Arran Events, Advertising and Marketing

The Headline is the most important part of the ad. 80% of people will only read the headline. Therefore the headline has to do a selling job, to get people to read the rest of the ad. 20% of the people will read the rest of the ad because of the headline. The headline needs to show a benefit to the reader. We need to appeal to the readers needs. The readers needs are pleasure, convenience, health, money… Write your headline as if you are talking to your friend. Unless you tell the reader immediately and upfront what you have for them, they will be gone. If your ad isn’t read, you have zero chance of selling the prospect. Words that will make people look are words like FREE, WIN, MAKE BIG MONEY… Get people to take action by using words like limited time offer, bonus if they act now. Study other headlines, and especially study headlines that keep repeating day after day. Repeating
ads mean the person is making money with it, pay extra attention to these ads.

Headlines need to show a benefit to the reader, and how-to ads accomplish this. The reason they work so well are because people want answers to there problems. There are many books out there on how-to fix a problem. There are so many how-to books because it is addressing a need. If the headline is about a problem this person is dealing with, then they are drawn to read the headline and the ad. The more powerful the benefit it is to the person reading, the better chance you have of them reading your ad. Examples are how-to lose weight, how-to quit smoking, how-to win friends…

Another attention getting ad is to ask a question. Do you want to quit smoking? Do you need extra money? Ask a question that people really care about, always focus on the customer, what does the customer want? Use simple short words, words used in our every day conversation. Remember why, which, who else, where, when, what?

Support any claims in your headline with testimonies. All the testimonies should be positive and enthusiastic. Testimonies should be
clear and logical about the services or products you are selling. Satisfied customers can give excellent testimonies, yet they need to sound believable. It is very effective if people believe the testimony, and can be very detrimental if they sound unbelievable. If
you use a testimony in the headline use quotation marks. Use the customers words exactly as they submit them if you can. Get permission to use the testimony, and obtain a picture if you can.

Using a number in your headline can also be very effective. An example would be “Lose weight in 7 easy steps.” numbers are very effective because people know what they are getting. Again keep it simple and be clear and logical. Don’t try to be funny. Many ads use numbers in there headline and that is because it is so effective. If you also personalize the headline it will increase responses.

To write an effective headline we need to get a pen and paper, and start listing all the benefits of the product, remember from the customers point of view. Write 20 headlines each of how-to, using numbers,using testimonies, and in the form of a question. At this point it doesn’t matter if it sounds or looks good. After writing all these headlines, you will likely have some very good ones, and maybe a real great one. When writing headlines keep thinking of what the customer wants and what benefits your product has for the customer.

Make it easy for people to respond. Make it very clear what you want the reader to do. Do you want the customer to phone, then supply a phone number and be clear you want them to phone you. If you want them to email, be very clear… Reply cards work very well. Coupons are still used, but again make it stand out in your ad. Put your name and logo in the ad if it’s appropriate.

Now to re-cap.The headline has to grab the readers attention, it must hold there interest, create a real desire in the reader, and then makes the reader move to action.

Brian Plett writes numerous articles, and he’s involved with two affliate programs. www.empowerism.com/e/200201,
www.moreinfo247.com/9223143/FREE If you want to see more of Brian’s writing, check out his blog at mlb-internetbusiness.bogspot.com

Tags: benefit, Headlines, how-to-ads, testimony

Advertising is a major part of any successful business. Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark: You know what you are doing, but nobody else does. That would be foolish, as well as a waste of time. We are not in business to waste time or to make foolish decisions.

Advertising can come in many different forms. It can be full page display ads in nationally distributed magazines, that produce thousands of dollars in profits. It can be in the form of television commercials that bring in tremendous amounts of inquiries and profits. It can even come in the form of word of mouth advertising that costs you nothing, yet brings you profits still. We will work on getting the best of all advertising mediums for you.

You do need to learn, and remember, one thing before we go on. You need to know that: “The only advertising that costs you money is unsuccessful advertising!” Unsuccessful advertising is foolish advertising. You must take several steps before spending any advertising dollars. Let’s cover some of these steps:

1) Research, Research, Research!

2) Stick to a budget.

3) Test your idea before committing long term.

4) Learn from your competition.

There are several key factors that come into play when it comes to advertising. This article is merely meant to help you scratch the surface, and give you a few key pointers that will educate you enough to make educated decisions.

There are no guarantees when it comes to the world of advertising. You can have what appears to be the best idea in the world, and it can flop miserably. But, if you do your home work (research), these will be few and far between, if even at all.

It is assumed that most of you are not working with the largest of advertising budgets. That is perfectly ok. It is very possible to effectively advertise with little money. In fact, if you are industrious enough, I will show you how to advertise with virtually no money. Just read on…

Fax machines have revolutionized the way that business is conducted in the world. It is extremely affordable for anyone to own a fax machine. You can pick one up at a garage sale or on ebay for under ten dollars. If you are going to be conducting business, you should have one.

