A framework to write better benefits in your copy

Every marketer knows they should "write benefits, not features." It's a golden rule repeated in every copywriting course and handbook.

But here's the thing - knowing this advice and executing it are two completely different challenges.

We know we should focus on benefits, but when we sit down to write, we default to listing specifications and technical details. This works for some brands like Apple, but even Apple pulls you in with a benefit.

The Three-Layer Approach That Actually Works

My mentor Andrew Gould taught me a feature-to-benefit framework. This is a systematic method that helps you take existing features and identify the benefits.

Here's how it goes:

Step 1: Start with the obvious features List every feature you can identify about your product or service.

Step 2: Dig into direct benefits For each feature, ask: "What does this actually do for the user?"

Step 3: Go deeper - find the benefits of benefits This is where the magic happens. Push further and ask: "What does that benefit enable in their life?"

Seeing It in Action

Take the MacBook Air's impressive battery life. Most tech specs would stop at "all-day battery." But following this framework:

• Feature: Extended battery life

• Benefit: Work longer without charging interruptions

• Deeper benefit: Freedom to claim your favorite café spot without the anxiety of musical chairs around power outlets

Notice how we moved from a technical specification to a relatable, human experience? That's the power of drilling down through benefit layers.

This approach transforms features into stories people can see themselves living. It's not about the product anymore - it's about the life the product enables.

The next time you're writing copy, don't stop at the first benefit. Keep digging until you uncover the benefit of the benefit and can go no further.

This method helps you find angles you never knew existed and more importantly, it reels in your reader. :)