The first one went to market. There were others, some eating/not eating roast beef/staying at home, I vaguely remember. For most people, though, it was all about the last one, which went ‘we, we, we’ all the way home.
My word, I’ve stumbled upon an allegory for successful business communication!
You see, that last little piggy is just like the business that talks about itself all the time. ‘We founded our business in 1975…’, ‘We take great pride in our…’, ‘We aim to become thought leaders in…’ We, we, we…
But hang on… what about your readers?
What’s in it for them?
Answer that question, and often you’ll have a benefit-led headline staring back at you. That’s a good start – now you have to hold the reader’s attention. So as you write, keep in mind what they want or need, and you won’t go far wrong. Everything you say about your product or service should include how it benefits your reader. How will it make them more successful, happier, healthier, safer? How will it save them time or money, or give them a competitive advantage?
In other words, say ‘you, you, you’ – not ‘we, we, we’ (all the way home). Talk to your audience as ‘you’, about the things that matter to them, and they’ll keep reading.
You’ll have a much better time at the market, and bring home more bacon for your business.
It seems absolutely true.Hope you haven’t given the game away!
Thank you. A very timely reminder!