Advertising Information

Understanding The Basics Of Advertising


I get the L.A. Times delivered to my door every day, but I don't read it for the articles. It is a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper, but the articles just don't interest me. Unlike most people, I read the paper for the advertisements because there is a lot to learn from them.

Over 90% of the ads run in the Los Angeles Times are horrible! Most of the ads I see are either ego-driven, have no headline, have no call to action, don't appeal to what the buyer is truly looking for or needs help with, or they're trying to be clever for clever-sake, and fail miserably.

When writing copy, I live by this premise:

"The purpose of advertising is to sell something."

Advertising is like an investment that you hope to get a great return on. However, most people treat it like they're playing Roulette in Vegas and bet all their money "on black."

The basics of good copy is to think in terms of words that sell.

Following are some basics in advertising that should help you make your advertising more effective.

  • Concentrate on your prospects. In the end you must persuade him/her no matter what method you use. And to do that, you must understand how he/she thinks.

  • Know your product - its materials, its manufacturer, its use, etc. Know its features inside and out.

  • Find the problem your product solves. The solution would, of course, be the benefit. It may be a mental, spiritual, physical, or financial benefit, but as advertising legend Maxwell Sackheim once said, "your product must have an excuse for its existence."

  • Never start writing your advertisement until you're totally excited about the task at hand. If you're not excited about your product, it will come out in your writing, and hence, the lack of results your ad produces.

  • Advertising is essentially news. Your ads must inform, educate, enlighten, inspire, or promise a reward for taking action. Apply your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) to your news angle. The USP works great as a news angle because if you're the ONLY one in town that does , isn't that news? If you have the lowest price in town and you tell them why you can beat every one else, isn't that news? It sure is. Ads should educate and inform, as well as persuade and move people to action.

    Understanding these basics of advertising will put you head and shoulders above your competition. Why? Because in my blunt opinion, 90% of all advertising stinks! And, most business owners (and some advertising agencies) don't understand that "the only purpose of advertising is to sell something."

    To learn how to write hard-selling copy and to master the basics of advertising from a world-class copywriter, get Joe Vitale's new course, "Advanced Hypnotic Writing" at: http://www.roibot.com/adhyp.cgi?R29882~_campaign

    About The Author

    Craig Valine is the publisher of the The AwfulMarketing Alert Newsletter, "Where you learn GOOD marketing strategies by looking at those who do it really BAD."

    To subscribe his free newsletter, go to: http://awfulmarketing.com/ezinesubscribe.htm


    MORE RESOURCES:
    Google

    InternetNews.com

    Google Search Ads Stronger
    InternetNews.com - Jul 19, 2008
    JP Morgan's Imran Khan agreed, writing in a research note that "search advertising will continue to perform well in a weak economy. ...
    Google misses forecast despite 35 percent jump in profit San Jose Mercury News
    Google shares slide as search engine faces up to slower US slowdown Telegraph.co.uk
    Google Cautious On Consumer Spending Patterns CNNMoney.com
    San Francisco Chronicle - New York Times
    all 198 news articles


    Earthtimes (press release)

    Google UK not immune to economic downturn
    Times Online, UK - Jul 18, 2008
    He did not give a comparison between the first and second quarters, but with revenues from UK search advertising improving by 29.8 per cent overall compared ...
    Microsoft feeds cash to Online Services Business NetworkWorld.com
    Microsoft?s search ambitions are its Vietnam ZDNet
    Google, Microsoft augur tougher times ahead Reuters
    Washington Post - Hindustan Times
    all 513 news articles


    NewspaperARCHIVE.com Announces Advertising Relationship with ...
    PR Web (press release), WA - 5 hours ago
    "Their users share similar interests and perform similar searches as ours, making advertising on their network an easy way to inform their users about our ...


    Media General reports 2Q loss on lower advertising
    Bizjournals.com, NC - Jul 18, 2008
    Classified advertising in the Media General publishing division was down $14.1 million, or 29 percent. In the company's three metro markets -- Winston-Salem ...


    Brocktown News

    Media General Reports June 2008 Revenues
    FOXBusiness - Jul 17, 2008
    The 9.8 percent decline was primarily attributable to lower Publishing Division revenues, driven by continued weakness in Classified advertising in the ...
    Media General Swings to Loss, Warns Of Big Goodwill Write-Down Editor & Publisher
    Media General 2Q Revs Dismal MediaPost Publications
    Media General, Inc. Q2 2008 Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha
    Bizjournals.com - Bizjournals.com
    all 120 news articles


    Advertising loses some of its voice
    guardian.co.uk, UK - 23 hours ago
    Because after decades of receiving complaints about TV adverts sounding louder than the programmes, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has finally ...


    New York Times

    Western Olympic Ads Cheerlead for China
    New York Times, United States - 16 hours ago
    An Adidas campaign showing the Chinese masses supporting top athletes was honored at an international advertising festival. By DAVID BARBOZA BEIJING ? It is ...


    Fandango hopes its Movies.com helps sales
    San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 4 hours ago
    Fandango.com., perhaps best-known for its bag-puppets advertising campaign, sells tickets online for films at major theater chains. Movies.com., in addition ...


    Dividend.com

    Drop-Off in Advertising Lowers Gannett?s Profit by 36%
    New York Times, United States - Jul 16, 2008
    (AP) ? The Gannett Company, the nation?s largest newspaper publisher, reported a 36 percent decline in second-quarter earnings on Wednesday as advertising ...
    Newsquest classified ad revenue falls guardian.co.uk
    Profit sags 36 per cent at Gannett Toronto Star
    Gannett 2Q Earnings, Ad Revenue, Take Hit Editor & Publisher
    Bloomberg - guardian.co.uk
    all 257 news articles


    Airlines advertising on tickets
    Trading Markets (press release), CA - Jul 18, 2008
    "The advertising program appealed to us because we think it will be something that will appeal to our customers," he said. Durrant could not say how much ...

    Advertising - Google News

  • home | site map
    © 2007