If you’ve ever written a product description or ad like the one below:
“My cream contains kojic acid and alpha arbutin…”
It might sound scientific and professional. But let’s be honest, most Nigerian customers don’t know what that means, and they don’t really care.
What they do care about is:
- “Will this cream clear my dark spots fast?”
- “Will it work on my stubborn acne?”
- “Will I see results?”
And that’s the difference between features and benefits, a crucial lesson in how to market your products in Nigeria.
Let’s break it down.
What Are Features?
Features are the technical details of your product or service. These could be:
- Ingredients
- Materials used
- Size or weight
- What’s included in the package
- How it was made
Some examples of product features are:
- “This power bank has 20,000mAh capacity.”
- “This perfume contains French essential oils.”
- “These shoes are made from original Italian leather.”
- “This course includes 12 high-quality video lessons.”
These sound great, but the question remains… How do you advertise a product in words that actually connect with your customers?
What Are Benefits? (And Why They Sell More)
Benefits are what your product does for the customer, the results, convenience, or emotional experience they get from using it.
Here’s how to make a catchy advertisement using benefits instead of features:
Instead of saying: “This powerbank has 20,000mAh capacity”
Say: “It charges your phone five times before needing a recharge, perfect for NEPA wahala or long trips.
”Instead of saying: “Contains French essential oils”
Say: “Smells expensive and lasts all day, people will ask what you’re wearing.”
See the difference? One talks about the product. The other talks about results.
Why This Strategy Works in Nigeria
If you’re searching for digital marketing tips for Nigerian businesses, here’s one that works every time:
Nigerians buy based on emotion, results, and practicality, not technical language.
Your average customer is thinking:
- “How will this product help me?”
- “Will it solve my problem?”
- “Will it make my life easier or better?”
- ”what is in it for me”
When you write ads focused only on features, your audience might scroll past. But when you highlight the benefits, people pay attention, and more importantly, they buy.
How to Explain a Product to a Customer: 3 Simple Steps
Here’s a quick method to turn boring product info into powerful marketing:
- List out the features of your product or service.
- Ask yourself: “So what?” Why should the customer care?
- Turn that answer into a benefit.
If you’re still wondering how to write an advertisement or how to explain a product to a customer, here’s a simple formula that always works:
“It comes with [feature], so you can [benefit], and [result].”
This helps you connect the dots between what your product offers, what it does for the customer, and how it makes their life better.
Let’s look at some clear example:
This shoe has lightweight soles (Features), so you can walk all day without foot pain, and arrive feeling fresh and confident.”(Benefits)
“This cream contains SPF 50 (features), so you can step out without worrying about sunburn, and maintain glowing, even-toned skin despite Nigeria’s harsh sun.”(Benefits)
This structure doesn’t just explain your product, it sells the experience and result, which is what your customer truly wants..
This method works for any product, skincare, fashion, gadgets, or digital services. When you focus on the benefit, you’re no longer just describing a product… you’re selling a transformation.
Final Thoughts: Stop Describing, Start Transforming
If you’re serious about how to market your products in Nigeria, stop listing features and start painting pictures of transformation.
- Don’t just describe the product.
- Describe what the customer gains.
- Talk about how they’ll feel.
- Show how it will solve a problem
This small shift in your ads and product descriptions could be the reason someone clicks “Buy Now.”
This post is a sneak peek from my upcoming book that teaches you how to write words that actually sell online, no more struggling with posts that get ignored. Send me a WhatsApp message to reserve your copy once it’s out.
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Now over to you!
Have you ever caught yourself using too many features in your ads? Or do you have a favorite way of turning features into benefits that work for your audience?
Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear how you explain your product to customers in a way that makes them want to buy!
