The Four Pillars of a Successful Ad
How do you go about writing persuasive ads? There are volumes written on this subject. Like anything else there are always a few principles that you must follow.
I would just like to look at the ’steel structure’ of the Ad. But of course there are the windows, walls, roofing … you get the point. If the steel frame is missing the Ad building comes tumbling down! There are so many sales messages I read online that miss out one or more of these steel beams and the results show for sure.
I see the four corner beams of any good ad writing as:
1. You have to first identify your market.
No use trying to persuade the entire world. The wider your aim the less likely you would strike the ‘bulls-eye’. Are you trying to reach mothers with young children, online marketers, pet lovers … then you have to write with these people in mind.
While writing with a group in mind you have to make your writing as personal as possible. So do not address the group but each individual member of that group. The person reading your ad should be saying “this guy knows me.”
2. After you have successfully identified your target audience you then must identify their major problems.
What do these people DESIRE or what are their major FEARS?
I capitalized those two words because these are the emotions you are going to appeal to. Keep in mind that the first law of Ad writing is that you must concentrate on the BENEFITS your product would bring your clients, NOT the features of your product. (This is a law that should not be broken!)
3. In this step you are going to be presenting the solution to their problems.
You must therefore show how your product would solve their problems. Would it make them more attractive, younger looking, more successful, wealthier, safer, more informed … tell them, tell them ,tell them! Load your ads with benefits!
Your client has a problem and you have the solution.
4. The final step is to get them to take action, not tomorrow but today, NOW!
Do they have to click on a link? Tell them and make it EASY to do so. Do they have to call a number -then say so and … you guessed it .. make it EASY!
I sold religious books from door-to-door during the summer to support my college education. I don’t think that there’s any other type of selling that is more challenging. I remember reading of a salesman who did brilliant presentations of his books but never got a sale.
After much disappointing results the team leader went out with him on his sales route. That’s when the problem was finally uncovered. Can you guess it? He never asked his prospects to buy his books. People loved his books but he never asked for the sale.
Be sure that you don’t make the same mistake.
Filed under: Online Copywriting
