The Art of Advertising

The "Art of Advertising"
by Len Thurmond

Everywhere you turn, another "guru" is putting out a book on
how to make money on the internet!
It's almost always priceless advice, but also, almost always,
falls short of the whole story.
They'll give you the scoop on how to write great ads, but never
seem to get around to, where and how to place those ads.
Or, they'll tell you about their great new affiliate program
that's guaranteed to make you money if you just follow their
simple step by step instructions, but somewhere along the way,
it dawns on you that everybody who buys into this "PROVEN "
sales method, is doing exactly the same thing as you are,
advertising the same program, in the same places, with the same
ad copy.
After a few days of this nonsense, people stop reading it.
Ezine advertising is without a doubt, the most effective type
of advertising on the internet, but most of us just skim through
the classifieds at best, and if you're like me, you mostly skip
the copy and go straight to the links, to see what the ad is
for. If it's something that you've already seen, you move on.
Regardless of what 'THEY' would have you believe, advertising
has not changed much in the last hundred years. The advent of
the Internet has certainly made it a lot easier, but the same
old principles do still apply.
The 'Art of Advertising' (and it is an art) is a game of
Psychology.
You have to learn to sell, without making them feel like
they've been sold to.
Nobody likes a hard sell!
You have to understand your prospects needs, to advertise
effectively. And you have to ask yourself a few questions.
What are they looking for? What's in it for them?
Who is my target market? Where do I place these ads for the best effect?
What will get their attention? And how can I hold their attention?
How do I get them to seek more information?
How do I allay their fears?
Is my product just more of the same DRIVEL? And how do I
convince them it's not?
In order to have a successful ad campaign, you have to first
answer ALL of these questions and understand the implications.
Yes, there are dozens of good books, by dozens of knowledgeable
people answering these questions, but none of them ever seems to
answer them all in one book.
Why is that, I wonder?
Is it because they want you to buy the sequel, in order to get
the next piece of the puzzle?
Maybe they just don't know the answers!
Or maybe, they know the answers, but also know, that the faster
the populace at large learns all the answers, the faster there
will be a flood of competition.
I've been a student, and 'teacher', the whole of my adult life.
And no, I am not talking about being a school teacher, I'm
talking about teaching people their profession.
If there is one thing I've learned from all that learning and
teaching, it's this...
If you take on a protégée and teach them everything you know,
if they're worth their salt, they will soon be your competition.
It's called "LIFE"!
No matter what you know, what you do, or what you have done...
You learned it from someone else! All successful entrepreneurs
are constantly creating their own competition, either directly
or indirectly. So, these teaching manuals serve two purposes,
for the authors.
1)...If they're going to be creating your own competition
anyway, they might as well get paid for it. And...
2)...By only giving you part of the whole story, they're
prolonging their own careers by holding you back!
I've been very lucky in my professional life, in that I've had
some of the best teachers, and because of this, I've always felt
a certain obligation to try and pass along the teachings that I
have been given.
If I create competition, then so be it! I would rather go to my
grave knowing that I helped enrich the lives of others, by
teaching them the fundamentals of their profession, then to die
a rich man, having held my knowledge back, and making a living
off of the unfulfilled dreams of others.
Success...What Is It And Where Can I get Some?, therefore, is
an attempt to impart the whole story, to those who care to here
it.
In it, you will find, theory, tutorials by myself and others,
profitable programs, links to tools and software, ad placement
(what works and what doesn't and where to place them), Plus,
over 40 Free Ebook downloads that, combined with this book,
will, hopefully, give you the whole picture, and break that
"Marketing Mountain" down into a "Manageable Molehill"!
So...Lets get started by answering the questions that I posed
earlier.
1) What are they looking for?
What's in it for them?
The answer to these questions are simple. They're looking for
the answer to their problem.
But, that problem could be anything, and that's why you need to
target the people whose problem your product or service can solve.
A new scientific weight loss program is not going to interest
someone who is looking to improve his golf swing. And likewise,
the latest marketing strategy is not likely to interest someone
looking to lose weight.
It's important to target the right audience in order to
maximize your marketing dollars.
Sure, there might be a few golfers who wish to lose weight, but
your sales percentages, would be far better if you targeted
health related groups of people.

