There's really only one thing that separates Image advertising from Direct Response. Image advertising just wants you to think about a product in a certain way. Direct Response wants you to do something about it. Now.
Direct Response can be entertaining. It doesn't have to sound like a used car salesman on steroids. But it will have one element that sets it apart from it's "pretty" cousin:
A call to action.
Without a call to action you've got to spend the big bucks to be effective. And even then, you'll never know for sure. I mean, how do you measure an image? On the other hand, if you ask your prospect to do something, he either does it or he doesn't. Right away you know whether your money's been wasted or not.
But if you don't ask him to do anything, it's a safe bet he won't.
So get him off his rear and doing something. (After all, he can't reach his wallet if he's sitting on it!) Tell him to call now. Visit this website. Clip this coupon. Click here and "Buy It Now!"
Of course, people don't take too kindly to being ordered around. So before you start issuing commands, you need to build your case. You've got to make him WANT to take action.
You've got to tell him W-I-I-F-M: What's In It For Me? Don't just list the features of you product or service. Tell him the wonderful things those features do for him. Tell him the benefits. Paint him a picture of how wonderful life will be, if only he'll do the tiny little thing you are asking of him.
Tell him all it takes is one simple phone call. Tell him the problem he's having can be solved with just a click of a mouse. Tell him he can have the widget of his dreams at a 20% discount if he tears out this coupon and brings it into the store today.
And don't let "I'll do it later" even cross his mind. This is, after all, a very limited time offer. Isn't it? It better be!
And there had better be a believable reason. "Hurry, sale ends soon!" isn't enough. An expiration date on the coupon is a good start. A limited supply helps. But a definite, set-in-stone date for a specific price increase is even better.
He might get just a little nervous right about now. You are, after all, asking him to part with his money, and not really giving him time to think about it, either. So be sure you mention your money-back guarantee, or the fact that you won't give out his personal information, right beside your call to action. Make sure he knows that he has nothing to lose.
Except, of course, this golden opportunity. All he has to do is act now.
Since you put it to him this way, he's much more likely to do just that.
Does your marketing forge an emotional connection with your prospects? It can. Lisa Packer delivers persuasive, targeted copywriting that dramatically increases your business. Unleash the power of words on behalf of your business by visiting http://www.dramatic-copy.com today.
Owning a small business isn't easy, especially if you are... Read More
A little advice about using leads that you purchase from... Read More
Marketers have a wide variety of media at their disposal.... Read More
Having people go to your website is not always easy:... Read More
Entrepreneurs pay a lot of attention to the mechanics of... Read More
Do you own a business and need ideas on how... Read More
Effective customer newsletters find the right mix of promotional and... Read More
Brochures have become vital in today's workplace, serving a wide... Read More
Fear and Greed. The stock-in-trade of sales. Appeal to them,... Read More
I do think that it is entirely possible for an... Read More
Under normal circumstances, you'd shout it from the rooftops. After... Read More
When Cable began as Community Antenna Television in 1948, all... Read More
Are there really ways you can get valuable marketing exposure... Read More
As a professional service provider, you're paid for what you... Read More
It has become fairly common place to see Id badges... Read More
Grant Businesses have a love-hate relationship with the Yellow Page... Read More
Anybody that frequents shopping malls are familiar with the bar... Read More
Do it Right.I receive postcards all the time. The other... Read More
Direct mail marketing is essential for a business to survive.Choosing... Read More
If you want to uncover a little secret about how... Read More
With promotional items there are standards: t-shirts, mugs, note cubes,... Read More
Time is a concern for all of us. We only... Read More
Regardless of how many forms of promotional material you create,... Read More
There comes a time in every small businessperson's life when... Read More
Whether you market online or offline, you already know the... Read More
If you've been in the copywriting realm for very long... Read More
Have you ever sat down to write a sales letter... Read More
Direct mail is a cost-effective way to make sales and... Read More
Direct marketing can make you very successful, but you've got... Read More
If you want to double your business, then you need... Read More
Can we actually learn a marketing lesson from reality TV?... Read More
What's a small business owner to do if they have... Read More
Why give freebies?We have all seen freebies at trade shows... Read More
In direct mail, the offer is the incentive or reward... Read More
How do you answer the seemingly easy question, "What do... Read More
As the American economy emerges from recession, many businesses are... Read More
People are making a fortune on pamphlets. If you go... Read More
More of the findings of the recent studies in behavioral... Read More
Today I've decided to share with you a new word... Read More
I don't mean you, I mean the YOU that is... Read More
Boomers are a prime and growing target audience. Does your... Read More
With the increased challenges that all companies are faced with,... Read More
"Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant... Read More
I'm reading Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and he brings up... Read More
You probably read my headline and thought, wait a minute,... Read More
How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Marketing... Read More
Marketing planning must be really difficult and complex, otherwise why... Read More
One of the greatest challenges to effectively marketing a business... Read More
Considered a vital link in a show's promotional plan, direct... Read More
Are your products or services geared towards only one target... Read More
Marketing Marketing |
|