Who is Your Customer?

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Author: Marte Cliff

When you want to sell something…anything… you need to first know who is going to buy it. Why? Because your ad copy has to be written to that person.

You should actually picture a real person and write to them. It might be someone you know or someone you know about. But it is someone. Give your person a body and a face you can visualize as you begin to write. If you have a photo, tape it up where you can see it as you work. If you don't, try finding someone in a magazine and cut out his or her picture. SEE your customer. Give him a name.

Then, consider what makes him tick. What does your customer want from life? What worries him? What does she dream about? What are his goals? What motivates her?

Is your customer wealthy, or on the edge of poverty? Well educated… or barely educated? What kind of work does he do? What does she do for fun?

Once you have a firm picture of this person you can direct your advertising directly to him (or her) because you'll know why your product or service will make his life easier, more fun, healthier, or more prosperous.

With that knowledge, you can decide which benefit is most important and deserves a place in your headline. You can decide how to make a promise that offers something your prospect wants on an emotional level. Only then will you create a headline that jumps off the page and entices your prospect to read the rest of your ad… and then take action.