It may be hard to pronounce, but it’s one of the most important acronyms in marketing.
WIIFM
“What’s in it for me?”
Your marketing copy should answer this question with a compelling answer.
You’ve probably heard marketers talk about the fact that no one cares about you. They care about themselves.
It’s all about Me. Myself. And I.
“What can you do for ME?”
It’s true. And it’s especially important as the online world gets noiser.
Even though it’s becoming cliché, it’s a mistake I still see entrepreneurs and business owners make all the time.
In fact, here’s a message I received recently on LinkedIn…
Here’s someone I don’t know personally asking me to “explore some opportunities for her”
(what does that even mean?)
If you want someone to respond to what you’re saying, it’s so important you take the time to consider WIIFM.
When you’re done writing a piece of copy, go back through it and ask:
“What’s in it for them?”
And if your copy doesn’t answer that question, don’t send it out.
Because the reality is that if there’s nothing in it for them, they’ll probably just tune you out.
And that’s a problem. Especially because you probably have something important they need to hear.
Here’s a quick little trick you can use to make sure your copy WIIFMs:
- Go through your copy and circle all the I’s in your copy
- Then, go through and square all the You’s
- The squares should outnumber the circles by at least 2:1.
If they don’t, that’s a sign your copy might be too much about you. And not enough about them.
Even in an article like this where I’m teaching a lesson, there are 21 you’s and 4 I’s.
So yes, it’s possible even if you’re writing about yourself and your own stories.
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