To Increase Your Advertising Effectiveness – Stop Selling!

 by Karon Thackston © 2001
http://www.ktamarketing.com

How many times have you heard the old adage, “The customer doesn’t want a drill, he wants a hole in his wall”? While I may disagree with parts of that phrase, one thing is for sure… if you want to increase your advertising effectiveness, you have to stop selling what YOU want the customer to buy and start solving his problems.

What exactly does that mean? For starters, it means finding out who your customers are and what challenges they face. It also means that your ad copy, your tag line, your Web site design, your brochure, your customer service plan and your support need to all work in concert to provide the solutions to those challenges.

The most effective advertising pieces don’t sell… they fulfill. They don’t talk about the company… they talk about the customer. They don’t push price… they provide solutions.

When you focus on the customer in your advertising copy, when you get inside the mind of your customer and speak to their emotional needs, you will see greater results.

Here are 7 tips for creating copy that does not sell… but provides a solution.

1. Talk TO the customer, not ABOUT the company. Yes, you have to mention your company name so they’ll know who you are. But the majority of your copy should speak to the customer and his/her needs. Not: “ABC Web Site Designers has been in business for 13 years. We do great work. Our clients think this or that. We provide design, java and cgi. Our customer service can’t be beat. ABC is the best and you should use us.”

2. Use “you” and “your” and write as if only one person were reading your ad or site. Make your copy personal.

3. Get Real! Use real-life examples in your copy. Reach your customers on their level by identifying with them. Instead of something like, “You can get more organized and stay that way” say “You’ll be able to find your keys in 5 minutes or less and never again wonder if you or your spouse is supposed to pick up the kids today.”

4. Get emotional! Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Bring out their frustration, their anger, their greed. Whatever the situation calls for, use those emotions in your copy. Example: “After you throw the plunger across the room and SCREAM… call ABC Plumbing.”

5. Benefits, benefits, benefits. I know you’ve heard it 1,000 times, but you simply must fill your copy with benefits. Always answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”

6. Show them they’ll get results. Tell your customers what life will be like AFTER your product or service solves all their problems. By showing them that they will get their desired end result, you make a very persuasive argument for your product.

7. Be their friend. Let your copy portray you as “easy-to-like”. Show your customer that you’re their friend who is willing and able to help instead of just another business who wants them to buy.

When you put the focus on the people with the money… the people who keep your business up and going, you can work wonders with your copy. You’ll see your sales improve if you just quit selling!

About the Author

Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Karon is Owner and President of KT & Associates who offers targeted copywriting, copy editing & ezine article services. Subscribe to KT & Associates' Ezine "Business Essentials" at
join-businessessentials@lyris1.listenvoy.com or visit Karon’s site at
http://www.ktamarketing.com.

 Karon Thackston

More Articles 

SEARCH ENGINES GIVE YOU FREE ADVERTISING! - Richard Igoe
Getting a good ranking in the major search engines is probably THE BEST way to get traffic to your site, but just how to do this is the question. There are literally millions of web sites out there. But remember a good website ranking is virtually...

Advertising Costs Getting Too High? Start Your Own Ad Co-op! - Diane Hughes
Everyone knows that advertising is essential to growing a business. One problem that small business owners have always faced is the high cost of marketing. Most, however don't realize that there is an effective way to reduce the cost of your...

Advertising effectively on the net is FREE - Christopher Kyalo
That's right. The most effective way of advertising your business on the net is FREE and mostly ignored. And yet it's so easy to see why it is so effective. We just need to ask ourselves two simple questions. Question 1- What do most people use...

My New House Homepage.com - Start-up online pixel advertising website targeted to homeowners - J Charles
My New House Homepage.com....a start-up online pixel advertising website that targets the Housing Industry sector and its customers looking for homes or home products. An innovative and highly targeted online advertising venture that sells...

Competition Freebies and Sponsorship For Free Advertising and Link Popularity - Mark Falco
How many competitions are there running on the net at this time? 1000 maybe? Nah, 100,000 is more than likely and when they close there will be just as many to take their place. So, why are companies so desperate to give away free stuff just for...

Discover The Sneaky Google Adwords Trick That Will Cut Your Advertising Budget in Half, Skyrocket Your CTR and Give You Even More Targeted Leads! - Mark Meyers
"Discover The Sneaky Google Adwords Trick That Will Cut Your Advertising Budget in Half, Skyrocket Your CTR and Give You Even More Targeted Leads!" By Mark Meyers (c) 2004. All rights reserved. http://www.Internet-Income-Advisor.com So you use...

Learn the Secret of Low Cost Advertising for Your Horse Business - Michele Anderson
Learn the Secret of Low Cost Advertising for Your Horse Business As a ezine publisher I have discovered several methods to target"The Horse Industry" market. Through trial and error this is what I have come up with. It worked for me and I know...

3 Ways to Effective Traffic Exchange Advertising - Stacy Hensley
Many people will tell you that traffic exchanges are not effective. For some this may be true depending on the service or product you offer. I, however, have had several customers that found my services through my advertising on traffic exchanges....

3 Simple But Powerful Off-Line Advertising Strategies - Al Martinovic
There are several ways to advertise and get the word out about your business online and the best of them include f-ree search engines, pay per click search engines, writing articles, utilizing press releases, doing joint ventures/ad co-ops, and...

Sometimes free advertising is more effective than others.. Part 1 - eiffel internet
If you are an expert in new marketing online and have tried the best free advertising You can say Sometimes free advertising is more effective than others.. This article will divid into 2 parts ... Now we can start the first one ..Iam sure you will...