🎓 Technical language hurts your sales

Descriptions using technical language made people up to 16% less likely to buy a product. Focus on benefits instead.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 October 31, 2023 | [Read Online]( Technical language hurts your sales Descriptions using technical language made people up to 16% less likely to buy a product. Focus on benefits instead. [Thomas McKinlay]( [fb]( [tw]( [in]( [email](mailto:?subject=Post%20from%20Ariyh&body=Technical%20language%20hurts%20your%20sales%3A%20Descriptions%20using%20technical%20language%20made%20people%20up%20to%2016%25%20less%20likely%20to%20buy%20a%20product.%20Focus%20on%20benefits%20instead.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fariyh.beehiiv.com%2Fp%2Ftechnical-language-hurts-sales) New to [Ariyh](? This is a 3min practical summary of a scientific study 🎓 Join 23,646 evidence-based marketers that grow using science, not opinions 📈 [Subscribe here]( Today’s insight is brought to you by… [Voucherify]( Are you wasting time custom developing promotions? [Create the promotions you want]( – without the dev time. Use Voucherify’s low-code engine to go to market in minutes: - Launch promotions and loyalty programs in no time - Unlimited personalization of your campaigns - Developers love its robust API [Try it free for 30 days]( Want to sponsor Ariyh? [Here’s all you need to know](. 📝 Intro You’re about to launch your new washing detergent and expect it to do really well. Your engineers have developed a groundbreaking formula that has worked wonders in trials at removing stains. But how do you explain that to your customers? Experienced marketers know that it’s better to focus on benefits, and not get bogged down in technical features. Here's the scientific evidence to support them. P.S.: Beyond technical language, make sure you generally [avoid using words people might not understand](, or your product will seem lower quality and more expensive. Previous insight: [The big impact of a single negative review]( (more insights [here]() Technical language makes people less likely to buy a product Channels: Ads | Messaging | Copywriting | Content For: B2C. Can be tested for B2B Research date: September 2023 📈 Recommendation Avoid overly technical language when describing your product (e.g. this shampoo contains Panthenol, Glycerin, and Citric Acid). Instead, focus on describing the product’s benefits using simple language (e.g. this shampoo leaves your hair silky and shiny and prevents dandruff). People will be more likely to buy your product. Particularly if they know little about your product beforehand. 🎓 Findings - People are less willing to purchase products when technical language is used in the ad copy. - As part of a series of 4 studies, researchers found that: - People were 15.7% less interested in buying a quilt when the ad used technical language (“Made from soybean fibers with multi-layered 3D crimp”) vs described benefits (“It’s soft and warm, breathable, fluffy and does not cling”). - People had 11.9% lower intentions to buy a laundry detergent when shown an ad using technical language (“high concentration, [...] biological enzymes, and a neutral PH”) vs one focused on the product’s benefits (“residue-free, prevents discoloration and is mild on the skin”). - This effect disappears when - Technical details about the product are important to differentiate it, such as for a powerbank (where charging time and capacity are important) - People have strong technical knowledge 🧠Why it works - We like ads and products less when they’re [harder to understand](. Unfamiliar or technical language isn’t as easy for us to understand because it frequently uses terms we are unfamiliar with. - If we don’t understand a product description we’re also less inclined to trust the product. - In contrast, we’re more likely to feel positively about an ad that’s easy for us to mentally process. - Easy to understand ads seem [more authentic]( and [more persuasive](. This carries over to how we judge the product. 📊 Win more [SEO pitches]( Are you an SEO agency or consultant? You know how hard it is to create SEO proposals quickly without compromising on depth or accuracy. Not anymore. With [SEOmonitor](, in just minutes you can: - Identify high-impact keywords - Forecast business impact - Audit needed content changes [Join hundreds of agencies]( that are using SEOmonitor’s SEO Forecasting to win more pitches. [Try it free for 90 days]( This announcement was sponsored. Want your brand here? [Click here](. ✋ Limitations - The study did not account for whether people had previous experience using the advertised product. - The research looked at products in isolation. When comparing brands in a competitive market, technical details may be a useful tool to differentiate products. 🏢 Companies using this - Most established companies correctly focus on describing their product’s benefits, rather than technical features. For example: - Skincare brand Neutrogena, soapmaker Lux and clothing brand The North Face all highlight their main selling point without delving into the technical specs that make it possible - Even AI software, from Seamless to ChatGPT tends to focus on benefits rather than technical details of how they provide them - Electronics and tech product companies, such as laptop or smartphone brands correctly highlight their technical specs in detail, often including comparisons with competitors. - Entrepreneurs from a technical background often struggle to grasp the advantages of leaving technical descriptions aside, and focusing on the benefits. Listerine prominently highlights its product’s benefits, with a footnote added in to share how it technically achieves it (by preventing tartar buildup). ⚡ Steps to implement - Make sure your ads and product messaging are easy for potential customers to understand: - Avoid overly technical language or words people [might not understand](. - Focus on the benefits of your product and how it makes people feel, especially if it’s something people [buy for fun or pleasure](. - Use [emotional language]( to hook readers and viewers to your content. - Keep your audience in mind when you decide how much technical information or details to include about your product. For example, if you’re selling artisanal face creams, you may be able to focus broadly on its benefits at a local pop-up bazaar, but will need more detailed information about its components at a beauty and cosmetics expo. - Similarly, if technical specifications are the main differentiator between you and your competitors, like the RAM and processing speed of a laptop, or the ingredients that make a cleaning product or personal care item effective, make sure to highlight that. 🔍 Study type Online experiments 📖 Research Liu, J., Hong, X., Zheng, Z., & Zhong, J. [When consumers have difficulty understanding ads: How technical language lowers purchase intention](. Journal of Consumer Behaviour (September 2023). 🏫 Researchers - Jiayao Liu. Zhejiang University - Xinyue Hong. Zhejiang University - Zhixing Zheng. Zhejiang University - Jianan Zhong. Zhejiang University Remember: This is a new scientific discovery. In the future it will probably be better understood and could even be proven wrong (that’s [how science works](). It may also not be generalizable to your situation. If it’s a risky change, always test it on a small scale before rolling it out widely. Rate today’s insight to help me make Ariyh's next insights 🎓 even more useful 📈 How was today’s insight? [Loved it]( | [Great]( | [Good]( | [Meh]( | [Bad]( - 📘 Supercharge your business with Ariyh’s [Playbook of Pricing & Promotions]( or [Playbook of Ecommerce]( - 📣 Want to advertise on Ariyh? [Here’s all you need to know]( - 🎓 New to Ariyh? -> Subscribe below or read other [3-min marketing insights]( [Subscribe here]( [fb]( [tw]( [ig]( [in]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here]( © 2023 Ariyh Calle Bailen, 11 Barcelona, Barcelona 08010, Spain [[beehiiv logo]Powered by beehiiv](