraged as a way to take the edge off and temper the extreme moods. A deeply sensitive soul, capable of great courage and strength... there is much room for psychological growth and wisdom to be gained with this lunar positioning.

The Scorpio Moon: A Powerful Force for Good OR Evil

As with any sign, there are both positives and negatives to the Scorpio Moon placement. The sign of Scorpio has been assigned two symbols- the Scorpion and the Eagle. The former, a covert creature who stealths along the ground; and the latter, a symbol of power and might, soaring into the high heavens. Lows and highs... the Scorpio Moon is quite familiar with both states of consciousness... more than most, in fact.

Spiritually evolved Scorpio Moon souls can (and should) harness the gift of their emotional intensity and move proverbial mountains with it. If a Scorpio Moon person is intrinsically good, then that goodness of spirit can manifest itself in divine ways... extreme compassion and generosity toward fellow man, great and unshakeable integrity, impeccably honest conduct in business and personal affairs, and a permanent seat on the side of righteousness and justice. An enlightened Scorpio Moon will pledge his whole self to any and every cause he deems important; profess his undying faith to his family, home, country; and even make the ultimate sacrifice in a lifelong promise to serve God. Yes, this moon placement is often found in religious leaders, as the spiritual aspect is heavily emphasized here.

Less evolved Scorpio moons, on the other hand, are not averse to using abject means to get what they want. The concentration of power in this sign placement has led many a wayward Scorpio lunar native down a dark and devious path of corruption. In direct contrast to their enlightened counterparts; illicit affairs, illegal and underhanded dealings, petty and deceitful behavior, psychological turmoil, and loyalty to no one but themselves are trademark signs of the afflicted Scorpio Moon. Again, this is all due to the fact that Scorpio is in the moon's fall, thus making emotions feel uncomfortable, unnatural and all-encompassing. With the all-or-nothing theme at work, indeed this placement will produce some extreme results.

The Scorpio Moon and Sex

It has been said that sexual impulses drive the Scorpio Moon native moreso than other moon signs, perhaps because they radiate such passion and intensity that they're forever in need of release. The Scorpio Moon is equated with transcendental lovemaking or "soul sex" in which the participants experience an exalted state of consciousness by way of the physical sex act itself. Clearly, while "sexual nirvana" is hardly a day-to-day occurrence, this moon person has been labeled as having an extra potential for such achievements. At the very least, this moon person admits to having a high sex drive, even allowing sex to affect his or her decisions at certain points in life.

The Scorpio Moon as a Nurturer

The Scorpio Moon Nurturer is fiercely protective and psychologically all-consuming. Scorpio Moon Mothers, or "Smothers" as they are sometimes known, must learn to temper their intensity. If the Scorpio lover is possessive in her affairs, the Scorpio mother is equally possessive of her children. It will be her ongoing challenge to "let go." These moon natives must get a reign on that fretfulness that leads to strings of sleepless nights, and interfere less in the daily trials and tribulations of their young sons and daughters. Scorpio Moon Mothers must generally permit themselves to chill out, cool down and back off. An earth-sign or earth moon-sign partner can lend a comforting and grounding effect for the Scorpio nurturer who has let the worrying get out of hand yet again.

Other signature themes and preoccupations of the Scorpio Moon: secrets, mysteries, severity, psychology, power, control, passion, revenge, obsession, loyalty, sex, depth of feeling, ethics, spirituality, solitude, death. No, the Scorpio moon is surely not made of green cheese, but rather some of the most powerful facets of human existence. This lunar native must learn to embrace the reality of his or her own emotions as opposed to running or hiding from them. If the Scorpio Moon person can navigate his or her own spirit to a higher and more exalted place, he will recognize the potential for complete and total happines that lies within himself... and the transformation will be powerful for certain.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Born With The Moon In Scorpio
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Creative Cleaning Business Names

The name of your cleaning business will make up a large part of the perceptions that customers have about your brand. It will eventually become one of the most valuable assets that your company has, representing the sum total of all the goodwill that you build up over the years. The process of naming a cleaning business is indeed something that you should take very seriously.

One approach to naming a business is to give people a clear idea about what a business does so that people immediately know what a company can do for them. Other experts believe that this approach is too limiting and that as you may want to change the direction of your company in the future you should go for something a little more creative. abstract and versatile. Including the word 'cleaning' in a name is a good idea but you wouldn't want to describe the services that you offer to precisely in the name as you might discontinue that particular service at some point in time.

Using the owners name or the area where the business operates in as part of the business name, while seemingly adding a nice touch can also be limiting and inappropriate as your business evolves.

Creative Cleaning Business Names

Depending on your budget you could even approach an expert in naming businesses to come up with something creative and effective for you. The naming decision is worthy of some expert attention as so many entrepreneurs regret their selection further down the road. Maybe business owners shouldn't name their own business when someone a little more objective and with more business experience could do a much better job.

A name should be reasonably short, distinct and memorable, separating a business from the crowd. Use strong words that command attention. Stay away from overused words like 'Global' or 'Best'.

Try out a few of your favorites on friends and family. Ask them what they think of your top choices and see if they can remember them the next day. Make sure that they can pronounce them correctly too.

