On Copywriting

My Social Security # Is 457-55-5462

[Editor's Note: I do not endorse LifeLock or recommend their service. The lesson below is about the power of proof in copy. The idea came from a LifeLock ad. But my most recent article is critical of the company. Find out why by reading Is LifeLock Selling a Lie?]

It is rare for an ad to really grab me. It comes from over-exposure to advertising I suppose. Anyway, the reason this particular ad got my attention was because the headline said this:

My Social Security # Is 457-55-5462

Naturally, I kept reading...

I'm Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, and this really is my social security number. I give it just to prove how safe your identity can be with LifeLock. All of us, no matter how careful, can become victims of identity theft. In fact, every three seconds another identity is stolen.

The ad continues for a few more paragraphs. But you hardly need to read them. That's because in the space of a headline and one paragraph, I'm basically sold. I'm guessing most other readers who would like to protect against identity theft are already sold, too.

This is the power of proof.

In the case of this product, what greater proof could Todd Davis have offered than to publish his SSN on the top of a publicly distributed advertisement? I can't think of anything.

I scanned the ad in so you can see for yourself what it says.

==> Click here to view the LifeLock ad.

How can you use proof like this to strengthen your advertisements and sales letters?

Getting the Right Kind of Attention

Getting attention for the sake of attention is a waste of time. Yet that is exactly what much advertising seeks to do. The most ubiquitous example I can think of has been used tens of thousands of times in everything from classified ads to larger media. It goes something like this...

"SEX! Okay, now that I have your attention, let me proceed to sell you this [fill in the blank]..."

The first time you see this, you might chuckle. After that, it becomes annoying.

Let's look at some real numbers from press releases I have written. If you put out a press release, and you were judging it based on total headline impressions, which one would you choose as the winner?

Press Release #1: 124,881 headline impressions
Press Release #2: 73,088 headline impressions

Most folks would rather have the results from Press Release #1. After all, it received 71% more attention. But here's where it gets interesting. Let's look at how many times each press release was read.

Press Release #1: 2,022 total reads
Press Release #2: 3,450 total reads

Now that we have a fuller picture, we can see that Press Release #2 produced nearly 50% more reads despite attracting far less attention.

How many people actually read your press release is what really matters. Your headline can be plastered on every web site on the Internet, but if you fail to attract readers, you haven't accomplished anything.

As you can see, getting widespread attention doesn't automatically translate to results. Therefore, you should focus on attracting the attention of your target audience and nobody else. Claude Hopkins writes in Scientific Advertising...

"Don't, to gain general and useless attention, sacrifice the attention that you want." p. 261

This is critical to remember, no matter if you're writing press releases or advertisements.

Ford Faces Marketing Challenge

The Wall Street Journal reports that sales at Ford are down... again.

In fact, sales are down 15% already this year.

WSJ says that Ford will be launching a new campaign of "challenge ads"--ads that compare Ford cars and trucks with competitors.

For instance, one new ad points out that the F-150 pickup truck got a 5-star crash rating, while the Toyota Tundra only received a 4-star rating.

Another ad compares the Ford Fusion with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Here's the big (rhetorical) question I have: Can advertising overcome a bad product?

Ford has never been well known for their quality or reliability. People who buy Fords often switch to Toyotas and Hondas after they get tired of the frequent repairs.

Fact: Advertising can only take you so far if your product fails to meet or exceed customer expectations.

Another question: Will the Ford Challenge campaign actually work?

Pepsi once conducted a campaign that directly challenged Coke in blind taste tests. Pepsi "won" the taste tests (the results were dubious), but the campaign wasn't very successful in convincing Coke drinkers to switch.

Will the same thing happen to Ford?

What's more, the Pepsi Challenge that was conducted in Peru utterly failed. According to Wikipedia, people did not like being told they were wrong, and so turned to Inca Kola or Coca-Cola instead of Pepsi.

I recently bought the 2007 Consumer Reports Car Buyer's Guide. I was surprised to discover that the Ford Fusion has initial quality ratings that are way above average. In fact, it received the same exact ratings as the 4-cylinder Honda Accord!

Of course, it remains to be seen how the the Fusion holds up long term. But it seems to me that Ford ought to focus on improving quality, demonstrating quality, and then advertising quality--in that order.

Improve - Demonstrate - Advertise

What Ford needs here is some proof that they have a quality product. Until then, I believe much of their advertising will fall on deaf ears. Only after the product has been fixed can Ford really turn things around.

Your thoughts?

House Painters Need Help

It's that time of year.

I've gotten about 10 different fliers and mailers for exterior painting services.

And they all say the same exact thing.

