The POWER of Speaking Transformationally in Marketing

Written by Sandra Argese
on 10 Dec 2020

People don’t spend their hard-earned cash on products or services. People buy TRANSFORMATION.

‘A complete change in someone or something’; that’s how the Oxford Dictionary defines transformation.

According to our good friends at Digital Marketer, transformation is all about shaping someone or something, through good copywriting and marketing, from a ‘less-desirable’ before-state to an ‘appealing’ after-state.

Consider the following two pieces of text. Both are accompanying Facebook Ads, designed to entice people to purchase a tube of toothpaste.

Version One: This is the best toothpaste ever. Our experienced team has worked for years to perfect its formula; so we recommend buying this awesome new product.

Version Two: Never worry about bad breath again. Say goodbye to awkward conversations, and hello to your new-found confidence with fresh, minty breath.

Which piece of copy do you find more powerful?

Version One doesn’t articulate or acknowledge the ‘before-state’ of someone looking for toothpaste. It doesn’t reveal how this product can become the vehicle that transports someone from this ‘before’ to the ‘after.’

Version Two, on the other hand, achieves this. The before-state is someone who lacks confidence, experiences challenges with ‘nice-smelling’ breath and finds day-to-day interactions a bit awkward as a result. The ‘Toothpaste’ becomes a product that someone needs, because it will transform them.

You have the potential of hitting a ‘home-run’ if you can nail the articulation of what the before and after state looks like for your prospect. This can be conveyed through the ‘creative’ of your campaigns; so copywriting, videos, and more.

So how do you do this?

1. Identify who your customer avatar is. We need to define the people you serve before you serve them. You can download a free customer avatar form at the below link.

This form looks at many aspects of a demographic that can inform your advertising process. What is their age, where do they work, what is their relationship status, and so forth.

(READ: Mastering the ART of Blogging; Why Blogging can work WONDERS for your business growth)

lightbulb.

Once you’ve articulated who your avatar is, you need to define the messaging and position you want to connect your buyer with. This is why filling in a before and after grid is super important; it looks at how the before and after state can make someone feel.
Do they have a problem your product provides a solution for? How does this intentionally solve their challenges?

(Read: Why Facebook Retargeting WORKS)

This sheet will identify many important elements of your customer, including the below:

(READ: How SEO Can Improve Your Search Engine Rankings on Google)

Have: What does someone have ‘before’ that they won’t have ‘after’? This could be an illness or ailment, for example.
Feel: What is someone’s emotional state before, compared to after? By identifying this, we can develop ‘empathy’ for our customers.
Average Day: What is a typical day like in the life of your customer before receiving your product or service?
Status: What is the story someone is telling about themselves? By identifying this, we can capture someone’s attention.
Good vs Evil: What is greater philosophical evil does your product or service allow your customer to defeat?

(READ: How Fixing Orphaned Content can help you RANK HIGHER on Google)

You can download a free before and after worksheet at the below link.

Remember: You need to consider who a message is written for because if it doesn’t land, it’s not going to convert. Does your product tell your customer or prospect something about themselves?

Click below to download our FREE Customer Avatar Worksheet to help you BUILD your customer Avatar today.