Make sure that your selection is not already in use by another cleaning business. Check online and also do a database search at your city or county clerks office. You might also want to check to see if there is a suitable domain name as you will undoubtedly set up a website for your cleaning business at some point. Most importantly, you, as the business owner have to like the name. It has to inspire you, instill confidence in you and allow you to envision your success.

A name forms an important part of a companies overall branding strategy and is one of the factors contributing to overall success. Changing a cleaning business name in the future would cause a loss of brand power and would result in a serious inconvenience and expense. You should do everything that you can to get the name right first time round.

Creative Cleaning Business Names
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To compare some of the top cleaning business startup guides visit - Starting a Cleaning Business

How to Write a Testimonial

You have had fantastic service. You love the product. You really enjoy working with a particular company, and then... they ask you to write a testimonial for them. What do you do?

If you are like most people, you say "sure" and then sit and stare at your computer for a while, your brain spinning, and not knowing where to start. You type in some words, and then delete them. Your brain draws a blank so you put off writing that testimonial for another day... and another day. You really mean to write it, you just don't know how.

To help you put your thoughts into words, here's five ways to help you write that testimonial.

How to Write a Testimonial

1. Stream of consciousness approach: The easiest way to write a testimonial is to speak it. Imagine a friend or colleague has asked you about the business or service - what would you say to them? Either record your answer (most mobiles have a mini recorder in-built into them) or have someone scribble down your answer.

2. Jot it down: The thought of "writing" can give some people a cold sweat. The word "jotting" doesn't have the same fear level. So just "jot" a few points down on some paper, and then fax it off.

3. Structured approach: If you prefer a bit of structure, then write your answers to the following points:

a. Start with what prompted you to choose this service or product

b. Then - what you were concerned about or afraid about (e.g.: you may have found similar services were very slow or the service person didn't turn up)

c. Then - what happened when you bought the product or service. What did you do and what results did you get?

d. What was your favourite feature of the product or service?

e. What did you like most about the approach the product or service took?

f. Who would you recommend this product or service to? Why?

g. Anything else you would like to add.

4. Be specific: Always write about specific details and not general comments. Comments such as "they are the best company to deal with" are too broad. If you say "they turn up on time, clean up after themselves, take the time to explain everything in non-geek speak" add more meaning.

5. Video it: The most powerful testimonials are ones that made using videos. Just grab your camera phone or webcam, and either get someone to ask you the structured questions listed above while you answer, or just talk about the product or service. Send the camera film to their mobile, or drop it onto a disk and mail it. Simple!

A few last pointers.

Don't worry about how long or short your words are. If you write a page, they can always edit it and just use the key points if they are looking for a short testimonial, or they can use the whole thing. By writing until you are "done" you give the company options.

You need to be 100% honest. Only include things in your testimonial within your direct experience.

And finally, where possible give permission for your full name and company name to be used. If you have a website, give permission for your website to be linked to your testimonial. This has the added benefit of giving your website more Google juice through gaining a link back to it, as well as adding credibility to your words.

Writing a testimonial doesn't have to be a chore - just pick the approach that best works for you and give it a go. You will feel great for being able to share your experience of the product or service with people, and the company you are writing for will feel appreciated and valued.

How to Write a Testimonial
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Ingrid Cliff is a Brisbane copywriter and the Chief Word Wizard of Heart Harmony - her writing services studio that helps put your business into words. Visit her website for a free copy of "Copywriting Secrets: Seven Secrets of Compelling Copy and Powerful Words".

Copywriting - Differences Between Features and Benefits

Business owners make a huge mistake when they focus on the features of their product or service! People want to know what is in it for me and that can only be explained by sharing the benefits of your product or service. Get this right in your marketing and you will see an increase in business.

So what is the difference between features and benefits?

Feature is a characteristic of a product or service (dry and boring).

Copywriting - Differences Between Features and Benefits

Benefits explains what client will gain by using your product or service (the feeling the client will enjoy with your product or service).

The best way to understand the difference between features and benefits is to see a side by side comparisons of feature statements and benefit statements.

Feature: Open 24 Hours

Benefit: Business is open any time you need us.

Feature: All wheel drive

Benefit: No more getting stuck in the snow.

Feature: Side impact airbags

Benefit: You and your family will be safe in an accident.

Feature: Waterproof

Benefit: You will stay warm and dry.

Feature: Grocery delivery

Benefit: Stay safe at home, no more carrying heavy groceries around, we deliver groceries right to your front door.

The easy part is to write about features. Talking about benefits takes a little bit of effort.

Here is an easy way to write about benefits.

First write down all your features. Now at the end of each feature write 'which means'.

Example: Waterproof boots 'which means' your feet will stay warm and dry

See how easy that is.

Remember features tell and benefits sell! This is the huge difference between features and benefits! People rarely get out their wallets and buy based on features, they run for their wallets when your benefits instill the feeling they will enjoy if they were to purchase your product or service.

Features are important and should be noted, however if you want people to run for their wallets and hand over their money you must show them the benefits of what you offer!

Show people how your product or service solves their problems and makes their life better and they will buy from you!

With this new found knowledge, go back and update all your copy to ensure you are mainly focused on your product or services benefits in order to trigger your customers buying response. It is OK to include features, however, make the focus on benefits and watch your bank account climb!

Copywriting - Differences Between Features and Benefits
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