What Great Online Advertising Really Is!
Copyright 2005 Daniel Levis
Many business people have a distorted view about the
distinction between sales & marketing. The common view
looks something like this. "Market by advertising to get
your name out there, so that people will be familiar with
you. When they need what we're selling, they'll know who to
call".
And off they go, to promote their company with image
advertising that shouts to the world how great they are.
They hope, and they prey that some how, some way, the
message about their brand will stick in people's minds.
Never knowing if it does, or if it doesn't. Or whether
their marketing dollars are paying them back in increased
sales.
Some even think a cool web site, or sexy flash demo is
enough to get their phones to start ringing.
This all too common approach is a huge waste of time, and
money. Never let an advertising rep tell you any different.
Sales and Marketing are far more alike than most people
realize. The sole purpose of marketing, and advertising is
to make sales. Full Stop.
If you don't know how many sales dollars your online
advertising is really bringing in, stop advertising.
Advertising must do much more than just get your name out
there. It must educate, qualify, convince, & persuade.
Great Advertising is Nothing Less Than "Salesmanship in
Print"!
Think of it as a sales presentation that's geared toward
accomplishing a carefully defined objective, whether that
objective is the actual sale, or a step toward it.
Most successful campaigns are in fact a series of graduated
commitments, leading up to a transaction. It might start
with something as simple as an exchange of information. For
example, the prospects name & address, in exchange for some
information about solving a problem. That's always a
winning formula.
When a prospect takes this step, they are actually
qualifying themselves, persuading themselves, and giving
you permission to follow up with them, all at the same
time. And without any investment in personal selling.
After all, why should you waste your valuable time talking
to a prospect that isn't already highly qualified, and
predisposed to buying from you?
The key to profitable sales, marketing, and advertising
lies in the response. Yet 90% of businesses fail to ask
for, and track incremental response in their advertising.
The only thing they track are sales, and then wonder why
their results are so abysmal.
Why Is Incremental Response So Important?
Because it tells you what you're getting, so you can change
what you're giving, until you get what you want.
The majority of people need to be exposed to your value
proposition more than once before opening their wallets
anyway. Why not play an active role in the process, and
track the response you get to each successive stage of
commitment?
Think of a pyramid, with rows of blocks piled one on top of
the other. The wider you build each row, the better your
chances of getting to the top.
If all of this sounds just too simple, and you don't
believe it has the power to line your pockets with all the
money you want, think again.
There are millions of businesses out there that just don't
get this.
Nobody knows for sure how an individual will react to a
given message. But en mass, human nature is as predictable
as the hands on a clock. If you broadcast a message, the
collective response will consistently come back to you
within an amazingly small variance. So measure your
response, try things, and repeat. It's that simple.
Set up a few pay per click campaigns on google, track your
investment in real time, and start experimenting to see
what kind of desirable actions you can get your visitors to
take right away when they read your sales message. You get
instant feedback, and changes are no cost. The whole set up
runs for about the cost of a few cups of coffee a day.
Think of it as your own personal marketing laboratory. When
you find something that works, you can replicate it in
other more costly forms of media.
And remember, it doesn't matter if you're selling printed
circuit boards, herbal remedies, or anything in between,
the same principles apply.
About the Author:
Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct
response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently,
Daniel & world-renowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale
teamed up to co author "Million Dollar Online Advertising
Strategies – From The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th
Century!", a tribute to the late, great Robert Collier.
Let the legendary Robert Collier show you how to write
words that sell...Visit the below site & get 3 FREE
Chapters!
http://www.Advertising-Online-Strategies.com/ad-strategies.h
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