HOW TO WRITE "ORDER-PULLlNG" ADS
HOW TO WRITE "ORDER-PULLlNG" ADS
The most important aspect of any business is selling the product
or service, Without sales, no business can exist for very long.
All sales begin with some form of advertising. To build sales,
this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers, and
cause them to react to the advertising in some way. The credit
for the success, or the blame for the failure of almost all ads,
reverts back to the ad itself.
Generally, the "ad writer" wants the prospect to do one of the
following:
a) Visit the store to see and judge the product for himself, or
immediately write a check and send for the merchandise being
advertised
b) Phone for an appointment to hear the full sales presentation,
or write for further information which amounts to the same thing.
The bottom line in any ad is quite simple: To make the reader buy
the product or service. Any ad that causes the reader to only
pause in his thinking, to just admire the product, or to simply
believe what's written about the product - is not doing its job
completely.
The "ad writer" must know exactly what he wants his reader to do,
and any ad that does not elicit the desired action is an absolute
waste of time and money.
In order to elicit the desired action from the prospect, all ads
are written according to a simple "master formula" which is:
l) Attract the "attention" of your prospect
2) "Interest" your prospect in the product
3) Cause your prospect to "desire" the product
4) Demand "action" from the prospect
Never forget the basic rule of advertising copyrighting: If the
ad is not read, It won't stimulate any sales; if it is not seen,
it cannot be read, and if it does not command or grab the
attention of the reader, it will not be seen.
Most successful advertising copywriters know these fundamentals
back wards and forwards. Whether you know them already or you're
just now being exposed to them, your knowledge and practice of
these fundamentals will determine the extent of your success as
an advertising copywriter.
CLASSIFIED ADS:
Classified ads are the ads from which all successful businesses
are started. These small, relatively inexpensive ads, give the
beginner an opportunity to advertise his product or service
without losing his shirt if the ad doesn't pull or the people
don't break his door down with demands for his product.
Classified ads are written according to all the advertising
rules. What is said in a classified ad is the same that's said in
a larger, more elaborate type of ad, excepting in condensed form.
To start learning how to write good classified ads, clip ten
classified ads from ten different mail order type publications -
ads that you think are pretty good. Paste each of these ads onto
a separate sheet of paper.
Analyze each of these ads: How has the writer attracted your
attention - what about the ads keeps your interest - are you
stimulated to want to know more about the product being
advertised - and finally, what action must you take? Are all of
these points covered in the ad? How strongly are you "turned on"
by each of these ads?
Rate these ads on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best
according to the formula I've given you. Now, just for practice,
without clipping the ads, do the same thing with ten different
ads from a Sears, Wards or JC Penney's catalog. In fact, every ad
you see from now on, quickly analyze it, and rate it somewhere on
your scale. If you'll practice this exercise on a regular basis,
you'll soon be able to quickly recognize the "Power Points" of
any ad you see, and know within your own mind whether an ad is
good, bad or otherwise, and what makes it so.
Practice for an hour each day, write the ads you've rated 8, 9,
and 10 exactly as they've been written. This will give you the
"feel" of the fundamentals and style necessary in writing
classified ads.
Your next project will be to pick out what you consider to be the
ten "worst" ads you can find in the classifieds sections. Clip
these out and paste them onto a sheet of paper so you can work
with them.
Read these ads over a couple of times, and then beside each of
them, write a short comment stating why you think it's bad Lost
in the crowd, doesn't attract attention - doesn't hold the
reader's interest - nothing special to make the reader w ant to
own the product - no demand for action.
You probably already know what's coming next, and that's right,
break out those pencils, erasers and scratch paper - and start
rewriting these ads to include the missing elements.
Each day for the next month, practice writing the ten best ads
for an hour, just the way they were originally written. Pick out
ten of the worst ads, analyze those ads, and then practice
rewriting those until they measure up to doing the job they were
intended to do.
Once you're satisfied that the ads you've rewritten are perfect,
go back into each ad and cross out the words that can be
eliminated without detracting from the ad. Classified ads arE
almost always "finalized" in the style of a telegram.
EXAMPLE: I'll arrive at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the 15th.
Meet me at Sardi's. All my love, Jim.
EDITED FOR SENDING: Arrive 2 pm - 15th - Sardi's. Love, Jim.
CLASSIFIED AD: Save on your food bills! Reduced prices on every
shelf in the store! Stock up now while supplies are complete!
Come on in today, to Jerry's Family Supermarkets!
EDITED FOR PUBLICATION: Save on Food! Everything bargain priced!
Limited supplies! Hurry! Jerry's Markets!
It takes dedicated and regular practice, but you can do it.
Simply recognize and understand the basic formula - practice
reading and writing the good ones - and rewriting the bad ones to
make them better. Practice, and keep at it, over and over, every
day - until the formula, the idea, and the feel of this kind of
ad writing becomes second nature to you. This is the ONLY WAY to
gain expertise in writing good classified ads.
DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS:
A display or space ad differs from a classified ad because it has
a headline, layout, and because the style isn't telegraphic.
However, the fundamentals of writing the display or space ad are
exactly the same as for a classified ad. The basic difference is
that you have more room in which to emphasize the "master
formula." Most successful copywriters rate the headline and/or
the lead sentence of an ad as the most important part of the ad,
and in reality, you should do the same. After all, when your ad
is surrounded by hundreds of other ads, and information or
entertainment, what makes you think anyone is going to see your
particular ad?
The truth is, they're not going to see your ad unless you can
"grab" their attention and entice them to read all of what you
have to say. Your headline, or lead sentence when no headline is
used, has to make it more difficult for your prospect to ignore
or pass over, than to stop and read your ad. If you don't capture
the attention of your reader with your headline, anything beyond
is useless effort and wasted money.
