The details

My husband took this picture of me and our youngest sitting on our front porch one Sunday morning about a month ago.

The amount of data about our life that can be gleaned from the details in this scene is remarkable.

To me, this photo says home.

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So much of great marketing is in the details.

Subtleties in design make people feel things.

Copy with a strong voice is memorable. It evokes something.

When you appear in my life matters.

Consistency is brilliance.

So many companies miss this opportunity for greatness.

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To a smart marketer, that photo on my front porch says so much.

My age, my style. My core values.

What I spend money on.

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View your customer as a total human being. More than a buyer, seller or agent. A spouse, a mother, father, professional, sister, daughter, boss.

Each person has millions of details that make up their individual lives and personalities.

Study those details and find ways to connect through them.

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I recently read every word of a book of quotes from advertising legend David Ogilvy twice over in one sitting.

There’s so much good stuff in there, but by far my favorite:

“The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid adjectives will persuade her to buy anything. She wants all the information you can give her.”

My take on this:

The slogan is what grabs her by the hand and commands attention. But the real conversion takes place only after revealing much more detail about what you’re selling.

Both require very different kinds of copy. Different kinds of detail. Both are important.

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Lots of conversion rate experts say a small tweak to a line of copy can significantly alter conversion rates.

We all need someone who’s good with these details on our marketing team.

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The next time you sit down to examine your value, get as specific as you can without boring your prospect to tears.

These details may not belong in a slogan or headline, but they are the foundation you stand on.

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Market research in the future could study the details in photos like the one on my porch.

We share millions of them on the web every day.

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Thanks for reading the details to the very end.