Recently I was asked “We have been running a lot of straight and to the point ads and getting very little results. What is the fine line between getting quality prospects and not quantity?”
This is a difficult question but it has a simple two word answer. It depends. it depends on your target market, the competition, and the media in which you choose to advertise.
Let’s face it. Hype sells. After all, you do not see late night television commercials promoting “one pound a week weight loss” or “we can get you more from that automobile accident than you can get otherwise, but most of the money is going to pay our fees” attorneys, or even “that crappy music from the 70’s”. What you do see are promises that your weight will literally evaporate, you will get richer than Bill Gates by letting your attorney sue the britches off that person who bumped your car in the Wal-Mart parking lot, and promises that you and your friends will actually enjoy throwing a party and dancing to that disco crap nobody really liked in the 1970’s. (What they don’t mention is that if you really want to enjoy 1970’s disco music you need to throw in some 1960’s drugs.)
Personally, I am uncomfortable telling people they will become richer than Bill Gates by selling our products. Is it possible? Sure! Is it probable? Absolutely not! But, if they work smart, they can make a pretty dadblame good living, and if they work really smart, they can make it to the big times. The problem with advertising the truth is that the only people it attracts are those who are burnt out on all the hype. Usually, people who are already burnt out on all the hype won’t believe you if you tell them the earth is round and penguins don’t fly. They will still think you are hyping it up somehow.
There are some media where you are better off advertising the truth, or even downplaying it. This is media where your cost is per lead or per click. In these cases, you really only want inquiries from people who are really interested in what you have to offer. Not people who are curious.
What is the middle ground? I think it is telling the truth in the most positive light. Selling the sizzle, not the steak. Fully promote the real and realistic benefits of what you have to offer, without lying about it. Sure, it is true that with our organization that you can earn billions by recruiting 1,248,540 people. But, this is not realistic. What is realistic is that someone can replace their regular income with income generated by our opportunity, allowing them to spend more time doing those things they enjoy rather than being a slave to their boss. We could promote our opportunity by shouting “EARN BILLIONS FROM HOME!” or we can more realistically promote it by saying “REPLACE YOUR CURRENT INCOME!”. Even with our more realistic approach, we will usually mention in the body of the ad that it will not be easy.
The purpose of headlines and subject lines are to attract the interest of those who would be interested in what you have to offer, and those who would be compatible with you to work with. I look for entrepreneurs. People who optimistic, highly motivated, who set goals, who have the ability to focus, and who are really serious about achieving their dreams. Those are the people I try to attract. People who respond to the “MAKE BILLIONS FROM HOME” ads are idiots. I don’t want idiots working with me. Do you want idiots working for you?
Brande and Chris Bradford are active participants in a home based business opportunity and are the publishers of GREAT HEIGHTS, a monthly newsletter focused on home based business issues. To subscribe to their newsletter, send a blank e-mail to: Great-Heights-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit: http://www.brandebradford.com