Successful advertising headlines - in classified ads, your first
three to five words serve as your headline - are written as
promises, either implied or direct. The former promises to show
you how to save money, make money, or attain a desired goal. The
latter is a warning against something undesirable.
EXAMPLE OF A PROMISE: Are You Ready To Become A Millionaire - In
Just 18 Months?
EXAMPLE OF A WARNING: Do You Make These Mistakes In English?
In both of these examples, I've posed a question as the headline.
Headlines that ask a question seem to attract the reader's
attention almost as surely as a moth is drawn to a flame. Once
he's seen the question, he just can't seem to keep himself from
reading the rest of the ad to find out the answer. The best
headline questions are those that challenge the reader; that
involve his self-esteem, and do not allow him to dismiss your
question with a simple yes or no.
You'll be the envy of your friends is another kind of "reader
appeal" to incorporate into your headline whenever appropriate.
The appeal has to do with basic psychology: everyone wants to be
well thought of, and consequently, will read into the body of
your ad to find out how he can gain the respect and accolades of
his friends.
Wherever and whenever possible, use colloquialisms or words that
are not usually found in advertisements. The idea is to shock or
shake the reader out of his reverie and cause him to take notice
of your ad. Most of the headlines you see day in and day out,
have a certain sameness with just the words rearranged. The
reader may see these headlines with his eyes, but his brain fails
to focus on any of them because there's nothing different or out
of the ordinary to arrest his attention.
EXAMPLE OF COLLOQUIALISM: Are You Developing A POT BELLY?
Another attention-grabber kind of head-line is the comparative
price headline: Three For Only $3, Regularly $3 Each! Still
another of the "tried and proven" kind of headlines is the
specific question: Do You Suffer From These Symptoms. And of
course, if you offer a strong guarantee, you should say so in
your headline: Your Money Refunded, If You Don't Make $100,000
Your First Year.
How To headlines have a very strong basic appeal, but in some
instances, they're better used as book titles than advertising
headlines. Who Else wants in on the finer things - which your
product or service presumably offers - is another approach with a
very strong reader appeal. The psychology here being the need of
everyone to belong to a group - complete with status and prestige
motivations.
Whenever, and as often as you can possibly work it in, you should
use the word "you" in your headline, and throughout your copy.
After all, your ad should be directed to "one" person, and the
person reading your ad wants to feel that you're talking to him
personally, not everyone who lives on his street.
Personalize, and be specific! You can throw the teachings of your
English teachers out the window, and the rules of "third person,
singular" or whatever else tends to inhibit your writing.
Whenever you sit down to write advertising copy in tended to pull
the orders - sell the product - you should picture yourself in a
one-on-one situation and "talk" to your reader just as if you
sitting across from him at your dining room table. Say what you
mean, and sell HIM on the product your offering. Be specific and
ask him if these are the things that bother him - are these the
things he wants - and he's the one you want to buy the product...
The layout you devise for your ad, or the frame you build around
it, should also command attention. Either make it so spectacular
that it stands out like lobster at a chili dinner, or so
uncommonly simple that it catches the reader's eye because of its
very simplicity. It's also important that you don't get cute with
a lot of unrelated graphics and artwork. Your ad should convey
the feeling of excitement and movement, but should not tire the
eyes or disrupt the flow of the message you're trying to present.
Any graphics or artwork you use should be relevant to your
product, its use and/or the copy you've written about it.
Graphics should not be used as artistic touches, or to create an
atmosphere. Any illustrations with your ad should compliment the
selling of your product, and prove or substantiate specific
points in your copy.
Once you have your reader's attention, the only way you're going
to keep it, is by quickly and emphatically telling him what your
product will do for him.
Your potential buyer doesn't care in the least how long it's
taken you to produce the product, how long you've been in
business, nor how many years you've spent learning your craft. He
wants to know specifically how he's going to benefit from the
purchase of your product.
Generally, his wants will fall into one of the following
categories: Better health, more comfort, more money, more leisure
time, more popularity, greater beauty, success and/or security.
Even though you have your reader's attention, you must follow
through with an enumeration of the benefits he can gain. In
essence, you must reiterate the advantages, comfort and happiness
he'll enjoy - as you have implied in your headline.
Mentally picture your prospect - determine his wants and
emotional needs - put yourself in his shoes, and ask yourself If
I were reading this ad, what are the things that would appeal to
me? Write your copy to appeal to your reader's wants and
emotional needs/ego cravings.
Remember, it's not the "safety features" that have sold cars for
the past 50 years - nor has it been the need of transportation -
it has been, and almost certainly always will be the advertising
writer's recognition of people's wants and emotional needs/ego
cravings. Visualize your prospect, recognize his wants and
satisfy them. Writing good advertising copy is nothing more or
less than knowing "who" your buyers are; recognizing what he
wants; and then telling him how your product will fulfill each of
those wants, Remember this because it's one of the "vitally
important" keys to writing advertising copy that does the job you
intend for it to do.
The "desire" portion of your ad is where you present the facts of
your product; create and justify your prospect's conviction, and
cause him to demand "a piece of the action" for himself.
It's vitally necessary that you present "proven facts" about your
product because survey results show that at least 8% of the
people reading your ad - especially those reading it for the
first time - Will tend to question its authenticity.
So, the more facts you can present in the ad, the more credible
your offer. As you write this part of your ad, always remember
that the more facts about the product you present, the more
product you'll sell. People want facts as reasons, and/or excuses
for buying a product - to justify to themselves and others, that
they haven't been "taken" by a slick copywriter.
