SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2008
How to Make Great Ads
NOTE: The best way to make an Ad is to copy one that is effective already!!
BUILDING THE AD: Make an Irresistible Offer
Here's the table of contents and order of construction:
Every purchase is an investment: Hence, if I invest [what you want me to] I expect to get a really good return! All marketing (and even business) sums right down to this... so make sure it's an obviously good choice for them!
Key word: Obvious. If it's a great offer but they can't see it, it won't sell.
2 - Touchstone: How to say the offer...
Use Proof:
From a bird's eye view, selling is very simple. This was laid out by the grand master of selling, John Carlton:
1. Here's what I got. (Offer)
2. Here's what it will do for you. (Get the offer across to their life)
3. Here's what I want you to do next (be strait forward and hard. Confidence sells better than deals.)
1: "Here's what I got"
Here's how to make a compelling offer. Include all the following points:
Does it ...
* Make a Compelling Promise?
* Solve the Reader's Most Immediate Problem?
* Protect the Reader - With a Warning?
* Help the Reader Articulate Their Real Goal?
* Ask for ACTION!?
* Demonstrate the Ownership Experience?
It should do all of these - or at least the ones that are possible. The better you do them, the better the copy.
2. Here's what it will do for you.
Here's how to get your point across (getting the offer across to their life, so that no matter what personality type they are, they get why they'd want this in their life. This is extremely important, and only comes second because #1 catches their attention and interest.)
Answer each question:
1. Sales personality types - the motivators - ask,
WHY? (give the benefits)
2. Scholastic personality types - objective doers - ask,
WHAT FOR? (tell them what it'll do [what problems/frustrations it'll solve] & tell them what the results are.)
3. Technical personality types - how it works - ask,
HOW? (explain the system, show how everything is connected)
4. Advocate - focused on opportunities, creative, asks,
WHAT IF (show them how can you use it in other ways)
....
Now, it's also very important to answer these universal questions everyone always has before buying anything (yes! get these in the Ad IF YOU CAN... if you can't, just focus on the above, and maybe the most important question here)
The 12 Pre-Conversion Questions
1. Will it do what it says it will do?
2. Will it be easy for me to use?
3. Will it take a lot of my time to work?
4. Is this the only solution to my problem, or will it require
others?
5. What if it doesn't work?
6. What if something goes wrong?
7. Can I afford it?
8. What will my friends, family, or peers say?
9. Do I really need it?
10. Am I sure that I know enough about it?
11. Am I sure I know enough about the company selling it to me?
12. What if this is not the right version?
And no matter who they are, or what product they are buying -
those questions occur during their decision making process.
Please notice the following about those questions:
There are virtually no questions about the "up side" of
ownership. They're all based on Failure or Risk Scenarios.
Now I'll ask you the Sixty Four Thousand Dollar Question:
Are you letting your prospects into your sales process without
answering all of those questions?
-----
The points to cover in giving any presentation are then:
Part 3 of the carlton method, asking for action, should be strait forward enough. People can tell if something is worth getting based on how confident you are in it, so, when you ask for action, make sure to be really firm and validate why you believe they should.
And that's it! When you've got something good, this is all you need.
This works amazingly better when the thing is free. Give people free stuff to show them your value, but very importantly, win over their trust and get them accustomed to being sold. I plan on "selling" everything - whether or not it has anything to do with being sold.
AND THEN you get to the deeper copy writing elements – like being hypnotic etc
BUILDING THE AD: Make an Irresistible Offer
Here's the table of contents and order of construction:
- Develop an obviously high ROI for the prospect.
- Create a compelling touchstone.
- Make it believable.
Every purchase is an investment: Hence, if I invest [what you want me to] I expect to get a really good return! All marketing (and even business) sums right down to this... so make sure it's an obviously good choice for them!
Key word: Obvious. If it's a great offer but they can't see it, it won't sell.
2 - Touchstone: How to say the offer...
- Clear - Every line makes perfect sense, has a lot of meaning.
- Simple - EASY to understand.
- Immediacy - Cuts to the chase (benefit focused).
- Short (brevity) - Cut out all extra words and condense.
Use Proof:
- Social Proof: Testimonials from other people, the more you get in the better (picture, phone number, whatever else can add to it's realness.)
- Technical Proof: Tests that show it works, scientific stuff.
- Factual Proof...
- Have it endorsed by someone trustworthy in the industry or by a famous celebrity.
- Put it through qualified tests that people recognize.
- Use logic to show why the ROI is possible / why it just makes sense.
From a bird's eye view, selling is very simple. This was laid out by the grand master of selling, John Carlton:
1. Here's what I got. (Offer)
2. Here's what it will do for you. (Get the offer across to their life)
3. Here's what I want you to do next (be strait forward and hard. Confidence sells better than deals.)
1: "Here's what I got"
Here's how to make a compelling offer. Include all the following points:
Does it ...
* Make a Compelling Promise?
* Solve the Reader's Most Immediate Problem?
* Protect the Reader - With a Warning?
* Help the Reader Articulate Their Real Goal?
* Ask for ACTION!?
* Demonstrate the Ownership Experience?
It should do all of these - or at least the ones that are possible. The better you do them, the better the copy.
2. Here's what it will do for you.
Here's how to get your point across (getting the offer across to their life, so that no matter what personality type they are, they get why they'd want this in their life. This is extremely important, and only comes second because #1 catches their attention and interest.)
Answer each question:
1. Sales personality types - the motivators - ask,
WHY? (give the benefits)
2. Scholastic personality types - objective doers - ask,
WHAT FOR? (tell them what it'll do [what problems/frustrations it'll solve] & tell them what the results are.)
3. Technical personality types - how it works - ask,
HOW? (explain the system, show how everything is connected)
4. Advocate - focused on opportunities, creative, asks,
WHAT IF (show them how can you use it in other ways)
....
Now, it's also very important to answer these universal questions everyone always has before buying anything (yes! get these in the Ad IF YOU CAN... if you can't, just focus on the above, and maybe the most important question here)
The 12 Pre-Conversion Questions
1. Will it do what it says it will do?
2. Will it be easy for me to use?
3. Will it take a lot of my time to work?
4. Is this the only solution to my problem, or will it require
others?
5. What if it doesn't work?
6. What if something goes wrong?
7. Can I afford it?
8. What will my friends, family, or peers say?
9. Do I really need it?
10. Am I sure that I know enough about it?
11. Am I sure I know enough about the company selling it to me?
12. What if this is not the right version?
And no matter who they are, or what product they are buying -
those questions occur during their decision making process.
Please notice the following about those questions:
There are virtually no questions about the "up side" of
ownership. They're all based on Failure or Risk Scenarios.
Now I'll ask you the Sixty Four Thousand Dollar Question:
Are you letting your prospects into your sales process without
answering all of those questions?
-----
The points to cover in giving any presentation are then:
- Why you should buy
- How it will benefit you
- What this product will do
- What it will accomplish
- How it does what it does
- Creative things you can do with it
Part 3 of the carlton method, asking for action, should be strait forward enough. People can tell if something is worth getting based on how confident you are in it, so, when you ask for action, make sure to be really firm and validate why you believe they should.
And that's it! When you've got something good, this is all you need.
This works amazingly better when the thing is free. Give people free stuff to show them your value, but very importantly, win over their trust and get them accustomed to being sold. I plan on "selling" everything - whether or not it has anything to do with being sold.
AND THEN you get to the deeper copy writing elements – like being hypnotic etc
