11 tips for creating ads that get results

I have been in the advertising business for over 40 years and have seen some pretty successful ads over the years. But I’ve also seen millions of dollars wasted on poor, ineffective, and absolutely lousy ads. All of that pain could have been avoided by simply following a few basic principles when preparing your ad. If you do that, sales will improve, your business will expand, and everyone will be happy. Ignore the basics and, well, you may not be in business long enough to get another chance. The good news is that these basic principles of how to produce good ads also apply to many other promotional tools you may want to use. So, here we go, by the numbers:

1. Why are you better than others?

What would make your advertising stand out from the competition? People are exposed to ads from all kinds of companies all the time. So what will make your potential customers buy from your company versus one of your competitors? That’s what you have to find out and focus on. Show your prospects why your business is their best option and why they shouldn’t even consider a competitor. So most likely they won’t.

What I am talking about is your “Unique Selling Proposition”, or “Value Proposition” or “Dominant Value Point”. Call it what you want, but it’s what makes you better than everyone else. Here are some examples of products with a good USP:

Head & Shoulders: “You get rid of dandruff”
Nike: “Sneakers made for professional athletes”
· Domino’s Pizza: “You get hot, fresh pizza in 30 minutes or less, or it’s free.”
· FedEx: “When your package absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”
· M&Ms: “Melts in the mouth, not in the hand.”
· Metropolitan life: “Make yourself known. It’s worth it.”
Notice: “We are number two. We try harder.”
· Starbucks: “Love your drink or let us know. We’ll always get it right.”
· Southwest Airlines: “We are the low-cost airline.”

The goal is to develop your own USP. Why are you different and unique? Do you have something that no one else has? This is what you are looking for. So find it or create it.

2. Hit them between the eyes with your message!

People are exposed to so many ads on a daily basis that they may not be able to read them all. That’s why you need to make sure your ad really grabs their attention and keeps it. So how do you do that? With a strong headline, of course.

The greatest publicist of all time, David Ogilvy, proclaimed, “Five times as many people read the headline as the body copy. After you write the headline, you’ve spent eighty cents on the dollar.”
The question to ask yourself is “Who is your audience? What would grab their attention?”

3. Make an offer they can’t refuse!

People really love bargains. So offer them a great one to keep them coming back again and again. Whether you’re offering a great price, a free trial, or a bundle deal, doing everything you can to give your customers a great deal will help you close the deal.

Once you present this amazing offer, be sure to proudly promote it and tell the world about it. When the public sees that you have something special to offer them, they may come running.

4. Talk about benefits, not features. What’s in it for them!

Ah, the desirable benefit! Detailing the features of your products is important, but explaining the benefits is really the key for the customer. After all, people are more concerned with what they will get from you than what you do. You do not agree?

5. Create an advertorial!

An “advertorial” is an ad that looks like a news article! People are 7 times more likely to read a news article than an advertisement.

Creating a great ad that draws attention and offers a lot of information is not always easy. However, an advertorial can do this and is therefore more likely to be clicked and read.

6. Make a risk-free offer!

People are afraid of spending money. So a risk-free guarantee is a great idea. When they know there’s no risk and they can’t lose by buying your product, it’s a powerful purchase incentive. This “inverts” the risk and places more of it on the seller.

7. Ask them to do something through your “call to action”!

Don’t just tell your prospects what your company has available. Ask them to take action. Specifically tell them to order your product, click on your ad, or pay for your service, etc.

As an example, your “call to action” might ask people to fill out a form to learn more about your services, email you for more information, join your email newsletter, or purchase your product or service. You could even encourage users to click your ad to go to your website in addition to reading the ad.

8. Tell them why they should buy NOW!

You don’t want to just generate interest in your ads; you want people to do something NOW.

When people see an ad and consider giving the advertiser a chance later, they may actually mean well. But, people often get on with their lives and forget about the ad they were interested in. Therefore, you must ask people to act now. Just do it!

Regardless of how you do it, it’s important to let your prospects know that they need to do something now.

9. Use Testimonials

Remember that people have a lot of questions these days, especially when they are online. It is important to build trust in your business and your products so that they know that your company is the best option. You can accomplish this by showing that others have been happy with their decision to buy from you.

10. Use “WOW” graphics

People think visually. Plain copy on a plain background is boring. People often don’t read all of the copy that has been written on an ad. You can attract your customer’s visual interest by adding interesting graphics to your ads. Take off their socks!

11. Complete contact information.

Now that you’ve explained what you’re selling, don’t forget to tell them how and where to get it. Otherwise it is a waste of time and money. And remember to link the people in your ad to your website to learn more.

Deliver what you promise!

Remember, always overdeliver. Producing an effective ad is great, but your ads won’t get you far if you don’t have satisfied customers. Also, you need to make sure that you give your customers the best possible experience. Prove that you are the best option available.

stand out

These 11 tips can help your ads stand out and set you head and shoulders above your competition. You will be able to make eye-catching ads that will get people excited about your offer. That will help greatly improve your rate of converting prospects into actual customers.

Advertising is important, but good advertising is the key to helping your business succeed. We do not believe lemons in your advertising campaign.