2) Who is my target market?
Where do I place these ads for the most effect?

There are literally thousands of ezines and opt in lists, that
are available on most every subject that you can think of.
Likewise, there are hundreds of sources to find these targeted
markets.
Some of the best sources can be found in "The Ezine Promotion
Toolbox". http://www.TheAffiliateReview.com.toolbox.exe
In this invaluable free Ebook, by Dirk Dupon, you'll find
dozens of sources for searchable lists and ezines.
Just decide what your target market is and then search for it.
After you have a list of candidates, do another search for
subscriber numbers and advertising pricing. Search for
subscriber numbers in the mid thousands. It has been well
documented that the best results come from lists that contain
five to ten thousand subscribers. The larger ezines and lists,
those with tens of thousands of subscribers, tend to produce a
smaller percentage of hits to their overall numbers, and cost
far more to advertise with.
Select a couple of likely candidates and run your best ad in
each. Always track your results. A good source for tracking
software is Adtracker. http://wealthybucks.com/ht.html

Adtracker not only has a great and unlimited tracking service, but also
has a fantastic affiliate program with dozens of very
sellable products, including some of the best Marketing Ebooks,
from some of the best Marketing minds, on the planet!
Take your profits from your advertising results and experiment
with the other sources that you came up with in your searches.
Once you have tried them all, compare your results and continue
to advertise with the best of them.

TWEAK IT...
Now is the time to experiment with your ad copy. Change your
headlines. Change the copy itself. Tweak your ads until you find
the best results from the best of your advertising sources,
always reinvesting your profits to save you from squandering
your out of pocket money.
This can be a time consuming process, but in the long run,
you'll make the most of a very small original investment.
If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It! If you're seeing results,
don't be afraid to run ads for the same product, over and over
again, in the same publications. It takes up to seven exposures
to a product, before most people will bite. Just remember to
vary your ad copy so as not to bore your public, and you'll
continue to see results.

3) What will get their attention?
How can I hold their attention?

Your headline is the single most important part of your email
or ad based campaign.
Most everyone has been inundated with ads to the point that
they just skim over the headlines, at best.
So, it's vitally important to catch their attention with the
few words that they are reading.
This goes back to Number One. "What are they looking for?
Your headline need to tell them that you have the answer to
their problem, in 6 to 10 words if possible.
There is a lot of controversy as to what works and what
doesn't. But, one thing we know for sure, is that hyped up
promises, DON"T WORK!
The object of a headline, is to get them to read your ad copy.
"Do YOU Need To Lose Weight?"
"How's YOUR Golf Swing?"
"Wish They'd Respond to YOUR Emails?"

