The language of benefits and the language of loss, i.e. effective methods of marketing communication

Describing a benefit or explaining how to avoid a loss is one of the most common ways to encourage the purchase of goods and services. Do any of them have a greater impact on sales? When to describe the benefits and when to use the language of loss?

The language of benefits in advertising - how to use it?

The language of benefits implies that the benefits for the consumer of using a given good or service will be described. As the father of copywriting (and advertising in general), David Ogilvy said, “Consumers don't buy products. They buy the benefits of using the product. " When reaching for this form of communication, you must take into account not the product features themselves, but how they respond to the recipient's needs.

The content written in the language of benefits is one in which the following scheme applies: product feature -> advantage of such a feature felt during the use of the product -> development of benefits from the perspective of a specific customer. With its help ..., thanks to it ..., it will make ..., facilitate ..., limit ..., help ..., is a guarantee ... thanks to this you can be sure that ... - such promises (so-called bridging phrases) are a sign that the content you are reading uses the language of benefits.

The language of benefits is often used, for example, in creative product descriptions for e-commerce. An example would be a stroller with a deep boot:

• Product Feature: Baby Stroller With Deep Luggage Carrier.
• Advantage: A baby stroller with a luggage compartment, in which you can fit all the little things for a child, and even shopping.
• Benefits: Baby stroller with a luggage compartment in which you can fit all the little things for a child, and even shopping. Thanks to it, you can go for a long walk with your child. Bring a blanket when it gets cold and a sun umbrella in case the sunny weather forecast proves correct. When you return home, you will be able to go shopping along the way. The luggage compartment under the stroller can still accommodate healthy, fresh products for dinner.

On the other hand, in sales emails, the AIDA method, also known in offline marketing and promotion, is often used. Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action are four emotions that the consumer is supposed to evoke by a message encouraging to buy. Realizing, arousing interest, then craving for a given item or service, and finally motivating to act - is a simple scheme leading the reader from a person unaware that he or she needs a good or service, to a customer who buys it.

The Language of Loss - Does Encouraging Harm Avoidance Really Work?

If you are looking for an argument in favor of using the language of loss, behavioral economics is the answer. The vast majority of people are willing to avoid risk or loss. By providing information that the purchase of a product or service will help the consumer avoid unpleasant events, you hit his sensitive point, i.e. loss aversion.

As psychologists point out, feeling averse to loss, we are inclined to choose a choice that carries no risk, or one that is burdened with less risk. Marketers eagerly use the language of loss, e.g. in time-limited offers. You know a slogan like: "Only today until midnight my course is 10% cheaper! Tomorrow you will pay PLN 300 more ”? This is a perfect example of using human loss aversion to sell something. The availability limit works in a similar way.

By using the description of the loss, you can name the product or service that the consumer can buy. The words: "Don't you really want to use an application that will allow you to control the number of calories consumed? For many, it was the first step on the way to a dream figure! " is an excellent example of such communication.

Use the language of loss also when you want to write why your product or service is better than the competition. "If you want to get the latest knowledge about landing page design, sign up for my course" - this is a great start for the post, in which you will describe your course in the best light, and at the same time refute the competition's offer, indicating what losses the consumer may suffer when deciding on the training she proposes.

The language of the loss complies with the rule of unavailability. If something is only available to a limited group of consumers, it becomes more exclusive. On the other hand, the principle of inaccessibility can be used, showing that each consumer prefers to be in a specific group.

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The language of benefits and the language of loss as an element of content marketing

The description of the benefits and the possibility of avoiding loss should be included in the content used in content marketing. Blog entries or off-site sponsored articles can use both mechanisms to present a specific problem. "How to avoid high electricity bills?" versus "5 proven ways to reduce electricity bills" are examples of topics for articles that cover the same topic, but from two different perspectives.

The first will use the language of loss (in the event of using the competition's offer, not necessarily indicating specific brands or products) and the language of benefits (showing the advantages of your product or service), and in the second - the language of benefits. In both cases, the advertiser may be, for example, a window manufacturer.

The key to successfully using both the language of profit and the language of loss is to use proper argumentation. Before you start writing an article about benefits or having an aversion to loss in the back of your head, you need to know the buyer persona and understand their motivation to buy. The reasons may be different: from the need for quality and prestige (e.g. Adidas or iPhone sports clothes), through the sense of security (e.g. Fibaro smart home systems), to the price (an attractive price offer for a product or service for which the consumer can buy has been trying for a long time). With such knowledge, it will be easier for you to address the text to people with specific needs and reach for arguments that will convince the target group.