How To Make Your Advertising More Successful
 |
Free Download - The Visionary Entrepreneur By Joe Love |
Advertising is the most visible form of marketing. It is one the most effective marketing tools you can use to build a share of the prospect’s mind. If you know exactly what you want to gain from your advertising, where to direct your message, and how to say what you want your audience to know, your advertising will be effective.
Unfortunately advertising is also one the most misunderstood forms of marketing. Many ads you see today are full of catchy slogans, an endorsing celebrity, or the ultimate in graphic design and animation. The ads tell people how great and wonderful the business is. They are designed to keep the company’s name in front of the prospects, and ultimately fail.
If your advertising is going to be successful you have to understand that people don’t care how great your business is. All they care about is what unique benefit your product or service offers them that others don’t. How are you going to improve their lives? How are you going to make their lives easier? Are you going to make them richer?
They want to know how you’re going to enhance the quality, enjoyment, and the profitability of their lives. Very few ads today address that. People don’t care what you want. To be effective your advertising must address what benefits you’re rendering the prospect.
However, they do want to know that you’re qualified to help them. So, in your advertising you need to establish credibility. If you’ve got expertise and people don’t appreciate your knowledge and expertise, find a way to explain it. If, in fact, you’ve been in the field longer than anyone else, you’ve received a higher education honor, or you’re a dry cleaner who specializes in cleaning very expensive material, you need to tell people about it.
It is very important that you put your advertising in the right place. With direct mail that means carefully selected mailing lists. With print and broadcast advertising, it means putting your messages where your prospects will most likely see or hear them.
For example, if you are selling fishing equipment, it wouldn’t do you much good to advertise in a magazine for racing cars. If you sell mutual funds it wouldn’t do you much good to advertise in a magazine for antiques and collectibles, unless you knew that a large number of those readers were also interested in mutual funds.
What you say, and how you say it, is every bit as important as where you say it. To bring in profitable new business, your print ads, once you’ve placed them where your prospect will see them, should include four important elements:
1. A compelling headline, one that catches the attention of the readers and motivates them to read your entire message. It is very important to have a powerful headline on the home page of your Web site and in all of your Internet ads.
2. A specific offer attractive enough to inspire people to respond immediately.
3. A convincing explanation of the benefits customers will receive by purchasing your product or service. This reinforces the headline and offer.
4. Clear, precise information on how to order from you. Always ask for an immediate order in every ad you place, and make sure you tell your readers exactly how to order.
You never know how well you advertising is actually doing unless you test. You won’t know which headline pulls best for you until you test one headline against another. Nor will you know which offer works best for you until you test one offer against another.
Keep in mind that there are basic power words that will help you get better results with your ads. Some of these words are: “free,” “easy,” “amazing,” and “bargain.” When you include any of these words in your ads it will almost always increase your response.
When you’re writing an ad it is helpful to think of your prospects as nice people you want to please. By doing this it will help you stress the specific benefits you can bring into people’s lives. It will help you advertise from the customer’s point of view, the only point of view that counts.
When you advertise, your message will miss its mark if it doesn’t address the most important interests and desires of your readers, listeners, or viewers. So, before you even start to work on composing an ad, ask yourself, "What is it that will most likely get the undivided attention of the people I'm trying to reach?"
Find out what people in your target market need or want the most. An easy way to get this information is to survey your target market. You never want to make risky assumptions about people’s interests or simply guess. If you do, it is easy to loose thousands of dollars with your advertising.
Are they the most interested in getting the lowest possible price? Is it really what they want most? Is it a feeling of personal security? Is it financial gain? Is it status? Is it freedom from pain? Is it something that will quickly improve their physical appearance? Is it simple fun, or sheer novelty?
Whatever “it” is, make “it” the focal point of your message. With print advertising, put “it” in the headline of your ad, and then let “it” echo and resonate throughout the supporting copy, all the way down to the order coupon at the foot of the ad.
This is also true of effective Internet ads. The “it” should be in the headline of your ad and resonate throughout your supporting copy to get the target audience to click on your ad and go to your Web site. And once a prospect gets to your site make sure the “it’ is in the headline of your home page and resonates through your supporting copy, and to your offer.
Let me also mention two words that you should not use in your advertising, “quality” and “courtesy.”
Quality is a vague word, as well as being something that every business claims to have. Instead of simply saying you have “quality,” spell out the benefits you can deliver that prove your high quality.
Courtesy is a weak word standing alone, because customers expect to be treated courteously. Instead, cite specific, courteous things you do, like free delivery.
You can build irresistible qualities into any ad, radio spot, or TV commercial. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling perfumes or vacuum cleaners, if you stress the greatest possible benefit to a prospect; you will get their attention and very likely their order.
Copyright©2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of businesses around the world, on the subjects of leadership, achievement, goals, strategic business planning, and marketing.
Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com
Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com
How To Make Your Advertising More Successful - To learn more about this author, visit Joe Love's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| Article Tags: |
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
Marcus ArkanMarcus Arkan currently serves as the President/Principle Broker of Syndicate Mortgages Inc. After working with a number of Canada's top financial institutions, the experience and knowledge he gained throughout his professional career combined with his drive and entrepreneurial spirit led him to develop his own company. The operation began in 2003 in the basement of his home and now has flourished into a successful corporation with a head office in one of Metropolitan Toronto's busiest sectors and 10 branch locations employing over 100 mortgage professionals. His organization is now one of Ontario's leading mortgage brokerages specializing in residential, commercial, and construction financing. He holds the designation of Accredited Mortgage Professional from the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. This allows him to differentiate himself from other mortgage originators and demonstrates his commitment to the highest standards of industry performance. For more information on Mr. Arkan and his Syndicate Mortgages Inc., please visit www.syndicatemortgages.com. - Visit Marcus Arkan's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Joe's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
|
||
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES LIABILITY FREE Twitter Background in PSD Workplace Culture Write Marketing Plan Success Worksheet |
|
 | ||
 |
Fortune Hunters
CBC Entrepreneur TV | |
 |
Write The PR
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
 | ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
 | ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||