You know the style of advertisements I am talking about, the ones that win awards and gain recognition from the commercial art exhibitions and the like.

What’s wrong with these ads…

Or should I say the question is have you ever purchased anything from an advertisement like this?

I could almost guarantee that you although you may look at theses advertisements and think how pretty they are, you probably would not be motivated to take action.

The question is why?

The answer is really quite simple….Art and design are created to tone within the surroundings, and to please the senses.

Why does this not work for an advertisement… If you think about a park bench they are generally always green to blend within the environment, imagine if that same bench was bright red with pink spots. It would certainly gain your attention and spark your interest as to why there was a bright red bench seat with pink spots….

Do you want your advertisement to be creative and not spark the readers interest?

Or do you want the advertisement to gain the readers attention and ensure that they take action.

At the end of the day you are creating advertisements to sell your particular product or service, so make your next campaign work for you.

Here are a few tips on how to create a great advertisement?

1. Use a font that people are familiar with which is easy to read.

2. Use strong, black readable type for headlines.

3. User clear cut type for your copy.

4. Make your headlines large enough and bold enough so that even the most careless glancer cannot help but catch your message.

5. Use pictures that create value in your advertisement. Don’t use pictures that are not relevant to the product you are selling .

6. Try using a picture of the product in use.

The key to a great advertisement is in essence ‘don’t be to cleaver’, however do tell your potential customers in your text and with images why they should purchase your product.

Avoid weird, outlandish, or far-fetched pictures that have nothing to do with the product or service you are selling. Use pictures that attract buyers, not curiosity seekers.

If you try even a couple of these tips, it is guaranteed to make a difference in your next advertising campaign.

One final tip is to remember to test your changes. Make sure you understand what change has made the difference.

The aim at the end of the day is to sell products or services, so if your advertising is not working give it a review what you are doing to and implement a change one step at a time.

Rachel Wadsworth

1. Measure your retail sales the day after an advertisement has been run,
2. Run an advertisement on a specific regional area or a controlled group; compare these against another similar controlled group using your regular advertisement.
3. Use a key number sequences on your coupons, for example A-41G. The letter “A” is the code for the publication in which the advertisement ran. The “44″ designates the specific ad and that ad only, and the “G” represents any revisions of the advertisement.

How do you measure the success of a sales letter?
Well the only thing that really counts is the number of sales it generates. You can read any number of books on copywriting. You can research your product and your target market. You can have the perfect headline and clearly defined all the benefits. But without that vital call to action all your efforts will be wasted.

If you feel uncomfortable closing the sale you’re not on your own. The close is probably the weakest element in all direct marketing. I’m sure you’ll agree however there’s not much point working hard on a fantastic sales presentation without closing the sale. So after you’ve done a fantastic job presenting the benefits of your product:

Ask For the Order.
The close has to be handled smoothly or sales will be lost. One big factor is you must have a product and offer that is of true value for the buyer. If you don’t truly believe this yourself it will show through your copy.

There is naturally a certain amount of inertia in all of us. In other words we might appreciate being led to an action that will benefit us but we need a bit of a push to make us act. You must provide a compelling reason as the “push” to take action.

A Reason to Act Now.
You must use a “hook” in every closing situation to make sure that your prospect acts now. A delayed sale is almost certainly a lost sale. Your “hook” must always be specific and definite.

Here are a few examples:
• Limited quantity. Only limited number available. Avoid disappointment. Order now. When xxx sets are gone this offer will expire.
• Price will rise. Orders will be honoured until xxx, after which the price will increase.
• Special combination offer. The special price for this combination will expire on xxx
• Early order discount. If your order is received by xxx you will receive 25% discount. Place your order now.

Free Bonuses.
We all love to get something free don’t we? Free is after all one of the most powerful words you can use. The bonus does have to be beneficial to your prospect. It has to be something your prospect would happily pay for. If the bonus is dull and uninteresting it won’t enhance your offer. Always make sure you tie in the offer of the free bonus for acting now, for example:

“The first xxx people who order will get this amazing xxx worth $xxx, absolutely free. So order now.”

