Your first job is to get them to see your ad!
If you have read my manual "The Secrets Uncovered:
How To Write Headlines That Could Make You A Fortune",
you will recall that every ad should follow the AIDA
formula:
1. Get Attention
2. Generate Interest
3. Create Desire
4. Call for Action
The problem is that most ads just aim to get attention
by using bold or unusual graphic gimmicks. It is a bit
like walking up to a customer and grabbing them by both
shoulders, staring them in the face, and shaking them.
I suspect you'll get their attention but will they buy?
You see, getting their attention is only part of the job.
I have a more effective way of getting attention...
the right kind of attention that will generate interest
in what you have to sell.
The secret is:
Make your ad look like a news story!
Don't make it look like an ad. Don't use line art.
Don't use arrows, cute graphics, reverse type,
(except maybe to highlight a phone number),
weird typesets...
Or anything else that might win an award for
graphic design!
Come closer and listen. Here is how to think about
your newspaper ads. Think about what could be the best
possible piece of luck you could have. Think about the
reporter who heard a rumour about your product or
service and decided to check it out. And then he fell
in love with it. In fact he loved it so much, he went
back to his PC and wrote a full page rave article about
what you are selling.
Wouldn't that be great? But it's unlikely to happen just
like that, So...
You be that reporter! You write the 'rave' article just
like a reporter would.
And at the end of the article, you perform a 'public
service' for your readers by telling them where and how
to order. Having done all this, please don't waste it
all by having your 'article' typeset to look like
an ad. No! No!
It should be typeset to look like the article it is.
You know, ad agencies just love to quote studies that
prove how much people love to read advertising.
Rubbish! Rubbish! Rubbish!
Editorial material (or material that appears to be
editorial) gets 500% more readership than material
that is obviously advertising. If you don't believe me,
just flick through the pages of your newspaper and take
notice of where you eyes are drawn. I'll wager that
it's not to the ads.
About the Author
Noel Peebles
noel@marketleadersltd.com
http://www.betterbizprofits.com