Asking a question that your prospects are looking for the
answer to, is a sure fire way to get their attention. If they
don't open your email, or read the rest of your ad, they
probably aren't your prospects, anyway. Most of the "experts"
will tell you that "How To" headlines pull very well also, but
personally, I think that they have been so over done, that a lot
of people just skim right over them.
Questions, burn to be answered. It's hard to hear a question,
especially one that's already on your mind, and not have a
burning need to hear how it's answered.
The exception to the "How To" effectiveness would be in
offering a free report on "How To..."
"Get Your Free Report on "How To Lose That Unwanted Weight",
etc.etc.
SUB-HEADLINES...
The second most important aspect of your ad campaign, is
keeping their attention after you get them to read beyond your
opening statement.
This is where the psychology of copywriting really comes in.
Sub-headlines are a very effective way to get your prospects to
continue reading your copy. You should use sub-headlines
throughout your sales material, and these Sub-headlines, when
read in order all by themselves, should give the reader the gist
of the sales letter.
In other words...Try writing your Letter around your Sub-
headlines!
Your Sub-headlines should be like an outline for your sales
copy, with each individual section having a descriptive title.
More and more people have taken to just skimming through sales
copy reading the highlights (Sub-headlines). If what they see
interests them, they'll read the whole letter. If not, they're
outa there, faster than a scalded dog! And trust me...They Won't
Come Back!
So give a lot of thought to your sub-headlines, they're very
important!
On a web page, you can simply bold the type of your Sub-
headlines, or even make them a larger font size to make them
stand out.
In text letters, try Caps and spacing to make them stand out.
THE BIG MISTAKE!
The biggest mistake that most writers make is in listing the
many features of their product, instead of the "Benefits".
Your prospective customers don't care about the features of
your product. The only thing that they care about is what your
product is going to do for them. How it's going to solve their
particular problem.
Now I know that this seems like a subtle difference, but
believe me it's not.
The psychology of selling is to put your prospects imagination
to work.
You must get them seeing a picture in their mind of what the
result of buying your product will be for them.
For instance...
Instead of telling them...
Our miracle weight loss system comes with a complete menu of
meals that are delicious and easy to fix.
Tell them...
Wouldn't it be great if you could eat delicious foods, eat all
you want and still be guaranteed to lose the weight that you
need to lose? Now you have a choice of simple and delicious
meals that everyone in the family will love to eat. No more
suffering through making one really great looking meal for the
rest of the family, and sitting there watching them enjoy your
efforts, while you eat rabbit food.
Instead of telling them...
Our economically designed club head was specifically engineered
to stop the over rotation that causes you to slice your drive.
Tell them...
Wouldn't it be great if you could go to the golf course
everyday knowing that your drives are going to stay on the
fairway. That they are going to always be straighter and father
than you ever dreamed possible. With our new XXX, you will
always have that confidence, because we have figured out what
was causing your slice and corrected it by engineering a club
that completely eliminates the problem.
See what I mean? Get your prospect involved. Make them see a
picture in their mind of how it will be, once they have
purchased your product.

A couple of Great sources for headlines and copywriting are...

