We need to talk about website descriptions for scent products.

The problem is simple: people can't smell your scent products through their screens. So how will they know if they like it enough to buy it?

I'm going to tell you my secret, and I'll preface it by telling you that I stole it from a MUCH bigger candle company. Are you ready?

THE SECRET

Come in close. We aren't selling scent products.

That's it!

In fact, online, (figuratively speaking) we can't. So what are we selling? An experience. A lifestyle. Sell the idea that your products can be integrated seamlessly into a shopper's life, and what's more...they NEED them in their lives to give them the full experience of your business.

If I look at the individual pictures in the much bigger candle company's Instagram feed, more often than not, I don't see their candles front and center. They might be on the sink in a bathroom. Or on a nightstand next to a bed. Or in a plant shop. They are creating a mood, a vibe with which we can associate their candles with ourselves. This is much more powerful than just a candle on a white background, which gives me no pleasure, and will never give me a reason to purchase a scent product online.

I'm not a scientist (obviously!), but I'm assuming it makes more neurons fire in your brain if you can picture a serene bathroom with its perfect blade of sunlight hitting the sink just right, and that buying that company's candle might somehow transport you to that specific bathroom so you can be that relaxed all the time.

Their photos create an experience. A lifestyle. They give us an emotional response. A feeling. The most powerful thing marketing can do. It's called Emotional Marketing.

What does this have to do with product descriptions? Well, what those photos do, you have to do with words.

WRITE TO INSPIRE

I visit a lot of other scent creators' websites. Especially if I perceive them to be successful in some way. That way, I can see what they're doing to make them so successful. I'll often scroll through their products and see bland or non-descript descriptions, and I think "well that's too bad."

A lot of the time, the description will only have the notes of the scent. For example with a candle: "This candle has vanilla and lavender, and smells like springtime."

That doesn't make me feel anything. Maybe just bored...and a little sad. What if it isn't so dry and literal? What if instead:

Gently perfume your senses with a candle that will instantly transport you to a beautiful field of blooming lavender. Walk slowly through the tall grasses and feel the lavender flowers brush your fingertips. Be encapsulated in a cocoon of sweet, floral bliss. A familiar hint of vanilla grounds the lavender in your mind. The exotic warmth wraps itself around you like a blanket. Light this candle and welcome yourself to the most relaxing space in your home and the least stressful part of your day.

This all may seem a bit cheesy. And it is! It also took about three times longer to write. Pro tip: it's the perfect time to use a thesaurus.

If you aren't confident as a writer, you might consider hiring out your copy writing or utilizing an AI generator. Maybe find a website content creator on Fiverr or try ChatGPT to construct some flowery words. Beware that both options will most likely produce a more corporate sounding description. After all, YOU know your scents and products more than someone else. Something written in your style or voice will make a more human connection with a potential customer.

Returning to the lavender-vanilla description I wrote, I've possibly made an emotional connection with the buyer. I've tried to give them an experience: the framework to not only imagine themselves smelling the scent, but also what it will make them feel once they've bought it. It's an attempt at activating a total stranger's mind AND heart. 

Remember, creating an emotional connection is the most powerful marketing tool we have. We form that connection by creating a lifestyle and an experience with our wordsmithing prowess.

What are your best tips for writing product descriptions that form connections with online shoppers? Share them in the comments. Now, go romp through some lavender fields and Have a Big Gay Day!

This post is made with 100% human content.