It’s time to stop beating around the bush, okay?
All the money you’re spending on advertising… all the fancy graphics you created, cool taglines, and the creative spin you used… even if you hired a media agency or your family thinks you’re a genius… it’s not getting you anywhere, is it?
Sure, you thought it would. After all, it seems like all your competitors are advertising so it must work, right? Sales reps told you that your ad was great, and that their media would definitely be your best choice…
The moment you learned your advertisement would go live, you had visions of a stampede of customers busting down your door – placing orders as fast as Justin Beiber sells concert tickets, right?
But it was a lie. Not totally, no, because great advertisements are a crucial element for creating predictable profits, but there are a few critical pieces missing from the way everyone else advertises.
Face it:
- No one cares about what you’re selling
- No one is motivated to place an order
- No one knows why you’re different
Huh? You mean to tell me nobody told you that?!
Wish I could say I was surprised… But the truth is, those are three important things you need to know about creating advertising that works.
Might as well set the record straight.
PEOPLE ARE SELFISH (BUT AREN’T WE ALL?!)
I don’t mean to sound crass, but look – people only spend money on things that directly benefit them! Isn’t that how you spend your money?
Maybe it’s for happiness, love, more time, convenience, security, avoiding pain, the promise of advancement, transformation… there are millions of reasons.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re b-to-b, b-to-c, or even a non-profit – if your advertisement doesn’t clearly articulate how it makes their life better – it won’t work.
Hey, I don’t care if you’re selling me a computer that’s got a 1,000,000 Giga-whatever processor – if it’s not going to be easy to use, fast, dependable, store all my photos/books/courses, and easy to travel with… I ain’t interested.
And if you go so far as to prove to me it’ll somehow translate into saving me more time and making me more money – I’ll give you my money so fast you won’t know what hit you!
ADVERTISING HAS BECOME AS COMMON AS FINDING A LAPTOP AT STARBUCKS
Look, we are bombarded with thousands of advertising messages from the moment we wake up until the moment we fall asleep.
“Buy this!” “Buy that!” …it never ends.
We tune everything out because we’ve become accustomed to everyone claiming they are the best, the cheapest, or offer the best service – but let’s face it, your customers already expect you to say that!
What you haven’t told me is why you’re uniquely different from everyone else…
What unique advantage are you offering that no one else is?
C’mon, tell me something I don’t know about you.
YOU’VE GOTTA GET ME OFF THAT DAMN COUCH!
Even if you got my attention, you’re only half way there – as they say: “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades!”
Your advertisement isn’t cutting it unless you get a lead or a customer.
But how do you do that?
…by creating a compelling offer with a reason for acting right now.
The litmus test is to look at an advertisement and ask yourself: “Is this advertisement good enough to get my prospect off the couch, to walk over to the telephone (or Internet) and place an order?”
If you can’t answer “YES!” to that question, how do you expect your ad to make you money? Give ‘em a reason to take action now!
Advertising is simple, really.
All you have to do is give people what they want, why they want it, and a reason to do it now.
Notice I didn’t say anything about being “creative.” If you want to be creative, you’ll get a better return trying to sell artwork in a gallery than impressing a customer to take action.
You’ve got to be irresistible.
Do that, and you won’t have to worry about your advertisement falling on deaf ears.
Do that, and people will certainly take notice.
Do that, and your prospects will be clamoring to get more of what you have to offer.
Got it?
In your corner,
Charlie
