People don't want a quarter inch drill....

They want a quarter inch hole.

This is a super simple but profound observation made by Harvard Marketing professor Ted Levitt and it is one of the keys to writing that will help get you results.

Ask yourself this question before you send a Tweet about a new listing, update your Facebook status about a new listing, write your item description or an ad….are you addressing what need or want your item is fulfilling for your customer? If not, ask yourself why your customers are buying your item, what need is it fulfilling, what want is it satisfying, or how is it going to make them feel. Once you answer those questions, write to that! It’s a simple exercise that could make all the difference!

Let’s practice for a little bit. I posted this in the Etsy forums and I can't promise to get to every one, but I'll do a few, at least! Link me to your latest item in the comment section and tell me how you’d tweet for it or give me the first line of the description. Then I’ll critique it and show you how you could’ve tweeted it or wrote it, using this philosophy.
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