Recent Marketing and Advertising Articles
for Your Small Business
Chapter Thirty-eight: What can you do when a "good" ad goes
bad?
It happens to all of us. Either you write a great advertisement
or sales letter that kicks butt for a while... then goes lame. Or, you write
(what you think) is a great ad or letter – and it completely BOMBS.
Either way, you have to go into emergency mode.
Why?
Because your time and money is fully vested in the project!
You can't be wasting either.
>>>> If it performed strong then died out:
· Did anything change in the media (magazines, papers,
trade newsletters)? If something happens to your media and readership changes or
drops – it can affect your ad. Start looking around for any significant changes
– then find places to replace them with
· Ads do tire out if the readership remains stagnant and
they keep seeing the same old ad from you every month – test a new headline and
lead. Try a new offer or close or price (they will not remember how much you
charged in the last ad, trust me)
· Have you tested other media forms with your message?
It's like calling yourself an "internet marketer" only. Severely limiting your
potential profits. The internet is just another form of media. Your sales letter
that kicks butt online may do even BETTER in print. Or on a postcard. Or on a
teleseminar. How would you know if you don't test it? Try the exact same sales
message in other formats – and see how it performs there.
· Test new headlines, offers, guarantees, subheads,
prices, etc... things change... and your ad may need a change.
>>>> If it was a bomb right from the start (which
everyone writes – I know I still get them – every copywriter does – no matter
what line of bull they try and feed you):
· Take a serious look at why it went wrong. This is
tough if you wrote it yourself... you need to step back and look at it from
someone else’s eyes. Your customers’ eyes! If the headline targeted at them? Is
it compelling? Does it promise specifics rather than generalities?
SPEAKING OF HEADLINES....
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>>>> Can you pick the winners? <<<<
Imagine what would happen if your copy suddenly began working
105% better?
What if suddenly, every Internet, direct mail and print ad
promo produced twice the new customers … twice the money?
Only a hot new headline can give a promotion that kind of lift
– and writers who produce them get richer than Midas! Why not take this quick,
fun HEADLINE IQ TEST – and find out in seconds?!
You’ll get the chance to select the winners from eight
headlines that were actually tested in mailings to 1.2 million prospects at a
cost of more than $600,000. You’ll get your score … the actual results each
headline produced … plus a valuable free gift just for playing!
http://www.advertisingblueprint.com
Its fun, its free, there are no strings attached, and what
you’ll learn could easily bring you bigger winners more often in the months
ahead!
So go ahead – accept the challenge: Just click the link to take
THE HEADLINE IQ CHALLENGE!
http://www.advertisingblueprint.com
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Back to fixing a bomb of an ad...
· Do the pictures support your approach in the ad – or
do they take away from it? The photos must work with the story, hook, or angle
you are presenting. They must prove credibility... and they must help move the
prospect through the piece to the end.
· Is the ad following all sound direct marketing
principles? Consider it like a "greased" slide. When they jump on the slide at
the top (your headline) -- it should take them on a fast ride to the end (the
order). No bumps along the way – or any reason to stop sliding. A fun, fast ride
that gets them to the bottom.
· Have you read it out loud? does it flow? no
stumbling?
Try changing those things... and you may find the small
differences that mean the success or failure of your marketing campaign.
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