It's like the girl who wants to marry the guy her father calls a
"no good bum." Her heart - her emotions - tell her yes, but she
needs facts to nullify the seed of doubt lingering in her mind -
to rationalize her decision to go on with the wedding.
In other words, the "desire" portion of your ad has to build
belief and credibility in the mind of your prospect. It has to
assure him of his good judgement in the final decision to buy -
furnish evidence of the benefits you've promised - and afford him
a "safety net" in case anyone should question his decision to
buy.
People tend to believe the things that appeal to their individual
desires, fears and other emotions. Once you've established a
belief in this manner, logic and reasoning are used to support
it. People believe what they "want" to believe. Your reader
"wants" to believe your ad if he's read it through this far -
it's up to you to support his initial desire.
Study your product and everything about it - visualize the wants
of your prospective buyers - dig up the facts, and you'll almost
always find plenty of facts to support the buyer's reasons for
buying.
Here is where you use results of test conducted, growing sales
figures to prove increasing popularity, and "user" testimonials
or endorsements. It's also important that you present these fact
- test results, sales figures, and/or testimonials - from the
consumer point of view, and not that of the manufacturer.
Before you end this portion of your ad and get into your demand
for action, summarize everything you've presented thus far. Draw
a mental picture for your potential buyer. Let him imagine owning
the product. Induce him to visualize all of the benefits you've
promised. Give him the keys to seeing himself richer, enjoying
luxury, having time to do whatever he'd like to do, and with all
of his dreams fulfilled.
This can be handled in one or two sentences, or spelled out in a
paragraph or more, but it's the absolute ingredient you must
include prior to closing the sale. Study all the sales
presentations you've ever heard - look at every winning ad - this
the element included in all of them that actually makes the sale
for you. Remember it, use it, and don't try to sell anything
without it.
As Victor Schwab puts it 90 succinctly in his best-selling book,
How To Write A Good Advertisement: Every one of the fundamentals
in the "master formula" is necessary. Those people who are -easy'
to sell may perhaps be sold even if some of these factors are
left out, but it's wiser to plan your advertisement go that it
will have a powerful impact upon those who are "hardest" to sell,
For, unlike face-to-face selling, we cannot in printed
advertising come to a "trial close" in our sales talk - in order
to gee if those who are easier to sell will welcome the dotted
line without further persuasion. We must assume that we are talk-
ing to the hardest ones - and that the more thoroughly our copy
sells both the hard and the easy, the better chance we have
against the competition for the consumer dollars - and also the
less dependent we will be upon the usual completely ineffective
follow-through on our advertising effort which later takes place
at the sales counter itself.
ASK FOR ACTION DEMAND THE MONEY!
Lots of ads are beautiful, almost perfectly written, and quite
convincing - yet they fail to ask for or demand action from the
reader. If you want the reader to have your product, then tell
him so and demand that he send his money now. Unless you enjoy
entertaining your prospects with your beautiful writing skills,
always demand that he complete the sale now, by taking action now
- by calling a telephone number and ordering, or by writing his
check and rushing it to the post office.
Once you've got him on the hook, land him! Don't let him get
away. Probably, one of the most common and best methods of moving
the reader's to act now, is written in some form of the
following:
All of this can be yours! You can start enjoying this new way of
life immediately, simply by sending a check for $XX! Don't put it
off, then later wish you had gotten in on the ground floor Make
out that check now, and "be IN on the ground floor!" Act now, and
as an "early-bird" buyer, we'll include a big bonus package -
absolutely free, simply for acting immediately! You win all the
way! We take all the risks. If you're not satisfied, simply
return the product and we'll quickly refund your money! Do it
now! Get that check on its way to us today, and receive the big
bonus package! After next week, we won't be able to include the
bonus as a part of this fantastic deal, so act now! The sooner
you act, the more you win!
Offering a reward of some kind will almost always stimulate the
prospect to take action. However, in mentioning the reward or
bonus, be very careful that you don't end up receiving primarily,
requests for the bonus with mountains of requests for refunds on
the product to follow. The bonus should be mentioned only
casually if you're asking for product orders; and with lots of
fanfare only when you're seeking inquiries.
Too often the copywriter, in his enthusiasm to pull in a record
number of responses, confuses the reader by "forgetting about the
product," and devoting his entire space allotted for the "demand
for action" to sending for the bonus. Any reward offered should
be closely related to the product, and a bonus offered only for
immediate action on the part of the potential buyer.
Specify a time limit. Tell your prospect that he must act within
a certain time limit or lose out on the bonus, face probably
higher prices, or even the withdrawal of your offer. This is
always a good hook to get action.
Any kind of guarantee you offer always helps to produce action
from the prospect. And the more liberal you can make your
guarantee, the more product orders you'll receive. Be sure you
state the guarantee clearly and simply. Make it so easy to
understand that even a child would not misinterpret what you're
saying.
The action you want your prospect to take should be easy -
clearly stated - and devoid of any complicated procedural steps
on his part, or numerous directions for him to follow.
Picture your prospect, very comfortable in his favorite easy
chair, idly flipping thru a magazine while "half-watching" TV. He
notices your ad, reads thru it, and he's sold on your product.
Now what does he do?
Remember, he's very comfortable - you've "grabbed" his attention,
sparked his interest, painted a picture of him enjoying a new
kind of satisfaction, and he's ready to buy... Anything and
everything you ask or cause him to do is going to disrupt this
aura of comfort and contentment. Whatever he must do had better
be simple, quick and easy!
Tell him without any ifs, ands or buts, what to do - fill out the
coupon, include your check for the full amount, and send it in to
us today! Make it as easy for him as you possibly can -simple and
direct. And by all means, make sure your address is on the order
form he's supposed to complete and mail in to you - your name and
address on the order form, as well as just above it. People
sometimes fill out a coupon, tear it off, seal it in an envelope
and don't know where to send it. The easier you make it for him
to respond, the more responses you'll get!
