What can you do with 25 words? Write a note to your kids about how to reheat dinner. Make a grocery list. How about tell a complete, compelling story?
It’s possible to finesse about two dozen words into a product description that’s not so high-level it glosses over everything, but also not so detailed it overloads readers and leaves them wondering what you’re talking about.
Here’s how to do it:
Mention the full product name. It may seem obvious, but a product description should always include the full product name. It doesn’t have to start with the product name; in fact, I prefer to lead with a descriptive clause before launching the product name. For example, “The market-leading financial analytics solution, product ABC is ….” But regardless of when you introduce it, you do need to make sure you mention the full, approved product name. For some companies, this is no small feat, as their product names alone can easily chew up 30 percent of the allotted word count.
Make it complete. At the very least, the product description needs to cover the name of the product, what it does, and the primary benefits. If you leave out any one of these elements, the reader is going to be left thinking, “So what? Why should I care?”
Liberally sprinkle in colorful language. Generously season your product description with adjectives and adverbs, those complementary workhorses of the English language. This will help ensure the product description is memorable and doesn’t fade to black as soon as it’s read. For example, don’t just sell analytics—sell smart, intelligent, or robust analytics. Got scale? Make it unmatched or global. Decisions? Make them faster, smarter, or data-based.
Apply the rule of three. I’m particularly fond of the comma series, especially in a product description. They are rhythmic, snappy, and an extremely efficient use of word count. When you’re writing a product description, feel free to describe the three main features or three top benefits with the help of a friendly, convenient comma series.
Now let’s put it all together:
25-word product description is a marketing tool that includes the full product name, a brief description of features or functionality, and approximately three fabulous benefits.
And that, my friends, is a 25-word wrap.
