Feb 10, 2010

17 Tested Advertising Methods that Sell

What little I know about copywriting: a list of 17 tested advertising methods that sell

1. Your headline is the door to your body text. Don't give everything away at once. Raymond Rubicam used to say, the way to sell is to get read first.

2. Your every sentence should invite to the reader to read the next sentence.

3. Do what a salesman would do. If you have ever tried to sell something you know it takes more than 10 words to convince someone.

4. Have clear structure that leads to your close.

5. Use sub-headings to help your reader.

6. Start with a short opening paragraph so you don't scare your reader away. Make it inviting to read further. (One trick is to put your second best headline as the first line of your body text to arouse more curiosity)

7. Use PS at the end – Did you know it's the second part in your letter that people look after reading the first few words? Use PS call to action or repeat your offer. Answer to the question "why this is important?"

8. Focus on clarity. Can your grandmother understand it?

9. Eliminate all unnecessary words. Use short rather long words.

10.
Grab the attention. "You are not advertising to a standing army, you are advertising to a moving parade," David Ogilvy.

11. Read "Scientific Advertising" by Claude Hopkins, "Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy and "Tested Advertising Methods" by John Caples. You will notice that those guys knew how write copy that sells 50 years before anyone else did.

12. To improve your writing and grammar read
"The Elements of Style" William Strunk and E. B. White. Your mother tongue doesn't matter. Their tips are universal.

13. Ask for the order. Just like the salesman who ask for the order sells more, so does your ad.

14. Give several options on how to buy or contact you. Did you know that having a SMS option can improve your response-rates 20 to 30 per cent?

15. In print ad use a tracking system, such as call to action address amazon.com/wsj to measure how many people are actually responding to your ads or use a coupon code. It's amazing how very few advertisers do this.

16. Avoid telling yourself that you are not a direct marketer. Did you know that Procter & Gamble has a four billion dollar goal for online sales? Today everyone is a digital direct marketer.

17. Long copy doesn't work, right? Correct, just like you stopped reading this a long before. Try longer copy. It sells on average 25 per cent more than short copy.

Stay with me as I announce more marketing and advertising ideas next time.
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