Make Your Copy SELL!
I'm always hearing from people who have tried and tried to get their
ads or sales letters to bring in results, but aren't having any luck.
Why? It's usually a simple case of the offer not being clear and
simple enough for the reader that's in a hurry.
We live in a world where jobs are demanding more and more while family
and community demands remain just as important. The result: almost
all of us are in a big hurry!
Slowing down would be nice, but that's just not in the cards for
most of us.
Keep that in mind when writing your copy (or having someone else
write it for you).
1. Make sure your offer is clear and presented right up front. Don't
make the reader go through a page of copy to find your offer--most
don't have the time to do it.
2. Be sure to clearly tell the reader about the benefit they will
get from doing business with you. How does your product or service
improve their lives? Relate the features of your biz to the results
or improvements those features give to customers.
It's Low Ad Rates Time!
Think TV, radio, and newspaper advertising is too pricey for your
small business?
That may be true most of the year, but during the first months of
the year ad revenues drop way off. Big media are looking everywhere
they can to sell advertising. And that means lower rates and special
deals.
Keep in mind that media advertising is not priced like items at a
department store. Rates are flexible. The ad cost that a media sales
representative quotes you may be higher than what 80% of their clients
are paying.
Ask for a lower rate. Find out if you can get special low rates for
buying multiple ads or commercials at different times of the day.
Some media outlets offer packages that include trips and vacations
this time of year. Many small businesses find that they can get the
advertising they want AND get a trip to Hawaii.
And remember, just because customers may not be buying as much in
the first months of the year, they are still using media and thinking
about purchases for the months ahead.
Your Own TV Commercial
If you've ever priced TV advertising, you know it can cost your business
a small fortune. Spots in the nightly local news can run hundreds
or thousands of dollars each. And just getting your TV commercial
produced can take a full crew that may not be able to work with you
for weeks to come.
Much of this is changing as cable TV goes digital, providing hundreds
more channels in town after town. Cable TV is selling commercials,
lots of commercials, and they're almost always much cheaper than what
you would find on broadcast TV.
Lots of one and two-person production companies are popping up. Some
are run out of bedrooms.
Don't immediately figure that these little guys don't know what they're
doing. My experience is that many are former TV station and ad agency
employees who got tired of the corporate scene and decided to start
their own home-based business.
You can save money by planning ahead and keeping your commercial
simple.
