If marketing seems like a foreign world to you, that’s ok. That’s why you hire a mental health copywriter. They know what to do.

But it’s important for you to understand the ins and outs a bit. It’ll make you a stronger marketer and brander for your mental health business. You’ll have a better understanding of how to write your social media posts or network with others, for example.

But there’s a secret I haven’t shared with you yet. So I thought it was time to enlighten you on one of the secret weapons of marketing.

It’s all about benefits vs. features.

Benefits vs. Features- The Secret Sauce

What are benefits and features? 

Simply put, the feature is the service and the benefit is what the person buying the service gets out of it.

Many people make the mistake of focusing on the feature, not the benefit. I see this mistake a lot. It’s really easy to talk about the what and not what you’ll get out of it.

It may seem straightforward enough to market the feature. Your what is your therapeutic services, that new workshop you’re offering, or that new product you’re selling. But those things aren’t important to the client or consumer.

What the consumer cares about is what you’re selling is going to do for them. “What’s in it for me?”

You should always think about that question when you’re marketing yourself and your services. Focusing on what the consumer gets out of buying your service is key in marketing your services.

What Are The Benefits of Your Features?

Let’s say you’re a company that sells sensory products for children with autism. The features are your products, which you’re proud of and need to market. But the benefits of those features are the most important thing.

If this is your company, your customers are probably parents, schools, and programs that use sensory items in their work. They probably already know what some of your products are. So why should they buy from you?

Maybe you sell cooling weighted vests. Your feature is the vest. The benefit is that it calms down the nervous system, is comforting to wear, and the cooling temperature keeps the wearer from feeling hot or overwhelmed.

So in your marketing copy, you focus on that. “If you’re looking for a way to calm your overwhelmed and anxious child down, try our cooling weighted vests. They calm your child’s nervous system down and reduce anxiety while also keeping them comfortable. Our vests help increase your child’s ability to interact with peers, focus on schoolwork, and play while staying comfortable and cool.”

Compare that to “Our cooling weighted vests are made out of X. They come in various sizes and colors and make your child feel less anxious.”

Yawn.

It’s not just that the second one is boring. The problem is that it doesn’t tell the consumer how it’s going to help their child. It just tells you what it is and what it does. This is where the secret of marketing comes in.

Featuring Your Benefits

When I’m searching for a therapist, I’m looking for someone I can connect with. Because everyone finds everything online these days, it’s important that your online presence is strong. I need to learn who you are and how you can help me in the first 60 seconds that I’m on your website. Otherwise, I’ve already moved onto someone else.

This means that when you’re writing your website copy, you need to grab my attention with what you can do for me. Yes, you should highlight your expertise. Sure, if I’m still around after the homepage I’ll probably care about what your trainings and certifications are in. But if you haven’t hooked me on that first page, I’m out.

If you’re a therapist, you (hopefully) also have a Psychology Today profile. These are tricky to write because you only get three paragraphs to tell people who you are, what you do, and how you can help.

But it’s the last one that’s the most important. Why should I pick you to be my trauma therapist? How does your training as a marriage and family counselor affect how you can help my husband and me reconnect?

Psychology Today profiles are a great way to practice your marketing skills because you have so few words to get your point across.

But on your website you have lots of space and words to use. As I said before, that homepage needs to be your hook. 

“Are everyday tasks difficult for you? Do you find it hard to focus? Are there areas of your life you want to change but just can’t muster the energy? At XYZ, I walk with you through the murky waters of managing your depression and help you come out on the other side feeling happier and healthier than ever.”

In this example, we’ve addressed the symptoms, we’ve identified the problem, and we’ve assured the consumer that you’re going to be there to help them. The next section is where you talk about how you help and the types of services you offer. You write blogs that speak to your audience of current and potential clients. You touch on their pain points while also providing information. Focusing on the benefits of your services is the secret of marketing.

Using Your Secret Marketing Sauce

Now you know a little bit about the secret of marketing. It’s time to take the leap and find someone who really knows how to bring in more clients. Hiring a mental health copywriter for your online marketing needs is essential when it comes to finding someone who understands how to market benefits over features.
Contact me to get started. Let’s feature those benefits together and bring you some new clients!