How many times have you heard someone say, “I’ll fax that right over to you?” I’m not exactly sure how many times that I’ve heard it, but I am sure that businesses are not using the fax machine to it’s full potential as a powerful advertising tool. The only time that I’ve seen the fax machine used to advertise (except for myself doing it) was by restaurants faxing their menus by request.

Think about it, by using your fax machine to advertise your business, you spend only the time that it takes to fax the message. Also, if it’s a local call, you won’t be spending any money. Even if the call is long distance, you will only incur a small telephone fee because of the information being transmitted so quickly.

Let’s imagine that you have gone through your phone book, and you’ve found several businesses that you’d like to do business with. Instead of having several letters typed, addressing several envelopes, stamping each envelope, and taking the letters to the Post Office, with your fax machine, you can complete the task in a fraction of the time at a small percentage of the cost. You also will not even have to leave your home. You won’t even have to pay for postage.

There is also one more way of faxing, and that is by a modem through your personal computer. With a fast modem and some decent software, you can have your computer fax documents that you have created in it to various individuals, or businesses, at times that you have predetermined. The computer will even try again if the fax does not go through the first time! Imagine that. You can literally be sleeping and conducting business all over the world.

Do not underestimate this powerful advertising medium. It is low cost and it gives your business a very professional looking presence. When properly used (especially through your computer modem), faxing can save you lots of time and money.

Ray Mardo has provided business consulting services to mom and pop stores and Fortune 500 companies. His DJ business LGRE was listed in Entrepreneur Magazine’s top 500 businesses in the nation. These days the Austin Film Festival honored writer spends his time typing away screenplays and novels and internet marketing. Two of his websites are: http://www.raymardo.com

http://www.whoisthecoolestguyontheplanet.com

Tags: advertising, business, Business Advice, Fax, Free Business Tips, Generating business, Marketing

The key to attracting a potential customer’s attention in any form of marketing is your headline. Your headline is the first thing that a prospect sees in your marketing campaign, and it will either make or break the effectiveness the rest of your ad copy. Here are three key steps that your headline must accomplish if it is to draw the reader further into your offering:

1.) Get Your Prospects Attention.

Your first job as a marketer is to grab your prospects attention and get them to focus on your message. The two factors that influence whether a headline will have the attention grabbing effects that you desire is the content and design of your headline. The content is the actual words used in your headline, and the design is how it is visually presented. The text you use in your line should cut right to the heart of how your product or service can benefit the reader. This should be a benefit specifically targeted to your desired audience. Get into the mind of your prospect. Whatever it is that they need or want the most should be addressed in your headline if you want the reader’s attention. Visually, the design of your headline should cause it to leap off the page to the viewer. Find a way to make your headline stand out amongst other ads that it shares space with, by using a different typeface, color or other attention grabbing visual design elements.

2.) Identify Your Target Audience

You should know whom your specific target audience is that you are trying to reach through your marketing, and target your headline to get their specific attention.
Wording your headline to appeal to your target audience heightens their interest and draws them into your ad copy like a magnet. This technique of narrowing your message to appeal to a target audience is known as flagging. In a sense, you are holding up flag that says to your target audience, “This message is for you!” This alerts the prospect to give your ad priority attention because you are specifically addressing them. A message that specifically addressees your target audience speaks to them on a more personal level and your ad copy has a higher perceived value because of this.

3.) Make A Clear, Benefit-Filled Statement

When your targeted visitor reads your headline the one thing that they need to see to continue onward is benefits. Your headline needs to clearly address how your product or service can benefit your reader. A benefit is different from a feature. A feature describes the contents and characteristics of a product or service. A benefit clearly answers the question in the back of every prospects head: “What’s in it for me?” A benefit is the solution or result a customer can get from using your product or service. A benefit should satiate a hunger or relieve a pain, and is the number one reason why a prospect will continue to read your marketing piece. Your headline should inspire the reader with hope that the advertised benefit can be theirs. This hope of a realized dream, or the cessation of a pain compels the find out more about your solution. Clearly state the benefit of your product or service in your headline and your potential customer will be receptive to hearing more about what you have to offer.

In summary, a powerful headline that covers the above three points will serve you well by setting up the rest of your ad copy and marketing message for success. A headline sets the marketing “dinner table” and inspires your guests to gather around it, ready to partake of the rest of the message about your product and service.

Darby Miller is the owner of http://www.Home-Based-Dad.com/1-Step-System-Blog.html, a
blog about the Ultimate Marketer’s Toolbox, an all-in-one multimedia marketing
resource created by the 1 Step System. Darby writes about the Ultimate
Marketer’s Toolbox at the 1 Step System
Blog

Tags: 1 step system, ads, advertising, copy, Marketing, sales, writing