How to Be Really, Really Persuasive

Sometimes videos fall into the trap of listing features instead of showing what they actually do for the customer.

We’ve all seen these. Five seconds in, your mind’s wandering and you’re thinking of your dinner. Then you get cross, because you have to stop, watch from the start again, and blah blah blah. What’s for dinner? And what is this brand? Absolute yawnfest.

Here’s why focusing on benefits in your script matters, and how to get it right.

Features tell, benefits sell

A feature is what something is or does.

A benefit is why that matters to your audience.

For example:

Feature: “Our wellington boots for kids are fleece-lined.”

Benefit: “Family adventures are more fun when tiny toes stay warm and dry.”

Features are useful, but benefits make people care. Benefits answer the question: what’s in it for me?

Why it matters in video

Video is an emotional medium. It’s fast, visual and made for storytelling. If your script reads like a product spec, you’ll lose your audience.

Focusing on benefits allows your message to connect. It shifts the tone from selling a product to solving a problem.

Write for humans, not just users

Effective video scripts speak directly to the viewer. They reflect their challenges, language and goals. When you lead with benefits, you’re writing for real people - not just ticking boxes.

How to find the benefit

Ask yourself: So what?

This product is fleece-lined. So what?

It’s also waterproof. So what?

There’s a range of colours and designs. So what?

Lastly

Whether it’s a 15-second ad or a 2-minute explainer, the strongest scripts don’t just describe what a business does. They show the customer why it matters.

Persuasion starts with empathy.

Emotion plays a major role in purchasing decisions, especially when it comes to brand trust. We like to think we’re being rational, but we all choose with our gut and use features to validate that decision.

By focusing on benefits and using features to reinforce them, your message will cut through: you’ll solve your audience’s problem.

And people buy outcomes, not features.