There's just no time to waste in a cyber day; competition foryour target's attention has always been stiff, but now it's justkiller. There's less time and more to do, more to see, moreto read--ad infinitum. What can you do to attract attention toyour clients' message? Here are a few tips and techniquesthat motivate your audience to want to know more about yourproduct or service.
"The free time I used to spend watching TV is now dividedbetween shopping and blogging online," remarked onecorporate executive, "it allows me to relax physically and it'scertainly more entertaining than an episode of Law andOrder." What was once a minor distraction is now aformidable competitor demanding its share of the market. How can direct mail compete with the dynamic web,traditional print media, and titillating TV or radio (satellite,broadcast or cable)? The most effective advertisingdemands target participation; it removes the "will I or won't I"part of the equation and turns it into "I MUST". Can you makethem say "Man, look at that. What's that about?"
Here's an example: When asbestos removal was a bigconcern in the mid 1980's, a commercial building ownerhad no greater fear; not that he had asbestos, but thatsomeone would find out. The ad campaign for my asbestosremoval consultant was a gut wrencher for anyone withcommercial real estate leasing in a highly competitivemarket. The headline ran over a photograph of a high dollarbroker working the phones at night with a view of the cityskyline in the background:, "I can get you out of your lease ina snap with the hazards clause." No one in the businesscould turn the page without reading the rest of the adbecause desire was created in the viewer's imagination. They wanted to know more and provided the impetus tocontinue reading on their own. Here's a simple 3 stepcheck for effective advertising, no matter what the media.
1) Create Motivation: There is a way into the heart of yourprospect. What emotion can you instill to motivate them towant to hear what you have to say? Make it something theycan't ignore, like your Uncle Guido, make them an offer theycan't refuse.
2) Create Emotional Tension: After you arrive in theiremotional center, create a stir. No matter what the mediaform, the best advertising grips a prospect by it's emotional needs and quickly creates turmoil. It's a simple formula of"Do you want this? followed by "Here's what you have to doto get it." The emotional tension hangs and propels themto participate.
3) Offer Resolution: Relieve the emotional tension you justcreated. Find the need in your prospect's soul that you cansatisfy with your product or service; fan the flames, excitethem about the benefits, then relieve their emotionaluncertainty by telling them how to get it.
Here's the same formula applied to the asbestosconsultants:
1) Motivate/Captivate--Did you know brokers are using yourasbestos to void existing leases and relocate tenants toother properties? (YIKES!)
2) Grip/Tension--Have you looked at your statistics lately todetermine just how much your asbestos problem is costingyou in lost tenants?
3) Resolve/Solution--We have the answer. We can solveyour problems quietly and cost effectively. We can stop theexodus and solve the problem.
Studies have shown that you have less than 3 seconds tocapture the attention of your audience, whether it's in a stackof junk mail, online, in a magazine, radio or TV. The mostself defeating mistake made is offering relief before they'vegripped the target. Be careful not to show your hand beforethe game starts.
? Motivate and captivate; create curiosity.
? Grip their attention with emotional tension.
? Offer resolution and solutions; relieve the tension.
Here's the Ultimate in Marketing Communications Directoryprovided by the University of Texas.http://advertising.utexas.edu/world
Visit the American Advertising Awards (ADDY) website: http://www.aaf.org/awards/addy.htm
View an archive of over 7,000 print advertisements at DukeUniversity: http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess
©2005 Susan Kirkland, small business owner and author of Start and Run a Creative Services Business, shares thesecrets to finding and keeping clients, negotiating withvendors, protecting yourself from Scoundrels andscalawags--a valuable resource for everyone, no matterwhat line of work. For more information and acomplimentary POD cartoon visit http://www.sdkirkland.com |
