Step Beyond the Features

Someone once asked, “What business is FedEx in?” Most would assume that they are in the shipping business. Some would say they are in the logistics business. However, if you think about it, Fedex is really in the peace of mind business.

One of their early slogans was, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” This alone hinted at what they were truly delivering. It had more to do with assurance than with moving boxes from here to there.

So, what can we learn from this example that can be applied to social media marketing? Well, we see the importance of acknowledging the benefits rather than the features of whatever it is we are promoting.

We don’t want to hear about the lastest software updates regarding your flagship productivity software. Rather, we want to hear about the time people are saving when they use your product.

We don’t want to hear about the innovative ways Reebok sews together leather to make running shoes. Instead, we want to hear about how our running will improve if we wear those particular shoes.

The very best part is that social media offers the perfect avenue for this type of dialog. Moreover, since social media is a two-way street, you can immediately get positive feedback from those already using (and benefiting) from your product or service.

This is a timeless strategy which must be mastered by everyone in a sales position. It also needs to be heeded by anyone attempting to engage an audience using social media.

Think about every status update, every headline, every tweet and every blog post with this notion in mind. Benefits are what get people in a buying mindset. Benefits impact their lives and answer that question lurking in the back of every buyer’s mind: “What’s in it for me?”

Our job is to help them find an answer. Do you agree?