Featuring Naomi Yeke
In this episode of the Colours of Social Media podcast, host Enoch Robot Boy Aia Jr. is joined by Naomi Yeke, a product marketer and PR and communications specialist, for her podcast debut. They delve into the critical topic of product descriptions and their impact on sales, exploring how these often-overlooked elements can either drive conversions or quietly hold brands back. Naomi shares her expertise on crafting descriptions that sell, emphasising the importance of leading with benefits over features to create a personal connection with customers. She highlights the need for clarity and simple language, cautioning against jargon and overly technical terms unless the audience demands it.
[0:00] If you are speaking to the customers, always lead with their vulnerabilities. You can talk about the feature, but don't concentrate your energy on that too much.
[0:09] Elaborate on what their person is getting from the product. That is what will get them to buy. From Bildx Studios, this is the Colours of Social Media podcast, the podcast for people who believe in digital marketing.
[0:23] Here's your host, Enoch RobotBoy, Appiah Jr. Now, before we dive in, a quick ask. If you are watching on YouTube, hit the subscribe button. And if you are listening on Spotify, make sure to follow so you never miss an episode.
[0:40] Now, let's talk about product descriptions. Are they helping you sell or quietly holding you back? In this episode, I'm joined by Naomi Yeke, product marketer and PR and com specialist for her podcast debut.
[0:58] We explore small strategic tweaks in language and layouts that can lead to big shifts in performance and most marketers aren't even thinking about it.
[1:10] Tune in. You might never write a product description the same way again. Naomi, since today is your debut, it's your first time being on a podcast.
[1:22] And I think it is just right that you introduce yourself and where you are in the digital marketing space. Interestingly, I wouldn't call myself a digital marketer, but I have had experience doing copies.
[1:42] I'm a copywriter, so I had the opportunity to write copies for digital ads, brand messaging and all of those things. But to start from the top, my name is Naomi Yeke.
[1:54] I work as a product marketer. I'm also a PR and com specialist. My favorite thing about my career choice is that I get to propel brands by translating what they do or what they offer into messages that resonate with their target audience.
[2:17] As a writer, whether a copywriter or a technical writer, I am really big on clarity and a messaging strategy that inspires or drives action. So in a nutshell, I think that's all I know.
[2:33] We are talking product description. So I want to know what drew you into the power of product description? Well, I have had the opportunity to see some great brands not to do so well because the messaging didn't land.
[2:53] For example, I don't know if you saw the recent Jaguar rebrand. Although it was colorful, it was more dang and all of that, it didn't really resonate with their audience.
[3:08] And now they are facing the backlash as a result of that. I remember Elon Musk tweeting that, is this? No, do you guys still sell cars? Exactly.
[3:19] So seeing something like that, I think the same thing extends to writing copies for products. If the messaging doesn't resonate with the audience or your customers, you won't be able to make the conversion that you really want.
[3:38] And as marketers, customers are literally at the core of everything that we do. They are the ones who are important. So if we are not writing for them, then who are we writing for?
[3:48] So that's why I'm so interested in product descriptions, copies, all of those things that make customers tick. All the products, we are going deep into product description.
[4:02] All the products description that I've read on the internet, most especially e-commerce website, they either talk about the features of the products or the benefits.
[4:16] Some product descriptions actually talk about the two of these things, features and benefits. So I don't know, is there a difference between the features and benefits?
[4:26] Or it's just that copywriters for these e-commerce store are just getting it wrong. Well, there is a difference between what a feature is and what a benefit is.
[4:38] So a feature is basically what the product itself does. And then the benefits is what the customer or the end user gets from their product. So for example, let's say we are selling a cloud-based product.
[4:55] We can say 10 gigabytes of space available. That's the feature, the setup. But if you say something like, enough space to save every memory or enough space to store every memory, that's you speaking about the benefits of having that particular product.
[5:16] There are two different things. When you lean towards the benefits, the person who's reading the copy sort of has this connection. I mean, you're talking to the person's ping-pots.
[5:29] Exactly. But if you say 10 gig storage, so what? So that's the difference. So a feature just shows the value, but the benefits personalizes it or makes it personal to the user or the customer.
[5:46] So you would advise that as copywriters, they should rather tell the consumers about the benefits in product description. Yes, that is what I would advise.