There you have it, a complete course on how to write ads that
will pull more orders for you - sell more of your product for
you. It's important to learn "why" ads are written as they are -
to understand and use, the "master formula" in your own ad
writing endeavors.
By conscientiously studying good advertising copy, and practice
in writing ads of your own, now that you have the knowledge and
understand what makes advertising copy work, you should be able
to quickly develop your copyrighting abilities to produce order-
pulling ads for your own products. Even so, and once you do
become proficient in writing ads for your own products, you must
never stop "noticing" how ads are written, designed and put
together by other people. To stop learning would be comparable to
shutting yourself off from the rest of the world.
The best ad writers are people in touch with the world in which
they live. Every time they see a good ad, they clip it out and
save it. Regularly, they pull out these files of good ads and
study them, always analyzing what makes them good, and why they
work. There's no school in the country that can give you the same
kind of education and expertise so necessary in the field of ad
writing. You must keep yourself up-to-date, aware of, and in-the-
know about the other guy - his innovations, style changes, and
the methods he's using to sell his products. On-the-job-training
- study and practice - that's what it takes - and if you've got
that burning ambition to succeed, you can do it too!
QUESTIONS ANSWERS:
l) WHAT'S THE MOST PROFITABLE WAY TO USE CLASSIFIEDS...
Classifieds are best used to build your mailing list of qualified
prospects. Use classifieds to offer a free catalog, booklet or
report relative to your product line,
2) WHAT CAN YOU SELL "DIRECTLY" FROM CLASSIFIEDS... Generally,
anything and everything, so long as it doesn't cost more than
five dollars which is about the most people will pay in response
to an offer in the classifieds. These types of ads are great for
pulling inquiries such as: Write for further information, Send
$3, get two for the price of one. Dealers wanted, send for
product info and a real money-makers kit!
3) WHAT ARE THE BEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR TO ADVERTISE... All
twelve months of the year! Responses to your ads during some
months will be slower in accumulating, but by keying your ads
according to the month they appear, and a careful tabulation of
your returns from each keyed ad, you'll see that steady year
round advertising will continue to pull orders for you,
regardless of the month it's published. I've personally received
inquiries and orders from ads placed as long as 2 years previous
to the date of the response.
4) ARE MAIL ORDER PUBLICATIONS GOOD ADVERTISING BUYS... The least
effective are the ad sheets. Most of the ads in these
publications are "exchange ads," meaning that the publisher of ad
sheet "A" runs the ads of publisher "B" without charge, because
publisher "B" is running the ads of publisher "A" without charge.
The "claimed" circulation figures of these publications are
almost always based on "wishes, hopes and wants" while the "true"
circulation goes out to similar small, part-time mail order
dealers. Very poor medium for investing advertising dollars
because everybody receiving a copy is a "seller" and nobody is
buying. When an ad sheet is received by someone not involved in
mail order, it's usually given a cursory glance and then
discarded as "junk mail."
Tabloid newspapers are slightly better than the ad sheets, but
not by much! The important difference with the tabloids is in the
"helpful information" articles they try to carry for the mail
order beginner. A "fair media" for recruiting dealers or
independent sales reps for mail order products, and for renting
mailing lists, but still circulated amongst "sellers" with very
few buyers. Besides that, the life of a mail order tab sheet is
about the same as that of your daily newspaper.
With mail order magazines, it depends on the quality of the
publication and its business concepts. Some mail order magazines
are nothing more than expanded ad sheets, while others - such as
BOOK BUSINESS MART! Strive to help the opportunity seekers with
on-going advice and tips he can use in the development and growth
of his own wealth-building projects. Book Business Mart is not
just the fastest-growing publication on the mail order scene
today, it's also the first publication in more than 20 years to
offer real help anyone can use in achieving his own version of
"The American Dream" of building one's own business from a
"shoestring beginning" into a multi-million dollar empire!
5) HOW CAN I DECIDE WHERE TO ADVERTISE MY PRODUCT... First of
all, you have to determine who your prospective buyers are. Then
you do a little bit of market research. Talk to your friends,
neighbors and people at random who might fit this profile. Ask
them if they would be interested in a product such as yours, and
then ask them which publications they read. Next, go to your
public library for a listing of the publications of this type
from the Standard Rate & Data Service catalogs.
Make a list of the addresses, circulation figures, reader
demographics and advertising rates. To determine the true costs
of your advertising and decide which is the better buy, divide
the total audited circulation figure into the cost for a one inch
ad: $10 per inch with a publication showing 10,000 circulation
would be 10,000 into $10 or $.10 per thousand. Looking at the
advertising rates for Book Business Mart, you would take 42,500
into $15 for an advertising rate of less than THREE TENTHS OF ONE
CENT PER THOUSAND. Obviously, your best buy in this case would be
Book Business Mart because of the lower cost per thousand.
Write and ask for sample copies of the magazines you've
tentatively chosen to place your advertising in. Look over their
advertising - be sure that they don't or won't put your ad in the
"gutter" which is the inside column next to the binding. How many
other mail order type ads are they carrying - you want to go with
a publication that's busy, not one that has only a few ads. The
more ads in the publication, the better the response the
advertisers are getting, or else they wouldn't be investing their
money in that publication.
To "properly" test your ad, you should let it run through at
least three consecutive issues of any publication. If your
responses are small, try a different publication. Then, if your
responses are still small, look at your ad and think about
rewriting it for greater appeal, and pulling power. In a great
many instances, it's the ad and not the publication's pulling
power that's at fault!
