This post is all about U,U,U. Not to be mistaken with you, you, you - because, as you know, talking about yourself too much is the best way to get buyers to fly away faster than a toupée in a hurricane.
'We're thrilled to announce'
'We are delighted...'
'We have a range of innovative features....'
Oh, are you now?
What is UUU?
UUU is an easy-to-remember acronym that has the benefit of sounding like an excited ape, which produces better copy.
UUU stands for:
Useful
Unique
Urgent
If any copy fails to convey these three things, it kind of produces that 'meh' effect.
It was developed by business coach and serial entrepreneur Michael Masterson, so all credit to him.
His version was actually based on 4 U's - but the 4th is 'ultra specific'. I think if you've got the copywriting review/ writing stage without knowing who you are specifically targeting - it's too late for you.
I think we can get away with just the three.
I could dig out some client examples or some others from the web, but I have my trusty Canva document up - so let's give it a go live.
Example of a typical communication without 'UUU' principles...
You might come into a blank piece of content and think, 'let's pose a threat'. So far, so good. Tapping into our fears, desires, or other deadly sins is marketing 101 and a good way to pique interest. A good threat in this example is people leaving a business. (I've done the research, and actually, yes, it's hideous. It costs any business a fortune and takes a million years to fix.) So that's a good point. Then, many companies go straight into the solution/ offering. Bam. Here's your guide. Download here - a home run - amazing.
There's nothing actually wrong with this approach.
But here's a second version.
Example of communication with all 3 'UUU' principles
Now obviously, it's longer. You might want that cut right back, but I tend to think that words should expand to whatever size is required to make the point they need to make. But see how things just seem to pop a bit more on this one.
Before, it was a little bit threatening. There was a tiny bit of jeopardy. But it felt a bit basic.
Now it's a little bit more psychological. (Spooky music plays.)
As well as being flattering in nature - that they already have the answers - it's also all about them. See how many times you can squeeze in 'you' statements.
Your company can't beat...
You probably already...
That you need to know about
Prove your intuition
Your copy is waiting
Your teams need you...
Above there are six chances to show you are talking directly to that person. I don't think on the first read that came across as too much. Heck, you could even take away some and still make it more personal than 99% of the copy they read that day.
It's just an idea, but I think it's a great one. What about you, you, you?
Need a hand writing yours?
Just shout!
Elaine