[5:59] The feature leads you to the benefits or the feature gives you context to write the benefits. But if you are speaking to the customers, always lead with the benefits.
[6:10] You can talk about the feature, but don't concentrate your energy on that too much. Elaborate on what the person is getting from the product.
[6:20] That is what will get them to buy or subscribe and the like. I mean, I think it cuts across because recently, I don't know if you are into paid advertisement.
[6:31] What I've realized is that if you lead with addressing the pinpoints of the customer, you actually get a good number of conversions. Exactly.
[6:43] Yeah, and it makes sense now because from what I'm getting from my dashboard currently, I'm getting good numbers. If I trace my steps back at the setup stage, I realized that I was actually talking to the customers via the pinpoints.
[6:59] Yes. It's quite interesting. Let's settle on conversions. What mistakes do business owners make? Well, these mistakes that I'm going to mention, they are things that I've also done.
[7:16] I mean, I can only speak on what I have done. I think Elion coming up as a copywriter or when you don't have a good brief, you realize that you tend to use too many jargons or your...
[7:36] I mean, we are market testing. Exactly. Or their messaging is vague, but it does the job. But you know that you're not really, really speaking to the issue or you use too many words.
[7:48] You are very verbose because you want to sound so intelligent. These are the things that are not good for copies. So from what you're saying, you should just go straight to the point.
[7:59] Yes. You sort of common English. Yes. Don't be technical. Don't be too technical. If you find that the product is super technical, think about the audience you are writing for.
[8:12] If it is a technical audience, they would understand. For example, maybe you are doing... Let me lean on technical writing. Maybe you are writing an API documentation for developers.
[8:24] They understand the language, so you don't really need to dumb down anything. But if you are speaking to the everyday person about how to navigate an app, you can't be using...
[8:35] You press the hamburger. The hamburger app. Exactly. You can't use those terms because it doesn't translate to the way you think it would. So just speak simply.
[8:48] Always know who you are speaking to. That should direct the language use. But if you are not sure, just use simple language. Are there some A.B. tests that market tests can run to measure the impact of product description?
[9:04] Oh yes, of course. For example, we can do a test on headlines. For example, maybe benefits fest versus feature fest. Or you can even do something on formatting.
[9:16] You can do maybe paragraph versus maybe bullet points. Or you can even use actual words, maybe like free versus complementary. All these things you can test.
[9:26] And when the data comes, you'd realize that certain language use can impact people's buying decisions, can impact how the interact with your brand, your product, whatever.
[9:36] So that data would be very, very instrumental in helping you craft your message. Thank you. Now, let's go back to the form. And I'm so glad that I put out this form out there.
[9:49] And I'm getting good guests this time around. So glad, yeah. Going back to the form, you uploaded some research. Yes, yes. I've stayed all night on this research.
[10:04] But what I want to ask from you now is the question to that. And in fact, I will share the research in the description so that you will also read about this research.
[10:16] I think the title was, is it automatic? Yeah, automated. Product copy something with AI. With AI. Yes. So the reason why that research was interesting to me is because of this current phenomenon around AI.
[10:36] Oh, yeah. AI is going to take our... Even in this studio, we have AI here. AI is going to take our jobs. You hear things like vibe marketing, people using AI tools to do marketing, even though they are not market, all of that.
[10:48] So I decided that I was going to read around what people are saying about this. Yes, just so that my opinion should be grounded on data, in fact, because I'm very data-driven.
[11:02] My friends don't know that's why. I guess I'm very data-driven. So I came across that and it was quite interesting because they explored using AI to craft copies.
[11:15] And then the research results revealed that even though AI copies are decent, human-edited AI copies, or just human-edited copies perform better because they resonate better with people.
[11:31] Human-edited copies. Yes. So they generate with the AI and the human being edits the copy. Yes. So those ones do better because there's a context, like a human context to it.
[11:45] And people relate better with what other people have written than what a machine has written. I think one of the stats that really stood out to me was they said the human-edited copies performed better.
[12:00] They converted people at a rate that was, I think, 23% more than the raw AI output. So that was quite interesting. You go out, you hear people say, oh, I can't use AI for this.
