Great Ads: The Secret Formula


by Steve Klein - Date: 2006-12-05 - Word Count: 296 Share This!

Begin With The End In Mind

Before your ad can come to life, you must know what its purpose is going to be and how you are going to attract a new customer.

Write down a summary of your needs, a precise description of what you're promoting, and most importantly, the results you expect from the ad.

Sell The Sizzle Not The Steak

Your advertising must always sell at least one major benefit (and hopefully more) to a prospective customer. In the ad business, a benefit can be defined as something about the product or service that is helpful or advantageous to the customer. For example, the benefit of owning a car equipped with an airbag is that you are protected from injury in an accident.

Benefits motivate people to buy, not the inherent characteristics of a product or service. Charles Revson, the founder of Revlon, once wrote, "In the factory we make cosmetics. In the store we sell hope."

Hone In On The Benefits

To "sell the sizzle" you must first determine what your primary benefit will be. Ask yourself: what one thing makes my business different from my competitors? Why would a customer choose my product or service first? What exactly will the customer get by responding to my ad?

Break Through The "Ad Clutter" With A Blockbuster Headline

People are constantly being bombarded by sales messages, as many as several thousand a day, and the competition for a customer's attention is fierce. Only a blockbuster headline will help your ad to stand out and stand clear of all the rest. As advertising legend David Ogilvy once wrote, "The ad for the ad is the headline."

Your headline must sell your most important benefit to a prospective customer. And this benefit must be unique. It must be different from what's advertised by your competitors.


Related Tags: advertising, success, selling, sales, successful, ads, buy, sell, results, benefits, advertizing, messages

Steve Klein, CEO, Marketing Breakthroughs Inc., is one of Canada's foremost marketing strategists and a recognized specialist in breakthrough marketing, communications, branding and advertising techniques.

www.MarketingBreakthroughs.com

Marketing Breakthroughs offers a unique "one-stop" solution to help businesses grow and succeed. We specialize in breakthrough marketing, branding and advertising, captivating design and copywriting, search engine optimized websites, business plans, brochures, high impact flyers, trade show booths, employer branding and direct mail campaigns.

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