No one cares about your product

*The views expressed here are my own and do not express the views or opinions of any particular company.

New features, new layout, stunning design, lightning-quick speed — phrases used by many businesses to describe, entice, and convince potential customers to sign up, download, or buy.

But here’s the thing, and it’s a truth rarely verbalized: no one actually cares about your product.

In our fast-paced world, people are busy with a ton of responsibilities, and with web, mobile, and video all competing for our attention, our focus is split into multiple directions simultaneously.

To capture a potential customer’s attention, the last thing — THE VERY LAST THING — you should ever do is talk about your product. No one cares.

Now what?

What you should do is talk about VALUE. People need to connect emotionally to your company.

How does what you do affect them? Does your SaaS product make Anna’s grocery shopping more convenient? Will your technology help John overcome his fear of public speaking? How can it help Julie negotiate a higher salary?

People need a reason to care and feel as if without your product, they’ll be missing out on something important, even vital.

Ah, the holy grail that is FOMO.

Forging an emotional connection is smart business

Connecting emotionally to a brand isn’t just nice, it’s smart business sense.

According to Adweek, 70% of users who feel a connection to a brand spend twice as much as those who don’t. So the ROI on building emotional connections goes up, and with increasing competition in the market, that’s a critical element — and often a deciding factor — of a customer’s purchasing decision.

Apple does it with mystery and excitement.

Nike did it with controversy. So did Gillette.

Coca Cola consistently does it with nostalgia and personalization.

Always does it with female empowerment.

And the list goes on…(and so do their sales numbers)

So throw out the old adage of “product, product, product” and tap into emotions.