Many of the great marketing books written regarding tested direct response marketing were published several years ago. While the ideas of the gurus like John Caples and David Ogilvy remain valid, there are some changes when promoting in today’s market that need to be addressed so when you create your advertising and website headlines, you maximize your response.
The standard has always been to promote the “Big” benefits for your service or product to get the highest response. Back then, using the words Free and New had great power and got people excited.
Today is different - The prospective individual of 35 years ago, was not over-marketed to as we are now – we are hit with advertising everywhere - more commercials per TV program, ads in movie theaters, telemarketing via our phones and last but not least, everywhere we go on the internet. People can be suspect of the words Free and New. These claims have been used too many times so that these words can trigger instant rejection. Just ask yourself – how do you respond? I know I often think – “Yeah, sure!”
So now you have it – the two most powerful words in advertising are “Yeah, sure!”
What does this mean? It means, never make a promise bigger than your proof to deliver on that promise. ALWAYS join that promise and proof in your headlines. This is the most powerful and consistent method to exploding your response. Surround your claims, with stronger proof and see your responses climb.
One of the quickest ways is to avoid overused phrases that say the same thing as your competition. ie Trophy Colorado Elk or Premier Guided Elk Hunts or Finest Salmon Fishing in Alaska.
A great way is to structure your promise between the thoughts - IF….THEN. Think about this simple formula. IF (your prospect’s requirement or need) then (deliver your service) Using a specific benefit for a specific need seems to cut short the “Yeah, sure” response and goes straight for the sale.
Think about this classic ‘If…Then’ line: 15 minutes can save you 15% or more on your car insurance. The client’s need is to save money, the promise is a fast, less expensive car insurance quote. You, as the prospect, won’t know if the promise is true until you call and get a quote but it is not outrageous to think it could be true so you call.
The formula is simple: a reasonably easy requirement matched by a strong promise. Think up ways you can do this for your own service. Always include the information in the ad or website why and how the benefit can be achieved. If the requirement is not so easy, say so but always be truthful. Honesty can be extremely effective to boost response. The trick here, to keep you on target - as you put the lines together, ask yourself – will the client say “yeah, sure”?
Test this formula and measure the results and you may be pleasantly surprised at how much more successful this idea is over the “Big Promise” ads and headlines
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