Seriously, this industry needs some help.

Every single flier shouts "Quality Painting!" Some even italicize quality. As if that would make a difference.

First of all, quality is a baseline requirement. If it's not quality, then you shouldn't be in business. In other words, I assume it's quality until I experience otherwise.

Secondly, it would be so easy to stand-out in this industry. Why isn't anyone doing it? I haven't seen a single unique sales pitch yet. (The closest being "hand rolled" vs. "spray on.")

If you're a house painter (or writing copy for a house painter)... please do better than promising me "quality painting."

Direct Response Branding

Die-hard direct response marketers do branding a disservice by acting like it's of no importance whatsoever.

Die-hard branding marketers, on the other hand, do direct marketing a disservice by pretending that awards are more important than sales.

Does it have to be "one or the other?" Where's the common ground? Do these two ever overlap?

I believe they do. And the phrase "direct response branding" is a good way to illustrate my point.

Here's a fact. You have a brand. Every company has a brand. It does not matter if you do "branding" or not. Your brand still exists.

So it makes sense to "manage" your brand, at least to a degree.

Now, in my opinion, your brand should never take precedence over sales. Sales come first, then branding. Branding should be a byproduct of your direct response sales efforts.

Direct marketing first, branding second.

Hence, the phrase I've coined: "direct response branding."

Note: Unethical sales never come before branding. Dishonesty will wreck your brand (read "reputation"). For the sake of this article, I'm assuming all your direct response advertising is honest and ethical. That's why I say sales come first, then branding.

P.S. This past summer (2006), Armand Morin talked about his big initiative for the following year. What was it? To incorporate branding into all of his direct response sales letters. Interesting, huh?

P.P.S. Michel Fortin spent some time recently to give his site a fresh look. He adopted a new, more serious looking photo of himself, among other things. I believe this is another real-world case of "direct response branding."

Satvertising

There's a new form of advertising called satvertising. According to a newspaper clipping that referenced Dennis Forbes, satvertising is: "The use of large scale ground display advertisements for the purpose of targeting high altitude aircraft and satellite imagery."

A new playground for copywriters? I doubt it. Good to know nonetheless.

The paper featured a satellite image of the new KFC logo of Colonel Sanders in a cornfield. Weird. Probably more effective with a call to action than a brand image, dontcha think?

Free Advertising Report

About two weeks ago, I wrote a free report called "The 7 Critical Elements of a Killer Direct Response Ad." I made it available on a new web site and sent people there from a press release.

So far, the business owners who've read the report have given me positive feedback. Some of them have contacted me about the possibility of writing copy for them.

Here's the thing. I'd like to get some feedback from you since I consider you my colleague. What do you like about the report? What do you dislike? What would you do to make it better? Leave a comment and let me know.

Click here to download the free advertising report.

Note: If you are already on my list, I sent you a direct link to the report via email so you do not have to opt-in to get it. If you are not on my list, you will need to click the link above and submit your information prior to receiving access to the report.

Got Advertising Skills?

Yesterday I came across an article that talks about labor shortages in the online advertising business. Apparently, there are some big salaries available for the right people.

The article "Online Ad Jobs Go Begging" says: "With the business up 30% in 2006, Internet companies are desperate to fill jobs. Salaries and other perks are keeping pace."

I mention this article for two reasons:

1. To show you that there is plenty of opportunity in advertising—as well as copywriting.

A lot of folks who get into copywriting think they've arrived too late. Or that all the good work has been taken by the most accomplished freelancers.

Neither is true.

There is plenty of work and an overabundance of opportunity.

The second reason is:

2. To get you thinking about how you might want to apply your own copywriting skills.

As you know, I'm a freelance copywriter. I write for a number of different clients and projects.

But it wasn't always this way.

In fact, I got my start in copywriting and marketing as an employee of Sonlight Curriculum, which is a company that sells to the homeschooling market.

As an employee, I was able to learn the art of copywriting and document real-world results that helped me to attract clients once I launched my freelance career.

The attraction of a freelance copywriting career is very powerful. (And for good reason.)

You can go straight from your job to full-time freelance work, if you want. But for some people, it may be a better course of action to take an advertising job first, then transition to freelance work later.

You get to learn the ins and outs of the business, make connections, boost your confidence, generate revenue that's tracked back to you, and—ultimately—build a portfolio of ads (and results) that you can use to attract freelance work when the time is right.

So I want you to think about these two things: how much opportunity there is in advertising, plus the idea that there may be an "intermediate step" you need to take before you become a freelance copywriter.

Simmer on these ideas for a bit. Then, let me know your thoughts by posting a comment, okay?