What does WIIFM Mean (and Why is it Important?)

WIIFM is a term used in marketing and advertising to describe what the audience will get out of using or buying a product.

The problem with most people’s understanding of WIIFM is that they think it means “what’s in it for me?” And they are right, but then there is a way to use this acronym. In this article we will take you through the meanings of WIIFM, starting with why it is important and how you use WIIFM in copywriting.

The definition of WIIFM

.

The acronym WIIFM stands for “What’s In It For Me?”. WIIFM taps into human nature and helps you create better marketing copy and marketing and sales materials. Some other close examples of proper marketing questions include; Will It Fly?, What Is Important Now? The Five Whys, Why I’m Here Today?, What If I Fail My Exam?, etc.

We all know that getting potential customers to buy from us is important, but how do we keep them coming back? It turns out that offering a great product or service isn’t enough. You also have to tell your audience what they get when they choose you over the competition.

Focus on the benefits of using your products or services instead of just listing features. The product value isn’t in features, it is in the desired outcome.

Focus on what matters to your audience (WIIFM)

WIIFM helps marketers and salespeople to understand what motivates people to buy. Simply put, your target audience needs to know why your product or service is relevant to their lives.

Breakthrough the noise with a compelling message:

Today everyone is bombarded with sales messages. But how do you stand out from the crowd of “Buy our stuff!” shouts?

It takes a concerted effort to understand your audience’s needs. They’re not you! Focus groups can be a valuable tool to gather insights on their motivations and pain points.

Remember, you’re not selling to yourself. You’re helping them achieve well-being.

Your target audience has different priorities than you as a business owner, marketer, or salesperson. What excites you about your product might not resonate with them at all. By understanding their unique needs, you can tailor your message to show them how your offering can contribute to their well-being and navigate their change process.

This shift in focus, from your product to their needs, will lead to a more compelling message and ultimately, more sales.

WIIFM and Market Segmentation: Tailoring Benefits for Different Audiences

The “What’s In It For Me?” (WIIFM) principle is crucial for effective marketing across market segments. Here’s how segmentation helps you use WIIFM for better results:

• Understanding Diverse Needs: Market segmentation divides your target audience into smaller groups with shared characteristics. This lets you identify the unique needs, wants, and pain points of each segment.
  
• Benefits Resonate with Specific Interests: When you know each segment’s “Areas of Interest” (AOI), you can tailor your WIIFM message to highlight benefits that directly address their concerns. For example, busy professionals might be most interested in time-saving features, while budget-conscious buyers might prioritize affordability.
  
• Focus on Desired Outcomes (Benefits Sought): Different segments might value different benefits from your product. Knowing their “Benefits Sought” allows you to emphasize the features that resonate most with each group..
  
• Solve Their Problems (Jobs to be Done – JTBD): People buy products to get jobs done. Identifying the specific “Jobs to be Done” for each segment allows you to frame your WIIFM message around solving their problems. For example, for a fitness tracker, the job for professionals might be “optimize health and manage time,” while for budget-minded buyers, it might be “achieve fitness goals affordably.”
  

Marketing Personas: Putting WIIFM and Segmentation into Action

Marketing personas are fictional characters built upon the data gathered through segmentation. These personas embody the key characteristics, AOIs, Benefits Sought, and JTBDs of a specific market segment. With detailed personas, you can craft WIIFM messages that speak directly to each segment’s unique perspective.

WIIFM Messaging: Make Your Product Their “Why”

Imagine a customer saying, “That’s exactly why I need this!” That’s the power of WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) messaging. It cuts through the noise and connects with your audience by highlighting the financial rewards, new system, or life-changing benefits they can achieve with your product or service.

Understanding Your Audience’s Needs

Effective WIIFM messaging requires understanding your target audience’s specific problems and desires. A skilled copywriter isn’t just a wordsmith; they’re a master of unearthing customer pain points.

Crafting Engaging Messages

The PAS formula (Problem-Agitate-Solution) is a valuable tool for copywriters. They use it to:

• Problem: Identify the challenges your ideal customer faces.
• Agitate: Amplify the pain points associated with these problems, making them seem more significant.
• Solution: Present your product or service as the powerful answer to their problems, showcasing how it can bring them gain.

Beyond the Formula:

Effective WIIFM messaging goes beyond a simple formula. It involves using language that piques curiosity and triggers a sense of urgency. This encourages the reader to take action and learn more about how your product can transform their life.

A WIIFT strategy: What’s In It For Them

Too many businesses fail to understand what makes their customers tick. From the marketer’s perspective we need to ask: ”What’s in it for them”

Just asking the question WIIFT gets you started in a deep dig into the minds of your customers. Find out exactly why they do what they do and want what they want. You’ll get insights that can help you serve them better, get more sales from them, and create a stronger connection with them. This inevitably will lead to a better positioning.

WIFM or WIIFM?

You might have read WIFM somewhere. The meaning of “WIFM” is the same as WIIFM. It is the near-acronym way of writing “What’s in it for me?”. So they can be used interchangeably with WIIFM or “What is in it for me”.

WIIFM examples

Effective marketing copy always has a “what’s in it for me” angle. It shows the reader how the product or service will benefit them personally.

Look at this landing page from Dollar Shave Club for their monthly subscription:

Rather than boasting about their ingredients, the landing page tells you that what’s in it for you is you get the best products and you get to control how you use them. After they’ve highlighted what’s in it for you, only then do they talk about features like premium ingredients and flexible delivery dates.

Now let’s look at the landing page for Apple’s M1 laptops:

You’ll see that Apple doesn’t shy away from highlighting its features (“fast M1 max chip – the first Apple silicon designed for pros”) but they always follow it up by telling you what these features mean for you, or what’s in it for you: “groundbreaking performance and amazing battery life”. This way your customer understands what’s in it for them but also what the company does to bring those advantages.

Finally, we’ll have a look at Slack’s homepage to see how they leverage WIIFM:

Can you take a guess where the WIIFM strategy is used in Slack’s copy?

Yep, it’s right there in the homepage headline, “Slack is your digital HQ”. They don’t tell you they’re the number 1 work communication tool, how many customers they have, or how much money they’re making. They tell you that by using Slack, you can create a digital HQ anywhere in the world, and that’s what’s in it for you.

Now let’s go through some hypothetical examples that give more clarity on how you can use WIIFM in your own copy:

• Let’s say you’re selling a new type of home security system. Your marketing copy might highlight the fact that the system is very easy to install, so the customer won’t have to hire a professional (and save money in the process). It might also mention that the system is very reliable and has a long battery life, so the customer can feel safe and secure knowing their home is well-protected.
• If you’re selling a new skincare product, your marketing copy might highlight the fact that the product is very gentle and won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin. It might also mention that the product is very effective and will help improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
• If you’re selling a new type of vacuum cleaner, your marketing copy might highlight the fact that the vacuum is very lightweight and easy to maneuver. It might also mention that the vacuum has powerful suction and can get rid of even stubborn dirt and dust.

The real meaning of WIIFM

As you have seen, WIIFT is an amazing tool for marketers who want to connect with their audience on a deeper level then just telling or showing how great their product is.

Now we know what WIIFM stands for, keep it in mind and shift the perspective of your messaging, proposition and business communication.