[12:12] I can't use AI for this. But the reality, AI can't do everything. And you don't have to see it as your replacement. It is actually a tool. I believe that AI in the tool of, let's say, a marketer for copywriting, their quality would be different from a regular non-marketing person using AI for copywriting.
[12:36] So for us as marketers, I believe that we can use AI to refine our messaging. We can use AI to get variety in the copies that we write. Maybe I'll write something.
[12:50] Give me another version with this tone for this format, for this platform, et cetera, et cetera. But I don't think that... You should leave everything for charging pity.
[13:02] But that's easy. Yes, that's easy. But then again, you're not trying to do easy things. You want to build relationships with your customers. You want to retain them.
[13:14] You want to attract new customers. So there has to be some intentionality behind what you do. You can't just leave everything in here. So yes, use AI bots.
[13:25] My... I mean, you've actually answered the question I was about to ask. I was about to ask if AI would take the job of products, the people who write product description, copywriters, I should say that.
[13:40] We take the job of copywriters or they will work alongside. Oh, yes. From what you are saying, it is advisable that copywriters work alongside AI tools.
[13:51] Yes. So Naomi, what I want to ask now is certain tweaks. Let's say I'm a copywriter. I've uploaded my products onto my e-commerce store, written my product description, whatever.
[14:07] But then I'm not converting visitors. What two or three low hanging tweaks should I implement on this product description that will help me convert my website visitors?
[14:24] Interesting. Okay. So as always, I have to tell you things that I do. Things that I do. I think the first thing would be since I like clarity and simplicity.
[14:36] Use simple language. Don't overcomplicate things for yourself. Use language that people can easily understand. Because if I read, maybe you want to tell me, this thing is water resistant.
[14:51] If you say it in a better way, oh, you can't swim with this. Oh, you can't exactly. Did you get it? It's the same message, but different meanings.
[15:02] How you would respond to you can't swim with it. It's very different from if I tell you it's water resistant. Oh, I can't say it is IP 60. That is way technical.
[15:13] Exactly. So just use simple, simple languages. Don't overcomplicate things for yourself. Another thing too is sometimes when you're writing a copy, you want to say everything.
[15:25] So make use of breaking up your sentences or your paragraphs. You can make use of one likeness. You can do some bolding. Just things to sort of make the whole copy dynamic, so that it's not just one.
[15:39] The exact paragraph. Yes. So that's about it. And the last thing, I think I've already mentioned this. Benefits first copy. Benefits first copy.
[15:50] You can talk about the features, but most of the emphasis should always be on the benefits because that's what the customer is really interested in.
[16:00] Yeah. And I think that is how, you know, Google is presenting AI a mode. That is how, according to the last Google marketing life, that is how the AI is crawling on website.
[16:16] They pick up benefits. So yeah, I think that is we are in the right direction from what you are seeing. Let's look at your framework. Do you have a framework that you can share with us?
[16:28] Oh, yes. When it comes to product description. Yes. So I use the classic FAB framework. FAB. Yes. Feature Advantage Benefits. Feature Advantage Benefits.
[16:41] So you end up with a very rounded copy or a very rounded message. So the end user or the customer gets to know the feature. They get to know the advantage of having a feature and then how that translates into a benefit for them.
[16:56] So it's very much. Yes. You're not going to leave the copy confused or hesitant about what to do. So that's the framework I use. I also do the old school brainstorming.
[17:08] If you are old school marketer before charging PC, you gotta your people and discuss the company. Yes. Big ideas and all of those things. And I also use charging PC Gemini.
[17:23] Gabbardess sisters and cousins. Yes. For my work as well. But mainly to speed up things. And like I said, to just get variations. Sometimes you want to see how something is said in another world.
[17:36] And maybe that's even the direction you should be thinking. Yes. Yes. I mean, modern marketers shouldn't shy away from AI. Oh, no. Yes. But then you have to also include a human aspect.
[17:48] Exactly. I had an episode with Emmanuel Avotry Selassie Jr. I think the last episode before this. And yeah, he was stressing that AI is there.
[18:01] But then as a human being, you shouldn't leave everything for AI to do. Exactly. Add your emotion. Yeah. And that is the only thing that AI can't do.
[18:12] Yes. I agree with that. AI doesn't have context. It doesn't have nuance. And also, it doesn't have cultural sensitivity. There could be maybe something it would say so raw.