Guarantees.
In this world of scepticism an unconditional money back guarantee is almost essential. If your product is of superior quality your returns should be minimal. Here is an example of the wording you could use:

If for any reason you are not delighted with your xxx, after you have examined it for xx days, you may return it for a prompt refund.

So don’t be shy Ask For the Order…chances are your prospect wants to buy, they just need a little push to take action.

Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter

http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979

Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL.

What was your New Years Resolution? Was it to declutter your life and get things back on track?

Why is it that the New Year brings a sense of new beginnings, a chance for one to clear the clutter in our minds (and desks) and begin to refocus on what important.

If you are anything like me, I begin the year with a new Black Moleskin Diary (which is my prized possession for the whole year); I begin so diligently each year planning my days… Creating ‘To Do List’… and ensuring everyone Birthdays have been included… You get the picture.

How long does my discipline of the diary last…? Around 2 months (if I am lucky).

So what happens, why do we begin each year with good intentions yet we don’t follow through?

Why… Because life takes hold and it is all too easy to let the 12 months pass us by and have made no significant changes.

In the last twelve months what were the key goals you set for your business. What was it you really wanted to achieve?

Did you come close to achieving your goal, or were you like most of the population that allowed life to get in the way….

So how do you stop this from happening this year?

Clear the Clutter…..

I want you to right now (as soon as you have finished reading this article)… Walk away from the computer…

That’s right, Walk Away From The Computer…

Get a large piece of paper and pen… Then begin brainstorming what’s important to you and your business.

Go back in your mind and think about why you got into business in the first place… What is it that you really want to achieve in the next 12 months…?

All too often in business we don’t stop to think about where we are heading…

Take the time to break your business down, into small manageable components.

Then write 5 goals you want to achieve for each component of your business.

One at a time think about what message you need to convey to your clients in order to achieve the goals you have identified.

Now create a plan of action, to achieve each job.

You don’t have to do all the work yourself… There are a number of resources on the internet that can help you make your goals happen, and it is a cost effective way to help with additional administration support as well as copy writing, a good example of this is www.elance.com.

Whatever it is you want to achieve in 2009, by breaking down the goal into manageable chunks it will free up the clutter in your mind to be able to work through the process and actually get everything you want.

What are you still doing sitting at your computer?? Grab that piece of paper and start brainstorming…

 

 

 

Stop Advertising?
When everyone is cutting back on spending, what should you do, stop advertising?
If you have a new product and you stop advertising you will probably kill it forever.

Strange but true.
Studies over the last six recessions have shown that the companies who continued advertising to the same level achieved greater increases in profit than the companies who cut back. An example of this can be seen during the recession years of 1974-75. Companies who continued spending their normal budget on advertising through this time achieved 50% more sales than companies who cut back during 1974. By 1977 their sales had more than doubled their pre-recession figures while sales for the companies who cut back had barely increased by half.

There was a Morril survey carried out which clearly showed that share-of-market increased during the bad times when advertising was continued.

Marketing your product should always be priced in as part of the production costs and should never be cut back the same as you wouldn’t cut back on any other vital component.

During World War II the British Government prohibited the marketing of margarine under brand names. Unilever however continued to advertise one of their brands, even though it wasn’t available for consumers to buy. When the war ended and brands were again allowed on the shelves guess which brand was the top seller? You guessed it, Unilever.

Price Wars.
When times are hard and competition is fierce, price wars appear everywhere. Does the consumer always go for the lowest price? Not always. A lot of the time, we as consumers determine quality by price. The more expensive the item the higher the quality is thought to be. When the French Government were trying to determine the causes of inflation they cut thousands of cheeses in half and put them on sale. Half of the cheeses were priced 51% higher than the other half. The higher priced cheeses sold faster than the lower priced. Consumers often judge the quality of a product by its price.

So don’t get disheartened by all the doom and gloom around you. Just keep marketing and the consumer will keep buying.

Anne Pearson
Compelling Copywriter

http://www.mapcopywriting.com
anne@mapcopywriting.com
Skype – mapcopywriting
Tel / Fax – 01772 468979

Please feel free to use this article. All I ask in return is that you include the above signature and URL.