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Proven Techniques for Writing Persuasive Ads & Letters |
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Marketing Articles -
Marketing: Strategy Articles
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Written by Joel Sussman
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 Whether you're writing a marketing message to one person or a
million, your chances of having an impact on them really takes off when
you understand what makes them tick. You're then in a strong position
to tailor your message directly to their interests, problems, needs,
and aspirations. Easier said than done, but that's where market
research, asking clients the right questions, personal observation, and
marketing plans fit into the picture.
A marketing plan, even an abbreviated one, can be an invaluable
starting point in the development of an effective ad, commercial,
promotional brochure, or sales letter. Doing an analysis of the
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) associated
with your business or the services you offer can serve as an excellent
launching pad for writing persuasive advertising and sales messages.
Laying the Groundwork
In addition to a dash of writing talent and marketing knowledge,
creating effective ads and letters require a clear focus. Knowing
exactly what outcome you're aiming for before you begin writing is
comparable to mapping out your travel route before embarking on a cross
country drive. For example, if your goal is to generate leads or to
qualify prospects, your strategy might be radically different than if
you were trying to make immediate sales or simply attract visitors to
your web site.
Sell The Sizzle! (not the steak)
The copywriting process tends to flow a lot more smoothly if you have
in front of you three lists consisting of benefits, features, and
competitive advantages. Organizing them on one page in a column format
is the easiest, most efficient way to manage the information. F.Y.I.:
There may seem to be a thin, if not invisible, line between "features"
and "benefits", but understanding the distinction can make all the
difference in your marketing success. Features are important and
need to be mentioned, but benefits are the selling points that clients
and prospects can relate to and identify with. Basically, benefits are
features that have been personalized, elaborated on, and projected into
the future. It answers the questions "What's in it for me?"..."Why
should I care?"...or "How will my life be enhanced by buying your
product or service?"
Crafting the Message
Catching people's attention and arousing interest can sometimes be as
simple as incorporating your strongest selling point into the headline
or the first sentence of your ad or letter. Several tried-and-proven
headline devices for drawing people into your message include asking an
intriguing question, making a thought-provoking statement, or beginning
the headline with the words "How To". Headlines that convey a sense of
urgency, contain a short testimonial of a satisfied client, or have the
feel of a news announcement also have been shown to get people to stop
and read.
By the way, one of the most powerful and successful advertising
headlines of all time, which was also the title of a best-selling book
written in 1936, is "How to Win Friends and Influence People", by Dale
Carnegie. The title/headline is filled with benefits, it contains the
words "How To", and it speaks directly to everyone's strong desire to
be well liked, to be in control of their lives, and to feel important.
Another popular book Carnegie wrote tapped into that same formula. It's
entitled "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living." Apparently, that
double-barreled approach was especially effective for him.
Many well-intended ads, brochures, and letters start out with a good
head of steam, but peter out as they approach the moment of truth,
namely: the call for action! If you don't make it 100% clear exactly
what you want the prospect to do after hearing/seeing your message, and
if you don't give them a compelling reason to do so, there's a good
chance you'll lose them.
As the acronym AIDA suggests, a response-producing ad or letter must
first grab the Attention of the target audience, arouse Interest,
trigger Desire, and then prompt Action. Without all four of those
"cylinders" firing at the appropriate time, that delicate sequence of
events could quickly come to a grinding halt.
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Joel Sussman is a freelance writer and Internet publisher from upstate
New York. He's a regular contributor to two monthly business
newspapers, and has created a web site dedicated to the topic of small
business marketing: http://www.MarketingSurvivalKit.com |
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THIS WEEK'S THEME IS... |
... Affiliate Marketing strategy
Fellow e-Marketing experts and web publishers, enjoy a string of articles with insights into the newest e-Marketing best practices.
Next: e-Marketing strategy.
Stay tuned!
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