[18:26] But if you're a human being, then you're communicating the same message. You want to say it raw like that. I love it. Sorry to cut you. But I remember there was a campaign that we were running.
[18:37] And then we were trying to, you know, in Ghana, BOGA. The word BOGA means someone who is in abroad and all that. So we were trying to find someone from abroad in, I think Rwanda or some other country.
[18:55] But it's definitely in Africa. And we asked good old Chajipiti. So Chajipiti carved out some names for us. And we were like, okay, yeah, we've gotten some.
[19:08] But we asked a local there. Apparently, those names are sort of derogatory. Oh, my. Yeah, but Chajipiti doesn't know. You see, cultural sensitivity.
[19:21] That is it. You would have gone there, set the word, and then when it gets a retaliatory response, you wouldn't understand. Interesting. You've mentioned of some AI tools, Chajipiti, Gemini, and their cousins.
[19:37] Do you have any other tools that helps you in product description? Oh, it's because these ones are mostly text based. They are the ones I usually rely on.
[19:48] I wouldn't say that I do a lot of maybe designing. So I can't really speak to maybe designing tools. I know some of us in this space, we wear so many hats.
[20:02] All right. We design. We will do everything at the end. Unfortunately, I cannot speak to the other aspects of the things that we do. But when it comes to writing, is the OG's Chajipiti, Gemini, Claude, and the rest.
[20:21] I'm here to use Claude. You should use Claude. Gemini is my favorite. I'm always on Gemini. You should use Claude. I think this is not to say you should use AI, by the way.
[20:34] But I think Claude has a bit of depth. The word is depth. And you will say depth. So yeah, it has a bit of depth. Yes. So just the same idea.
[20:47] You can run it across all the three and then see the similarities and disparities. And then it will inform your messaging direction. Okay. Naomi, I have your contact.
[21:00] We are connected on LinkedIn. Yes, we are. So if I want to ask anything about product description, I know where to get you. Sure. What about our listeners and our viewers out there?
[21:11] How can they connect with you on the internet? Well, LinkedIn is the best place to find me. All you have to do is to search for my name Naomi.
[21:21] Naomi Yeke, actually. N-A-O-M-I. My surname is Y-E-K-E. Yeke. You can find me on LinkedIn. I also started a quarterly on Medium. The link is in my bio.
[21:36] So once you look me up and you're interested in extending the conversation or reading my thoughts on PR, marketing, messaging, copywriting, all of that, you can click on the link in my bio.
[21:49] And then, yeah, you can leave a comment. You can comment on my, I was going to say Instagram, my LinkedIn. And we can't have a fruitful discussion.
[21:57] Definitely. Before I let you go, if a listener or a viewer should get something out, just one thing out of this conversation, what should it be?
[22:10] Prioritize clarity in your copies, in your messaging. Prioritize that. I know that we are in this age where because of AI tools, everybody and your mother thinks they are a marketer.
[22:26] That they can write, post anything online. You can. But in all your doings, prioritize clarity. Whether you're a marketer or a business owner doing things on your own, prioritize clarity.
[22:40] Because it seems like something small, but it's that small wind that can change everything for you. Look at Jumia, for example. When they started, for some of the African markets like Kenya, they are early product listings.
[22:59] They didn't do a good job with the product description. You go to the page. They spent a lot on digital ads. So there was a lot of traffic to the page.
[23:08] But then you go, it's like, you don't really see anything of value. Some of the descriptions are even copied. Maybe it's a description for maybe the plans, but they've copied it for another product.
[23:19] So look, we're not really happy. But over time, they have cleaned things up. Now, when you go to their page, you see that things are more well-written, more well-presented.
[23:29] And it has become one of their optimization like levers. Yes, prioritize clarity in your descriptions, in your copies, and see things change.
[23:39] All right. Thank you so much for coming along. Thank you, too, for having me. And we'll baptize you. Amen. All right. Thank you so much. Thank you, too.
[23:48] This was actually fun. I told you. Thank you for listening to the Colours of Social Media podcast. Don't miss out on our new episode. You can subscribe now wherever you get your podcast to be the first to listen.
[24:00] This episode, just like any other episode of the Colours of Social Media podcast, was recorded at Tribal Mark Studio, 13 Asako Street, Tantra Hills, Accra.