Karl Smith
Income For Life. $ GDI $
http://website.ws/machgoo
The most important aspect of any business is selling the product
or service, Without sales, no business can exist for very long.
All sales begin with some form of advertising. To build sales,
this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers, and
cause them to react to the advertising in some way. The credit
for the success, or the blame for the failure of almost all ads,
reverts back to the ad itself.
Generally, the "ad writer" wants the prospect to do one of the
following:
a) Visit the store to see and judge the product for himself, or
immediately write a check and send for the merchandise being
advertised
b) Phone for an appointment to hear the full sales presentation,
or write for further information which amounts to the same thing.
The bottom line in any ad is quite simple: To make the reader buy
the product or service. Any ad that causes the reader to only
pause in his thinking, to just admire the product, or to simply
believe what's written about the product - is not doing its job
completely.
The "ad writer" must know exactly what he wants his reader to do,
and any ad that does not elicit the desired action is an absolute
waste of time and money.
In order to elicit the desired action from the prospect, all ads
are written according to a simple "master formula" which is:
l) Attract the "attention" of your prospect
2) "Interest" your prospect in the product
3) Cause your prospect to "desire" the product
4) Demand "action" from the prospect
Never forget the basic rule of advertising copyrighting: If the
ad is not read, It won't stimulate any sales; if it is not seen,
it cannot be read, and if it does not command or grab the
attention of the reader, it will not be seen.
Most successful advertising copywriters know these fundamentals
back wards and forwards. Whether you know them already or you're
just now being exposed to them, your knowledge and practice of
these fundamentals will determine the extent of your success as
an advertising copywriter.
CLASSIFIED ADS:
Classified ads are the ads from which all successful businesses
are started. These small, relatively inexpensive ads, give the
beginner an opportunity to advertise his product or service
without losing his shirt if the ad doesn't pull or the people
don't break his door down with demands for his product.
Classified ads are written according to all the advertising
rules. What is said in a classified ad is the same that's said in
a larger, more elaborate type of ad, excepting in condensed form.
To start learning how to write good classified ads, clip ten
classified ads from ten different mail order type publications -
ads that you think are pretty good. Paste each of these ads onto
a separate sheet of paper.
Analyze each of these ads: How has the writer attracted your
attention - what about the ads keeps your interest - are you
stimulated to want to know more about the product being
advertised - and finally, what action must you take? Are all of
these points covered in the ad? How strongly are you "turned on"
by each of these ads?
Rate these ads on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best
according to the formula I've given you. Now, just for practice,
without clipping the ads, do the same thing with ten different
ads from a Sears, Wards or JC Penney's catalog. In fact, every ad
you see from now on, quickly analyze it, and rate it somewhere on
your scale. If you'll practice this exercise on a regular basis,
you'll soon be able to quickly recognize the "Power Points" of
any ad you see, and know within your own mind whether an ad is
good, bad or otherwise, and what makes it so.
Practice for an hour each day, write the ads you've rated 8, 9,
and 10 exactly as they've been written. This will give you the
"feel" of the fundamentals and style necessary in writing
classified ads.
Your next project will be to pick out what you consider to be the
ten "worst" ads you can find in the classifieds sections. Clip
these out and paste them onto a sheet of paper so you can work
with them.
Read these ads over a couple of times, and then beside each of
them, write a short comment stating why you think it's bad Lost
in the crowd, doesn't attract attention - doesn't hold the
reader's interest - nothing special to make the reader w ant to
own the product - no demand for action.
You probably already know what's coming next, and that's right,
break out those pencils, erasers and scratch paper - and start
rewriting these ads to include the missing elements.
Each day for the next month, practice writing the ten best ads
for an hour, just the way they were originally written. Pick out
ten of the worst ads, analyze those ads, and then practice
rewriting those until they measure up to doing the job they were
intended to do.
Once you're satisfied that the ads you've rewritten are perfect,
go back into each ad and cross out the words that can be
eliminated without detracting from the ad. Classified ads arE
almost always "finalized" in the style of a telegram.
EXAMPLE: I'll arrive at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the 15th.
Meet me at Sardi's. All my love, Jim.
EDITED FOR SENDING: Arrive 2 pm - 15th - Sardi's. Love, Jim.
CLASSIFIED AD: Save on your food bills! Reduced prices on every
shelf in the store! Stock up now while supplies are complete!
Come on in today, to Jerry's Family Supermarkets!
EDITED FOR PUBLICATION: Save on Food! Everything bargain priced!
Limited supplies! Hurry! Jerry's Markets!
It takes dedicated and regular practice, but you can do it.
Simply recognize and understand the basic formula - practice
reading and writing the good ones - and rewriting the bad ones to
make them better. Practice, and keep at it, over and over, every
day - until the formula, the idea, and the feel of this kind of
ad writing becomes second nature to you. This is the ONLY WAY to
gain expertise in writing good classified ads.
DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS:
A display or space ad differs from a classified ad because it has
a headline, layout, and because the style isn't telegraphic.
However, the fundamentals of writing the display or space ad are
exactly the same as for a classified ad. The basic difference is
that you have more room in which to emphasize the "master
formula." Most successful copywriters rate the headline and/or
the lead sentence of an ad as the most important part of the ad,
and in reality, you should do the same. After all, when your ad
is surrounded by hundreds of other ads, and information or
entertainment, what makes you think anyone is going to see your
particular ad?
The truth is, they're not going to see your ad unless you can
"grab" their attention and entice them to read all of what you
have to say. Your headline, or lead sentence when no headline is
used, has to make it more difficult for your prospect to ignore
or pass over, than to stop and read your ad. If you don't capture
the attention of your reader with your headline, anything beyond
is useless effort and wasted money.
