I know I only posted yesterday, but my last post has created such a stir that I felt I had to touch base with you again.
In yesterday's post, I gave you my frank thoughts on print advertising which seems to have opened something of a hornets nest and I've had calls and emails form all over the country as a result.
Now I'd like to point out at this stage that a majority of contact I received agreed with my views and shared stories of how they had run expensive adverts and had experienced little or no return. However, I did receive some messages that were less than complimentary on my observations from advertising advocates (and publishers) and even someone who felt so strongly they were shouting down the phone at me and then hung up (you know who you are!).
I'm not going to make any apologies for what I write as, at the end of the day, it's my blog and you don't have to read it! All the views and thoughts I post are my own and I have no hidden agenda. Yes I am working for a company which is selling a product, however, as those of you who have spoken to me will know, I will tell you what I think honestly and for those who aren't a match, I will tell you we can't help.
I never said advertising didn't work! I said that there were more effective ways of spending your marketing budget (which is 100% true). Print advertising can work, but it needs to be used as part of a structured plan, just throwing an advert out there is a waste!
But enough of the disclaimer type stuff!
For those of you who still want to use advertising as you main form of marketing, to appease the publishers who I've upset and for the rest of you who are interested for future reference, I'm going give you a few tips on advertising.
Tip one was given yesterday - Spend Your Money on Something Else (sorry I couldn't resist).
Tip two - Your Headline is THE Most Important Part of the Advert.
Getting people to read you ad is the first and biggest challenge you face, a good headline can mean the difference between a bride passing over your ad or stopping and taking note. Think about that when you next look at an advert, the headline shouldn't be written to sell your product or service, it should be written to get the bride to read your ad.
With this in mind, the headline you come up with should be about the reader, not you, so any headline you come up with that starts "We do this" or "we can that" should be ditched immediately. If your headline contains the name of your business then that one can go the same way.
The best advice I can give you is to test some different headlines before you use any in an expensive ad and see which ones produce the best reults. Be as adventurous as possible as you'll probably find that the more adventurous the headline the more successful the ad!
Here's an example of a bad headline:"We have been established 30 years and offer the highest standards in xxxxxxxxx, (product removed to protect the innocent!) priding ourselves on personal service, care and attention to detail"
Does anyone book a company based on how long they've been in business? Surely personal service and attention to details should come as standard rather than be a selling point?!?!?!
Here's more what I would focus on:
"Want to feel special on your wedding day? We make our customers feel like that from the moment they contact us!"
I'm guessing that's pretty much the same message that the company from the first headline was trying to get across but I know which headline would make me take note - and not because I wrote it.
Don't think that that's the sales made once you have your headline, the hard work has only just begun!!!
If you come up against a mental block when trying to think of your headline, don't just use mine, give us a call and we can give you a hand!
Look forward to speaking to you.
Until then.
Edward
PS I'll be checking all the bridal publications in the coming months and naming and shaming anyone who uses that headline!!!
