Marketing Tips - Are You Using The “You” Test In Your Marketing?

Any time you are working on an advertisement or marketing idea, there is one simple thing you can do to increase the effectiveness of any marketing you do. Brochures, classified ads, flyers, email marketing, and even your website, it doesn't matter. This test will increase response to any advertisement you are doing.

Most businesses promote what their product does and how great it is. If they are a service, sometimes it's even worse and all they talk about it themselves. Let's be honest here... Your clients don't care about you. They only care about what your product or service can do for them.

I'm sure you've heard this before, but let's ask the question that your prospect is going to ask when they see your ad or go to your website.

“What's in it for me?”

This IS the ultimate question in the mind of your prospect and you need to keep this in mind when you are writing any marketing material. They don't care that it's a family owned business over three generations. They don't care about the awards you've won. They want to know how this benefits them. It goes back to benefits versus features.

So, what is the “You” Test?

As you are writing the copy text for your next marketing piece, glance through it and count up the number of times you see the words “we”, “I”, “us” or “our”. Add them up and see what you get.

Next, glance through the ad one more time. This time, count up the number of times you see the words “you” or “your” and ad those up.

Let's compare the two numbers. If you have more of the “us” words than “you” words, it's time for a re-write. You aren't talking to the reader. You are bragging about yourself.

You need to be talking to the reader. Talk to them like you were right there in front of them and explain the benefits of why your product is the best choice for them.

What do they get out of it that your competition doesn't give them?
Why is this important?
Will it save them money?
Will it save them time?
Will it take risk away?
Will it make them healthier so they can spend more time with their family?

Do you get the point?

Taking a few minutes to run through each marketing piece that you have with this simple test and making changes so you are talking to the reader will almost always increase response to any advertising or marketing materials you have.