The Truth About Advertising

1
The Truth About Advertising

• How to Transform Your Business Into a
  Money-Multiplying Machine

2
What is Advertising Supposed to Do?

• Grab the prospects attention
• Give them hope that you can solve their problem
  or fulfill their desire
• Prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that their hopes
  will be fulfilled
• Offer a specific, low-risk, easy-to-take action

3
95 of All Ads SUCK!

• That is to say . . .
• They suck the profits right out of your business!
• Lets explore why this is so . . .

4
A World Full of Lousy Advertising

• Almost all advertising fails at
• Getting anyones attention
• Getting those who do pay attention to stay
  interested
• Proving why anyone should buy the product or
  service
• Giving anyone a reason to take action NOW
• Making money!

5
Why Do So Many Businesses Do It So Wrong?

• National companies made fortunes advertising on
  TV
• Image advertising became the benchmark
• Everyone thinks thats how its done.
• Ad agencies/colleges dont know any other way

6
Image / Institutional Advertising

• Attempts to get attention through cute and
  creative copy
• Has one goal?To get consumers to remember a
  brand, company name, or slogan
• Relies on repetition
• Takes a Fortune 500 budget

7
Direct Response Advertising

• Produces direct, immediate, measurable response
• Tells a story or proves a case
• Gets prospects to take action NOW
• Separates your business from the competition
• Gets maximum results for every dollar spent!

8
The Trust Barrier

• Created by Brand/Image Advertising
• The consumers inability to determine whether any
  business/product/service is any better or worse
  than any other
• The buyer feels like he doesnt have control so
  he thinks, stalls, comparison shops, and tries to
  gather more information

Most businesses try to break through the Trust
Barrier with creativity and repetitionbut youll
know better!
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Direct Response Marketing is an Equation

• It never changes
• Is based on unchanging true principles
• Works like arithmetic
• As long we know the principles, we can always
  complete the equation

Lets learn a few things about how Polly
Prospects mind works . . .
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Three Major Concepts

• Alpha Mode
• Beta Mode
• Reticular Activating System

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Alpha Mode

• Subconscious running of patterns in your life
  that function without engaging your brain
• Brain is on auto-pilot
• Routines and habits stem from Alpha
• People are unaware of what theyre doing or
  thinking
• 25 of waking hours are spent in Alpha

Have you ever driven to work and then realized
you dont remember doing it?
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Alpha Mode in Marketing

• Trust Barrier-induced state of apathy toward any
  advertising
• Makes consumer oblivious to nearly all
  advertising messages
• Gives advertiser no chance to sell

Your ads must get the consumer to snap awake
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Beta Mode

• State of active mental engagement
• Person is consciously aware of what he/she is
  doing
• Person is interested and eager
• State of active problem solving and learning

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Beta Mode in Marketing

• Person consciously notices ads
• Person actively seeks out information on products
  or services
• Person is open to ideas or suggestions
• Person will read or absorb as much information as
  necessary to make the best decision

15
Reticular Activating System

• Your brain is always subconsciously scanning the
  environment for anything thats
• Familiar / Connected
• Incongruous / Not Consistent
• Threatening / Dangerous

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Reticular Activating System

• Familiar / Connected
• - The car you just purchased
• - A song from your youth
• Incongruous / Not Consistent
• - Clown at the Opera
• - Unusual odor
• Threatening / Dangerous
• - Baby crying in the night
• - A car moving into your lane

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What is an Activator?

• Anything that snaps
• a person out of
• Alpha Mode
• and into
• Beta Mode

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Activators Must HitHot Buttons

• Spark an emotional charge
• Identify problems, frustrations, annoyances,
  fears, or hidden troubles
• Involve specific, relatable scenarios that
  illustrate these emotions

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Activators in Marketing

• Snaps the prospect into consciousness to pay
  attention to your marketing
• Can be accomplished with
• Pictures shocking, strange, sexy, celebrities,
  unusual (people love to look at people)
• Sounds jingles, logo sounds (Intel)
• Words paint a mental picture

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The Direct Response Equation

• Use the Reticular Activating System to Snap the
  Prospect into Beta
• Interrupt Get prospects to pay attention
• Engage Get those who pay attention to remain
  interested
• Prove Give facts, figures, hard data
• Offer Get the prospect to take action based on
  a call to action

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Step 1 Interrupt

• Done with
• Ad Style
• Headlines
• Photos

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Interrupt AD STYLE

• Big, bold, attention-grabbing headline
• Advertorial Style?emulates news stories
• Captivating photos
• before/after
• happy/successful people
• shows the problem

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Interrupt HEADLINE

• Headline is the ad for the ad
• Appeals to the readers self interest
• Creates a sense of urgency -- makes prospect want
  more
• Unique
• Ultra-specific

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Interrupt HEADLINE

• SLOGANS ARE NOT HEADLINES!
• SLOGAN
• Affordability now comes with a view
• HEADLINE
• Ill Teach You My Breakthrough Method for
  Overcoming Anxiety and Depression. And I
  Guarantee You Results Fast or Your Money Back.

Which is more likely to hit a hot button?
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Interrupt HEADLINE

• What your headline must do
• Grab your prospects by the lapels
• Push emotional hot buttons
• Be Unique
• Be Ultra-specific

Headlines get read 5 times more than ad
copy. -David Ogilvy
26
Interrupt Photos

• What your photos must do
• Instantly show your prospect what the ad is about
• Push emotional hot buttons
• Be unique
• Demonstrate the self-interest appeal

People have a natural interest in other people --
use people in your photos whenever possible.
27
Engage Lead Sub-heads

• Lead
• Gives hope/makes a promise
• Paints a mental picture
• Sub-heads/Photo captions
• Keeps the reader moving through the copy
• Keeps the promise alive

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Prove Copy

• Tell Your Story or Make Your Case
• Juicy Details
• Ultra-Specific
• ?Facts ?Figures ?Data
• ?Irrefutable Evidence ?Statistics
• ?Testimonials ?Expert Opinions
• ?Success Stories ?Charts Graphs

29
Prove Copy

• Which rings more true?
• Weve helped thousands of people stop smoking
• Or . . .
• 6,758 People Cant Be Wrong--Theyve Stopped
  Smoking with Hypnosis and You Can, Too!

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Prove Copy

• Sell Benefits, Not Features
• Example Electric Can Opener
• Features Benefits
• Single touch operation Push a button and walk
  away!
• Power pierce cutter Safe enough for your
  children
• to use!

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Offer

• What is your USP?
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Is it irresistible?
• Does it make your prospect say, Id be crazy to
  do business with anyone else?

What is the most irresistible offer?
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The Thin Line

• Who is ready to buy now?
• 5 95
• Who will buy in the future?

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Guarantee

• Consumers are Smart / Savvy / Skeptical
• Remove the risk . . .
• Nothing to lose
• Everything to gain
• . . . And theyll buy from you!

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Success is a State of Mind!

• 95 of all small business ventures fail within
  the first five years . . . But youre different .
  . .
• You believe in yourself
• You think differently
• Youre willing to step outside the box
• And dream bigger than your competition
• Which means that . . .

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• Untold success and riches will be yours!
• Congratulations!