Successful advertising headlines - in classified ads, your first
three to five words serve as your headline - are written as
promises, either implied or direct. The former promises to show
you how to save money, make money, or attain a desired goal. The
latter is a warning against something undesirable.
EXAMPLE OF A PROMISE: Are You Ready To Become A Millionaire - In
Just 18 Months?
EXAMPLE OF A WARNING: Do You Make These Mistakes In English?
In both of these examples, I've posed a question as the headline.
Headlines that ask a question seem to attract the reader's
attention almost as surely as a moth is drawn to a flame. Once
he's seen the question, he just can't seem to keep himself from
reading the rest of the ad to find out the answer. The best
headline questions are those that challenge the reader; that
involve his self-esteem, and do not allow him to dismiss your
question with a simple yes or no.
You'll be the envy of your friends is another kind of "reader
appeal" to incorporate into your headline whenever appropriate.
The appeal has to do with basic psychology: everyone wants to be
well thought of, and consequently, will read into the body of
your ad to find out how he can gain the respect and accolades of
his friends.
Wherever and whenever possible, use colloquialisms or words that
are not usually found in advertisements. The idea is to shock or
shake the reader out of his reverie and cause him to take notice
of your ad. Most of the headlines you see day in and day out,
have a certain sameness with just the words rearranged. The
reader may see these headlines with his eyes, but his brain fails
to focus on any of them because there's nothing different or out
of the ordinary to arrest his attention.
EXAMPLE OF COLLOQUIALISM: Are You Developing A POT BELLY?
Another attention-grabber kind of head-line is the comparative
price headline: Three For Only $3, Regularly $3 Each! Still
another of the "tried and proven" kind of headlines is the
specific question: Do You Suffer From These Symptoms. And of
course, if you offer a strong guarantee, you should say so in
your headline: Your Money Refunded, If You Don't Make $100,000
Your First Year.
How To headlines have a very strong basic appeal, but in some
instances, they're better used as book titles than advertising
headlines. Who Else wants in on the finer things - which your
product or service presumably offers - is another approach with a
very strong reader appeal. The psychology here being the need of
everyone to belong to a group - complete with status and prestige
motivations.
Whenever, and as often as you can possibly work it in, you should
use the word "you" in your headline, and throughout your copy.
After all, your ad should be directed to "one" person, and the
person reading your ad wants to feel that you're talking to him
personally, not everyone who lives on his street.
Personalize, and be specific! You can throw the teachings of your
English teachers out the window, and the rules of "third person,
singular" or whatever else tends to inhibit your writing.
Whenever you sit down to write advertising copy in tended to pull
the orders - sell the product - you should picture yourself in a
one-on-one situation and "talk" to your reader just as if you
sitting across from him at your dining room table. Say what you
mean, and sell HIM on the product your offering. Be specific and
ask him if these are the things that bother him - are these the
things he wants - and he's the one you want to buy the product...
The layout you devise for your ad, or the frame you build around
it, should also command attention. Either make it so spectacular
that it stands out like lobster at a chili dinner, or so
uncommonly simple that it catches the reader's eye because of its
very simplicity. It's also important that you don't get cute with
a lot of unrelated graphics and artwork. Your ad should convey
the feeling of excitement and movement, but should not tire the
eyes or disrupt the flow of the message you're trying to present.
Any graphics or artwork you use should be relevant to your
product, its use and/or the copy you've written about it.
Graphics should not be used as artistic touches, or to create an
atmosphere. Any illustrations with your ad should compliment the
selling of your product, and prove or substantiate specific
points in your copy.
Once you have your reader's attention, the only way you're going
to keep it, is by quickly and emphatically telling him what your
product will do for him.
Your potential buyer doesn't care in the least how long it's
taken you to produce the product, how long you've been in
business, nor how many years you've spent learning your craft. He
wants to know specifically how he's going to benefit from the
purchase of your product.
Generally, his wants will fall into one of the following
categories: Better health, more comfort, more money, more leisure
time, more popularity, greater beauty, success and/or security.
Even though you have your reader's attention, you must follow
through with an enumeration of the benefits he can gain. In
essence, you must reiterate the advantages, comfort and happiness
he'll enjoy - as you have implied in your headline.
Mentally picture your prospect - determine his wants and
emotional needs - put yourself in his shoes, and ask yourself If
I were reading this ad, what are the things that would appeal to
me? Write your copy to appeal to your reader's wants and
emotional needs/ego cravings.
Remember, it's not the "safety features" that have sold cars for
the past 50 years - nor has it been the need of transportation -
it has been, and almost certainly always will be the advertising
writer's recognition of people's wants and emotional needs/ego
cravings. Visualize your prospect, recognize his wants and
satisfy them. Writing good advertising copy is nothing more or
less than knowing "who" your buyers are; recognizing what he
wants; and then telling him how your product will fulfill each of
those wants, Remember this because it's one of the "vitally
important" keys to writing advertising copy that does the job you
intend for it to do.
The "desire" portion of your ad is where you present the facts of
your product; create and justify your prospect's conviction, and
cause him to demand "a piece of the action" for himself.
It's vitally necessary that you present "proven facts" about your
product because survey results show that at least 8% of the
people reading your ad - especially those reading it for the
first time - Will tend to question its authenticity.
So, the more facts you can present in the ad, the more credible
your offer. As you write this part of your ad, always remember
that the more facts about the product you present, the more
product you'll sell. People want facts as reasons, and/or excuses
for buying a product - to justify to themselves and others, that
they haven't been "taken" by a slick copywriter.
It's like the girl who wants to marry the guy her father calls a
"no good bum." Her heart - her emotions - tell her yes, but she
needs facts to nullify the seed of doubt lingering in her mind -
to rationalize her decision to go on with the wedding.