101 Best Email Subject Lines...
This is a list of 101 proven blockbuster headlines that have
been successfully used in ad campaigns. This Report is a bonus
that comes with Yanik Silver's 'Million Dollar Emails', which is
still selling all over the net for $19, and comes with the
complete resale rights. Yours FREE With Your Purchase of...
"Success...What Is It And Where Can I Get Some?"
http://wealthybucks.com/success.html
In my humble opinion, the best sources, for ideas on headlines
and ad copy, come from Joe Vitale. Arguably, the best Internet
Marketing copywriter in the world
"Marketing is a game of Psychology"
Joe is the author of the 'best seller' books "Hypnotic Writing "
and "Advanced Hypnotic Writing ", as well as many others.
http://wealthybucks.com/Joe_Vitale.html
Joe Vitale is the undisputed King of Psychological Ad Copywriting. This man knows how to push your buttons. It is the secret to his success.
Joe's most recent release is a compilation of emails and cheat
sheets that he calls his "Hypnotic Writers Swipe File"
http://wealthybucks.com/Joe_Vitale.html
These three books are the three most important books ever
published on the subject of successful copy writing. No one who
wants to succeed in marketing can afford to pass them up.
Read the first two in order and then use the 'Swipe File' to
get ideas for your campaigns.
Armed with the knowledge in these books, you can't help but
succeed in your advertising efforts.
Remember what I said a little while ago..."Marketing is a game
of Psychology", and no one in the business understands it as
well as "Joe Vitale".
4) How do I get them to seek more information?
The purpose of ALL of your Paid advertising should be to get
your Prospects to seek more information about your product.
I know of no faster way to lose a prospect, than to try and
sell them with your initial ad copy.
Remember Folks, Advertising is a progression of events.
*Grab their attention...
*Pique their interest...
*Get them to ask for more info, and then...
*Get them to your website Sales Page!
Your ad should be a teaser, that piques their interest and
makes them NEED to find out more, forcing them to click on the
link to your sales page, or subscribe to your autoresponder and
eventually end up at your sales page.
It's your main sales page that should do the selling. The
purpose of your ads is to put them in the frame of mind to buy,
once they get to your sales page.
AUTORESPONDERS...
Your ads, should be full of 'BENEFITS' like those above.
Auto responders are great for this purpose. They allow you to
give your prospects reasons why they NEED to look into your
product, stretched out over a period of time.
If your prospect is exposed to a series of benefits, (what your
product is going to do for them), over a period of a few days or
a week, the chances that they will eventually go to your sales
page. And, if you have a Killer Sales Page, there's a good
chance you'll get the sale!
Subconsciously, people remember what they read. A series of
these "Benefit' laden messages serves to enforce the NEED to
check out your product.
Don't try to bombard them with all the benefits of your product
in one email or ad message. Divide your benefits up into three
to five messages and send them out to them over a period of a
week or two, starting with an immediate reply, followed the next
day by another. Then start spacing them a couple of days apart.
Too much, too often will only irritate your prospect, while not
enough, too seldom, will lose them.
Most of your interested prospects will visit your sales page
within the first three to five messages. After that, it's
probably best to wait a few days to a week and send them a final
email offer. This will usually get those who for one reason or
another, were interested, but forgot to check it out. The rest
will probably not buy at this time, anyway.
Be sure to track your autoresponder follow up messages as well.
Find out which ones pull in your prospects the best. Move those
up in the que and see if they increase your sales by coming
sooner in the que. Often, your prospects may get bored with the
barrage of emails, so if your best pulling follow ups come
sooner, your sales percentages should improve accordingly.
Play with the ones that aren't pulling and try to improve them
until you have a winning combination. Believe it or not, the
changing of just one or two words can make a dramatic difference
in the effectiveness of your ads.
Read them aloud, or better yet, have others read them aloud to
you. Ask their opinions and listen to what they have to say.
When they read them to you, listen for places where they stumble
over words. If it happens repeatedly, you know that's where it
needs work.
Always try to write as you would speak to a friend. Never try
to be something that you're not. It will show in your copy.
People are not fools and will always spot a fake, but they will
also always listen to sincerity.
5) How do I allay their fears?
Everywhere you turn, everyone is offering a guarantee for their
product. You'd think that by now, no one would pay attention to
these guarantees. But the truth is, that they are still very
effective.
By guaranteeing your customers satisfaction, you immediately
allay their fears of wasting their time and money, and put them
at ease by letting them know that you stand behind your product
and more importantly, that they have nothing to lose.
Some people who buy your product will even think to themselves
that they'll read it, or use it, and then demand their money
back, whether they like it or not.
But, the truth of the matter is that most people completely
forget about the guarantee soon after they've purchased your
product, unless of course, it's garbage to begin with.
Sure, you'll always get a few that want their money back, but
for the most part, the guarantee is just a devise to calm the
fears of your prospects and will increase your bottom line far
more than it will cost you in refunds.
Always offer a guarantee within a reasonable amount of time and
your sales will double.
Actually, if your product is a good one, the longer the
guarantee, the less likely you are to have charge backs, as
people tend to think there is no hurry and eventually forget
that they even bought it in the first place.
Psychology, Folks. It's all about Psychology!
Make your guarantee unconditional, i.e. "If for any reason at
any time in the next year..."
This will increase sales dramatically. But be ready to refund
those that ask for it, without question, or your credibility
will be blown forever.
One disgruntled customer is equal to a hundred satisfied ones.
Make sure you keep them ALL Happy!
6) Is my product just more of the same DRIVEL?
How do I convince them it's not?
Perhaps the most important thing about your product , is making
sure that it is worth while.
There are far too many courses and Ebooks out there that are no
more than compilations of old and tired theories, put forth by
old and tired "Gurus".
While it's true that there is only so much information out
there, and original ideas are far and few between, your
prospective on your subject needs to be fresh, if not new.
A good writer will get his point across where others have
failed. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times,
"Mankind has not had an original thought in thousands of years,
just new and original ways of putting them together."
Be original in your style. If it seems like more of the
same...Toss It, and start again!
The object, of this creativity, is to reach those who have not
yet been reached by your competition. Find a way to get your
point across in an original manner, and you will find an
audience that will gladly listen.
Then, figure out what's different about your product and shout
it to the world.
Being Different is original.
Being Different will sell.
Being Different is good!