Is Advertising About You or Them?

Do you write ad copy for you? Or do you write it for customers? I still see ego-centric copy coming from even the most seasoned advertisers. So here's an important tip: Rather than begin sentences with you -- trying starting sentences with them. It's easy. Just replace words like We with Clients, You, or Your.

For example:

We provide corporate housing in the world's major cities. Our inventory is managed by our central office to help us track availability.

Better

Clients that staff professionals on short term assignments throughout the world appreciate our large inventory of corporate housing. Clients like you access temporary housing in 65 cites across 35 counties. Click here to see what we have available, right now. 

Good:

We have used a range of pricing models throughout our history. Our experience in managing different types of projects assures you get the model best designed to fit your needs.

Better:

Your portfolio of projects doesn't fit into a single pricing model. You need a contract that will deliver the greatest return, based on your desired business outcomes. Talk to us about your project's requirements, constraints and its goals. You'll get a recommendation of the model best equipped to deliver, including customer testimonials and references.

Most marketers have a knee-jerk reaction to begin their point-of-view with where they're coming from. Why? Because they're thinking about what they need to be successful. Another way to solve this auto-reaction: Make the first half of your sentence about the customer, the second half about you.

If you make it about them, your prospects will start seeing themselves as customers.