| The sad truth is that 99% of all
advertising does not motivate the public to take action. Yes, it’s true.
Why is this?
Because 99% of all people do not understand the
basic principles of response generating advertising! Very few Alexandria real
estate agents know, most advertising agencies don’t even have a clue!(If
you work at an advertising agency, sorry, but the truth is the truth!)
The problem is that most advertising is “image”
advertising. This is advertising that simply shows fancy pictures and a
company’s logo or slogan.
It offers no benefit to the prospect! No reason
for them to take action. NEVER FORGET: The public doesn’t give a darn
about you or your image, your problems, or anything else about you.
They only care about what’s in it for them!!
This means that your advertisements need to show to the public how THEY
WILL BENEFIT from your product or service. How will their life be better?
How can they make or save money, have more status, be safer, feel better,
etc.?
Typical Alexandria real estate advertising does not
do this. It is the same old boring stuff. It all blends in to a sea of
ads, and none of them grab any attention.
To be effective, advertisements need to strike at
people’s emotions! To really get people to respond, you need to arouse
their curiosity and greed. Remember the ad that you responded to in order
to get this free report? It had a headline that grabbed your interest, and
the copy got you curious about finding out information that could save you
time and money.
If the ad had a big glamour shot photo and next to
it said “I am the greatest Alexandria real estate agent that ever lived”
do you think that you would have rushed to the phone to call? Not likely.
Great advertising focuses on the customer, not on yourself!
Your ads need to stimulate interest and curiosity,
and cause the reader to want to call for more information. The key is to
always stress BENEFITS, not just features. The difference between the two
may not be clear to you, so here are a couple examples:
- FEATURE: New high efficiency heating/cooling
unit
- BENEFIT: Lower utility bills, comfort
- FEATURE: State of the art security system
- BENEFIT: Safety, peace of mind
- FEATURE: 3 Bathrooms
- BENEFIT: Privacy
Benefits answer the first question always on
everyone’s mind: What’s in it for me?
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