Make your ad better

Not everyone cares that you have an ad in the paper today. Too many commercials are thrown at us each day that we block out many of them. Radio spots, TV ads and, yes, even newspaper ads. If we aren't in the market those ads may be "on mute" or invisible. On the other hand, if you are in the market for a new Mazda 3 you can't help but notice when you pass one on the highway or see a big sale ad in the paper.

As I mentioned last time, Bob McGinnis has developed an advertising program that keys on people who are in the market to buy. Reach them, he says, with an effective ad and you'll experience better results. The key is to speak to potential buyers with pictures and words that convince them that you have what they need and that there are clear advantages to buying from you.

Let's take a look at a couple of ads from the Denver Post this week.

Imagine for a moment that you are ready to buy patio furniture. Remember, it's January. Probably not a lot of people ready to pull the trigger this week but in a market Denver's size there are certainly some who are thinking ahead to spring and summer. The photo instantly signals the reader that this ad is about furniture. The headline includes the word furniture. Many might already know where they would buy furniture so the ad needs a strong benefit. Saving money is a key factor for consumers. Other key considerations are quality, selection, service and financing. For me, a guy who wants it and wants it now, having the product in stock and ready for immediate delivery is often a persuader.

Ask me to grade this ad I'd give it a B. The signal is clear, the benefit could be stronger. What's missing is the proof that they carry the best brands, have the best selection and best prices. Add examples and prices in the ad copy and you have a winner.

Here's another ad from Denver, this one from Jake Jabs, owner of American Furniture Warehouse.

Shopping for a mattress? You can't help but notice this big ad with the words "Mattress Sale" and the picture of the mattress at the top. Benefit? All mattresses are on sale. Really? There's proof with examples and prices in the ad copy. Quality mattresses? You bet. They've listed Sealey, Simmons and others. Need more information about the sale or the store? They invite you to visit http://www.shopafw.com/. Once people have decided to buy a mattress they are usually in and out of the market in 1 or 2 days. My opinion...it would be hard for someone ready to buy a mattress to resist this ad and the call to action to call or visit the store.

Do you have an example of advertisement that you'd like us to review?

Response

Let's face it. Advertising, especially these days, has to work. Branding and name awareness are nice but advertisers I work with are putting their money where they see an immediate return on investment. And you can't blame them. The economy is putting pressure on the bottom line and advertising that doesn't make the phone ring or generate traffic is put on the back burner. Many of my clients are jumping from newspaper to TV to radio to direct mail to just about anything that brings the promise of results. Every media sales rep on the block says their product is the best way to reach the market. At the end of the day the one that wins is the one that delivers measurable, track able click throughs, phones calls and leads.

So here's the problem with that. Often the advertiser blames the medium for not getting the job done when a close look at the ad message reveals that the offer was weak, the price value wasn't competitive or the advertiser's reputation was flawed.

So the radio station or the newspaper did its job-- it reached thousands of people in the area, some who heard or read the message. And the metrics that report poor results miss the point. There just weren't many people who were interested in what the advertiser had to offer. In that case you don't blame the media, you have to take a hard look at your message and ask yourself: "If I was in the market for this product or service, why would I buy from you rather than somewhere else?"

Bob McGinnis, advertising consultant, owns a company that specializes in Response Oriented Advertising (you can contact Bob at: mailto:mcinnis@ads-on-line.com). I was trained in his principles a few years ago. I got to tell you Bob has this stuff figured out. His model helps you understand why some ads work and others don't. In no time at all you understand that effective ads signal the reader to stop and look, they offer benefits that cause the shopper to consider buying from you rather than somewhere else and (the real difference maker) he show you how to prove it. Ad pros like me are trained to guide the advertiser through a series of questions that stem from...

Why should someone buy from you rather than somewhere else.
Why do people buy from one company rather than another.

Master that and you end up with ads that get results every time they run. My clients will tell you that its a lot more fun.

I use Bob's wisdom every day on the job. The next time I post I'll include some examples.