9/9/2018 Features vs.

Benefits - Why They Matter in Copywriting

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MARCH 22, 2016 BY SUSAN GUNELIUS — 13 COMMENTS

Features vs. Bene ts – Why They

Matter in Copywriting

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9/9/2018 Features vs. Benefits - Why They Matter in Copywriting

A bene t is the value of your product to a customer. In other words, a bene t is what
the product can do for a customer or how the product can help a customer. You need to
put into words the reasons your product is the best available and better than your
competitors’
HOME
products
ABOUT
basedSERVICES
on the addedPORTFOLIO
value it providesBOOKS
to consumers. The keyBLOG
CLIENTS
to
success is for you to fully understand all of the bene ts of your product. Only then can
you ensure that the audience knows them and can relate to them.
CONTACT
Most people confuse a product feature with a product bene t. I remember when I was
studying marketing in college and my Introduction to Marketing professor spent
countless classroom hours drilling students in identifying features vs. bene ts. Thanks,
Dr. Mohan because I learned the di erence before my freshman year ended!

In simple terms, features are like features on your face. For example, the features on
your face include two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. What are the bene ts of those
features? Since I’m hungry right now, the rst bene ts that come to mind include:

Your eyes allow you to see the colors, shapes, and textures of a fabulously
presented meal.
Your nose lets you smell the delicious food.
Your mouth allows you to taste the delicious food.

Just as the features on your face will help you do something (or do it for you), the
features on a product will help you do something (or do it for you). On the other hand,
the bene ts are how the product will help the customer.

Develop a Features and Bene ts List for Your Products

and Services
The easiest way to de ne your product’s bene ts is by creating a list of your product’s
features. Once you’ve completed your features list, describe how each feature will help a
user. Write it right next to the feature. Once you have a bene t written down,

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9/9/2018 Features vs. Benefits - Why They Matter in Copywriting

personalize it and explicitly tell your audience what it can do for them. Do this for every
feature on your list.

Here’s HOME
an exampleABOUT
to help you get started. PORTFOLIO
SERVICES
Let’s take a lookBOOKS
at the features and bene
CLIENTS
ts
BLOG
of the ctitious Suck-Up Vacuum Cleaner:

Feature: Lightweight (10 lbs.) CONTACT

Bene t: You won’t strain your back carrying Suck-Up Vacuum up and down
the stairs.
Feature: On board tools
Bene t: Save time. No more searching for the furniture brush. It’s stored in
the convenient compartment on the back of the Suck-Up Vacuum.
Feature: Bagless
Save money. No more bags to buy.
Feature: 5-year warranty
Bene t: Peace of mind. No worries if your Suck-Up Vacuum stops working.
Feature: HEPA lter
Bene t: Better for your health. Suck-Up Vacuum will leave your house cleaner
than ever before. Even the smallest speck of dust and debris is removed when
you use Suck-Up Vacuum, leaving your house cleaner than ever before.

Notice that in each example, the bene ts language elicits one or more emotions—from
discomfort and stress to health and pride. Bottom-line, bene ts copy can turn boring
feature descriptions into highly impactful marketing messages.

Practice turning features into bene ts in your own copywriting and I guarantee that
your results will improve!

Adapted from “Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps” by Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius
https://keysplashcreative.com/features-vs-benefits-how-theyre-different-and-why-it-matters-in-marketing/ 3/9
9/9/2018 Features vs. Benefits - Why They Matter in Copywriting

Susan Gunelius is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc. and

Founder & Editor in Chief of an award-winning blog,
WomenOnBusiness.com. She is a 25-year veteran of the
HOME marketing
ABOUT eld and has
SERVICES authored 10 books
PORTFOLIO BOOKSaboutCLIENTS
marketing, BLOG
branding, and social media, including the highly popular 30-
Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies,
Blogging All-in-One forCONTACT
Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10
Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on
Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com,
and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a
marketing communications company. She has worked in
corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with
AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox
Communications, and many more large and small companies
around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding
and social media at events around the world and is frequently
interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media
organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in
Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in
Marketing.
More Posts - Website
Follow Me:

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Filed Under: Copywriting Tagged With: Copywriting, features vs bene ts, marketing
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9/9/2018 Features vs. Benefits - Why They Matter in Copywriting

Comments
Prescott Perez-Fox says
March 23, 2016 at 3:38 pm
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Great examples! This is a common problem in writing and something that stings us all
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when writing about ourselves and our projects. Will share!

Susan Gunelius says

March 24, 2016 at 12:04 pm

Thank you, Prescott!

Gary Bradshaw says

August 26, 2016 at 9:57 am

I need to do this for myself and my sales people and it should go on our website.

Susan Gunelius says

August 26, 2016 at 3:45 pm

Hi Gary!

Thanks for commenting. The professor I mentioned in my post, Dr. Mohan, used to quiz
the class about features and bene ts relentlessly, and he’d scream out “FEATURE” or
“BENEFIT” after giving an example. He’d tell us to yell it back when it was our turn to

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9/9/2018 Features vs. Benefits - Why They Matter in Copywriting

answer. It worked. When I’m thinking of features vs. bene ts today, I still yell “FEATURE”
or “BENEFIT” in my head!

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