In other words, the "desire" portion of your ad has to build
belief and credibility in the mind of your prospect. It has to
assure him of his good judgement in the final decision to buy -
furnish evidence of the benefits you've promised - and afford him
a "safety net" in case anyone should question his decision to
buy.
People tend to believe the things that appeal to their individual
desires, fears and other emotions. Once you've established a
belief in this manner, logic and reasoning are used to support
it. People believe what they "want" to believe. Your reader
"wants" to believe your ad if he's read it through this far -
it's up to you to support his initial desire.
Study your product and everything about it - visualize the wants
of your prospective buyers - dig up the facts, and you'll almost
always find plenty of facts to support the buyer's reasons for
buying.
Here is where you use results of test conducted, growing sales
figures to prove increasing popularity, and "user" testimonials
or endorsements. It's also important that you present these fact
- test results, sales figures, and/or testimonials - from the
consumer point of view, and not that of the manufacturer.
Before you end this portion of your ad and get into your demand
for action, summarize everything you've presented thus far. Draw
a mental picture for your potential buyer. Let him imagine owning
the product. Induce him to visualize all of the benefits you've
promised. Give him the keys to seeing himself richer, enjoying
luxury, having time to do whatever he'd like to do, and with all
of his dreams fulfilled.
This can be handled in one or two sentences, or spelled out in a
paragraph or more, but it's the absolute ingredient you must
include prior to closing the sale. Study all the sales
presentations you've ever heard - look at every winning ad - this
the element included in all of them that actually makes the sale
for you. Remember it, use it, and don't try to sell anything
without it.
As Victor Schwab puts it 90 succinctly in his best-selling book,
How To Write A Good Advertisement: Every one of the fundamentals
in the "master formula" is necessary. Those people who are -easy'
to sell may perhaps be sold even if some of these factors are
left out, but it's wiser to plan your advertisement go that it
will have a powerful impact upon those who are "hardest" to sell,
For, unlike face-to-face selling, we cannot in printed
advertising come to a "trial close" in our sales talk - in order
to gee if those who are easier to sell will welcome the dotted
line without further persuasion. We must assume that we are talk-
ing to the hardest ones - and that the more thoroughly our copy
sells both the hard and the easy, the better chance we have
against the competition for the consumer dollars - and also the
less dependent we will be upon the usual completely ineffective
follow-through on our advertising effort which later takes place
at the sales counter itself.
ASK FOR ACTION DEMAND THE MONEY!
Lots of ads are beautiful, almost perfectly written, and quite
convincing - yet they fail to ask for or demand action from the
reader. If you want the reader to have your product, then tell
him so and demand that he send his money now. Unless you enjoy
entertaining your prospects with your beautiful writing skills,
always demand that he complete the sale now, by taking action now
- by calling a telephone number and ordering, or by writing his
check and rushing it to the post office.
Once you've got him on the hook, land him! Don't let him get
away. Probably, one of the most common and best methods of moving
the reader's to act now, is written in some form of the
following:
All of this can be yours! You can start enjoying this new way of
life immediately, simply by sending a check for $XX! Don't put it
off, then later wish you had gotten in on the ground floor Make
out that check now, and "be IN on the ground floor!" Act now, and
as an "early-bird" buyer, we'll include a big bonus package -
absolutely free, simply for acting immediately! You win all the
way! We take all the risks. If you're not satisfied, simply
return the product and we'll quickly refund your money! Do it
now! Get that check on its way to us today, and receive the big
bonus package! After next week, we won't be able to include the
bonus as a part of this fantastic deal, so act now! The sooner
you act, the more you win!
Offering a reward of some kind will almost always stimulate the
prospect to take action. However, in mentioning the reward or
bonus, be very careful that you don't end up receiving primarily,
requests for the bonus with mountains of requests for refunds on
the product to follow. The bonus should be mentioned only
casually if you're asking for product orders; and with lots of
fanfare only when you're seeking inquiries.
Too often the copywriter, in his enthusiasm to pull in a record
number of responses, confuses the reader by "forgetting about the
product," and devoting his entire space allotted for the "demand
for action" to sending for the bonus. Any reward offered should
be closely related to the product, and a bonus offered only for
immediate action on the part of the potential buyer.
Specify a time limit. Tell your prospect that he must act within
a certain time limit or lose out on the bonus, face probably
higher prices, or even the withdrawal of your offer. This is
always a good hook to get action.
Any kind of guarantee you offer always helps to produce action
from the prospect. And the more liberal you can make your
guarantee, the more product orders you'll receive. Be sure you
state the guarantee clearly and simply. Make it so easy to
understand that even a child would not misinterpret what you're
saying.
The action you want your prospect to take should be easy -
clearly stated - and devoid of any complicated procedural steps
on his part, or numerous directions for him to follow.
Picture your prospect, very comfortable in his favorite easy
chair, idly flipping thru a magazine while "half-watching" TV. He
notices your ad, reads thru it, and he's sold on your product.
Now what does he do?
Remember, he's very comfortable - you've "grabbed" his attention,
sparked his interest, painted a picture of him enjoying a new
kind of satisfaction, and he's ready to buy... Anything and
everything you ask or cause him to do is going to disrupt this
aura of comfort and contentment. Whatever he must do had better
be simple, quick and easy!
Tell him without any ifs, ands or buts, what to do - fill out the
coupon, include your check for the full amount, and send it in to
us today! Make it as easy for him as you possibly can -simple and
direct. And by all means, make sure your address is on the order
form he's supposed to complete and mail in to you - your name and
address on the order form, as well as just above it. People
sometimes fill out a coupon, tear it off, seal it in an envelope
and don't know where to send it. The easier you make it for him
to respond, the more responses you'll get!
