All marketing boils down to communication whether it is traditional or not. Advertising is meant to convey to potential customers some benefit for choosing a company product or service.
There are lots of competitors out there and all you need to accomplish with your marketing efforts is to convince people why your services are superior. Although Internet marketing has indeed permitted advertisers an unparalleled ability to reach target markets and secure qualified leads, the message will still determine who thinks about buying your products and services and who simply goes on down the line to listen to what your competition has to offer. Writing effective ad copy is still the backbone of any marketing effort. Here are some ideas to help you craft compelling copy that will draw the customers in:
Including a call to action may seem like a no-brainer but you would be suprised by the number of ads that do not do so. In simple terms, if you do not tell your customer to buy then they are unlikely to do so. If you take the time to express all the benefits of your service and demonstrate how they will help your customer and then forget to tell them to order or sign-up for your newsletter, then your efforts will be in vain.
Bear in mind that everyone is on the look out for a better deal. This does not always mean a better price. It could also be a superior service inclusive of extras that your competitors are not offering. In other words, a unique selling position or a ‘hook’. Your ad must include the ‘hook’ to grab your customers attention and hopefully take action.
The ‘hook’ may not be directly related to the main product but it must compliment your overall product or service. If it is completely unrelated, then it will simply not attract the attention of your target market. Many companies use the word ‘free’ in their ads as a simple means to get people through the door and provide an opportunity to sell their true wares. The word ‘free’ is a very powerful one and is often used in ad copy as an attention grabber. In banner ads and email marketing campaigns, customers may be offered and incentive to click the banner or link to increase the effectiveness, or click through rate, of the campaign. This could be a time-sensitive offer for a better price or free bonus that will grab the attention of the client and increase the chance of taking action at the site.
A sucessful ad is the core of any successful Internet marketing campaign. The ad must immediately express the benefits of the service. It is a good idea to try and use your headline for this effect. There is little point in placing the benefits at the end of the copy if the customer is unlikely to read on past the headline. Don’t forget to prompt the customer to take action and to take it now. If your ad has some kind of ‘hook’ to grab the attention, has the unique benefits of your service expressed immediately in the copy and has a clear call for the customer to take action, then it is likely you will get the results that you are looking for — more sales!
Desmond Mantor is the Director of Sales and Marketing for
Have Traffic
a company specializing in producing highly targeted website
traffic for commercial websites. For more details please
visit http://www.havetraffic.com
