Who might be interested in this? What about campers? Hikers? Sporting goods outlets? Scouts? Martial Arts practitioners? Mountain climbers? Women? Fishermen? Boaters? Kitchen workers? Divers? Hunters?
Brainstorm ideas about the people in each category. If you choose campers, ask yourself...• What are their interests?
• Are they more likely men or women?
• What is their age range?
• What is their income range?
• What do they want, and not want, from their camping experience?
In this way, you get a picture of your customer, and can direct your listing toward his needs. How could a camper use this tool to have a better camping experience? To open a soft drink or a wine bottle? Cut a fishing line? Trim a branch?
If you understand what your customer wants, you will be in a better position to give it to him. A powerful “trick” to help you write an ad is to create an imaginary person and address all your copy to him.
Let’s pretend you are writing an ad for campers. Create a guy named Jeff. Jeff and three of his buddies…
…are out in the woods, playing weekend frontiersmen. What is going on? Imagine them unshaven, sitting around the fire at night, telling jokes and talking sports. How would Jeff use the Navy Seal tool? He might use the knife blade to sharpen a stick to stir the fire. He would definitely use the bottle opener.
Picturing your customers makes it easier to understand what your customers want, rather than writing to the faceless “them.” Always try to become your customers. Put yourself into their mindsets.