There you have it, a complete course on how to write ads that
will pull more orders for you - sell more of your product for
you. It's important to learn "why" ads are written as they are -
to understand and use, the "master formula" in your own ad
writing endeavors.
By conscientiously studying good advertising copy, and practice
in writing ads of your own, now that you have the knowledge and
understand what makes advertising copy work, you should be able
to quickly develop your copyrighting abilities to produce order-
pulling ads for your own products. Even so, and once you do
become proficient in writing ads for your own products, you must
never stop "noticing" how ads are written, designed and put
together by other people. To stop learning would be comparable to
shutting yourself off from the rest of the world.
The best ad writers are people in touch with the world in which
they live. Every time they see a good ad, they clip it out and
save it. Regularly, they pull out these files of good ads and
study them, always analyzing what makes them good, and why they
work. There's no school in the country that can give you the same
kind of education and expertise so necessary in the field of ad
writing. You must keep yourself up-to-date, aware of, and in-the-
know about the other guy - his innovations, style changes, and
the methods he's using to sell his products. On-the-job-training
- study and practice - that's what it takes - and if you've got
that burning ambition to succeed, you can do it too!
QUESTIONS ANSWERS:
l) WHAT'S THE MOST PROFITABLE WAY TO USE CLASSIFIEDS...
Classifieds are best used to build your mailing list of qualified
prospects. Use classifieds to offer a free catalog, booklet or
report relative to your product line,
2) WHAT CAN YOU SELL "DIRECTLY" FROM CLASSIFIEDS... Generally,
anything and everything, so long as it doesn't cost more than
five dollars which is about the most people will pay in response
to an offer in the classifieds. These types of ads are great for
pulling inquiries such as: Write for further information, Send
$3, get two for the price of one. Dealers wanted, send for
product info and a real money-makers kit!
3) WHAT ARE THE BEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR TO ADVERTISE... All
twelve months of the year! Responses to your ads during some
months will be slower in accumulating, but by keying your ads
according to the month they appear, and a careful tabulation of
your returns from each keyed ad, you'll see that steady year
round advertising will continue to pull orders for you,
regardless of the month it's published. I've personally received
inquiries and orders from ads placed as long as 2 years previous
to the date of the response.
4) ARE MAIL ORDER PUBLICATIONS GOOD ADVERTISING BUYS... The least
effective are the ad sheets. Most of the ads in these
publications are "exchange ads," meaning that the publisher of ad
sheet "A" runs the ads of publisher "B" without charge, because
publisher "B" is running the ads of publisher "A" without charge.
The "claimed" circulation figures of these publications are
almost always based on "wishes, hopes and wants" while the "true"
circulation goes out to similar small, part-time mail order
dealers. Very poor medium for investing advertising dollars
because everybody receiving a copy is a "seller" and nobody is
buying. When an ad sheet is received by someone not involved in
mail order, it's usually given a cursory glance and then
discarded as "junk mail."
Tabloid newspapers are slightly better than the ad sheets, but
not by much! The important difference with the tabloids is in the
"helpful information" articles they try to carry for the mail
order beginner. A "fair media" for recruiting dealers or
independent sales reps for mail order products, and for renting
mailing lists, but still circulated amongst "sellers" with very
few buyers. Besides that, the life of a mail order tab sheet is
about the same as that of your daily newspaper.
With mail order magazines, it depends on the quality of the
publication and its business concepts. Some mail order magazines
are nothing more than expanded ad sheets, while others - such as
BOOK BUSINESS MART! Strive to help the opportunity seekers with
on-going advice and tips he can use in the development and growth
of his own wealth-building projects. Book Business Mart is not
just the fastest-growing publication on the mail order scene
today, it's also the first publication in more than 20 years to
offer real help anyone can use in achieving his own version of
"The American Dream" of building one's own business from a
"shoestring beginning" into a multi-million dollar empire!
5) HOW CAN I DECIDE WHERE TO ADVERTISE MY PRODUCT... First of
all, you have to determine who your prospective buyers are. Then
you do a little bit of market research. Talk to your friends,
neighbors and people at random who might fit this profile. Ask
them if they would be interested in a product such as yours, and
then ask them which publications they read. Next, go to your
public library for a listing of the publications of this type
from the Standard Rate & Data Service catalogs.
Make a list of the addresses, circulation figures, reader
demographics and advertising rates. To determine the true costs
of your advertising and decide which is the better buy, divide
the total audited circulation figure into the cost for a one inch
ad: $10 per inch with a publication showing 10,000 circulation
would be 10,000 into $10 or $.10 per thousand. Looking at the
advertising rates for Book Business Mart, you would take 42,500
into $15 for an advertising rate of less than THREE TENTHS OF ONE
CENT PER THOUSAND. Obviously, your best buy in this case would be
Book Business Mart because of the lower cost per thousand.
Write and ask for sample copies of the magazines you've
tentatively chosen to place your advertising in. Look over their
advertising - be sure that they don't or won't put your ad in the
"gutter" which is the inside column next to the binding. How many
other mail order type ads are they carrying - you want to go with
a publication that's busy, not one that has only a few ads. The
more ads in the publication, the better the response the
advertisers are getting, or else they wouldn't be investing their
money in that publication.
To "properly" test your ad, you should let it run through at
least three consecutive issues of any publication. If your
responses are small, try a different publication. Then, if your
responses are still small, look at your ad and think about
rewriting it for greater appeal, and pulling power. In a great
many instances, it's the ad and not the publication's pulling
power that's at fault!
Karl Smith
Income For Life. $ GDI $
http://website.ws/machgoo
posted by Advanced Business Marketing at 7:37 PM
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