Breathe new life into your gift voucher copy
Spring is in the air. We can see it and finally after a long winter, feel it too. It’s a time of new life, renewal and growth. Take all that this season brings to breathe new life and energy into your hotel’s gift voucher copy!
People buy luxury hotel gift experiences with their hearts – nobody actually needs an afternoon tea or round of golf. Your challenge is to pull people to you, using images and copy that gets your customers to open their hearts to your venue and the experiences that you’re selling.
We’ve outlined our tips on writing gift voucher copy that your customers will love.
1. BE YOUR CUSTOMER… get into their slippers!
Before reviewing your copy, keep in mind that most of the real work in creating effective copy happens before you start writing.
Ask yourself, what’s important to your intended reader? Research the demographic you’re targeting well, looking at life through their eyes, before you write any copy. Here are some examples of questions to ask not only yourself, but also the people that work in ‘gifting’ areas of your venue, who know your customers:
What makes my target audience really happy?
What are they saying in their heads?
What is their biggest problem?
If a dream solution could appear, how would it look?
What are you offering that’s worth their time?
What are you offering that’s worth their money?
What are you offering that’s different to other venues?
When you answer these questions, use the words your customers’ use, whilst being clear, concise and compelling, ensuring that you really sell your venue/experience to your buyer, in respect of them feeling confident and excited by what they will be giving to their loved one.
2. WHAT’S IN A NAME?
In terms of gift experiences, it’s everything. The name of your gift voucher not only needs to be accurate, outlining in just a few words what experience you’re selling, for how many and where (in your venue, if appropriate), but it also needs to catch your audience’s attention and draw them in. Think of adding an enticing word to do this or to create a feeling or a bit of intrigue from the start, such as:
Tranquillity Afternoon Tea for Two
Decadent Afternoon Tea for Two
3. YOUR WORDS
Marketing is the ‘art of connecting customers to products’… and creating desire.
Use your words to paint a picture of the gift experience, engaging your buyers’ senses, conveying what you’re actually selling. It’s not just about the food, a treatment or a round of golf. It’s about the whole experience that you have to offer. Focus on what your audience needs to hear and what they think is important.
‘Talk’ to people, using words to express how you’re going to help someone get what they want, keeping your copy natural and real.
4. MISSING INFORMATION
Once you’ve written your copy, review and ask yourself – what’s missing? To help ensure you’ve covered everything, your copy should answer these three questions: what, why and how?
What is your gift experience?
Why buy it?
How will the experience unfold?
5. AND FINALLY …
Sleep on it. Our subconscious mind works in wonderful ways, so if it’s possible, give yourself a bit of space after you’ve written your copy and then come back to it and make any necessary adjustments.
Ask a colleague to proof read what you’ve written too – four eyes (or more!) are always better than two at spotting any typos or simply suggesting a word or two that works better.
Make your goal, writing copy that forms a deep connection with people: real people with real feelings and a real life… that you can enhance with a gift experience!