In that article, I shared the fact that your prospects need you to follow-up because we all procrastinate and don’t do what we know we should. We do that because we’re scared.
Well, the reason you must create the most powerful offer you can is because you must do everything you can to inspire and motivate your prospects to take action.
Otherwise, they won’t.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT telling you to trick your prospects. I’m also not telling you to manipulate them.
What I am telling you is this: If you are selling something that your prospects really need or want, then you must figure out a way to get them to take action.
How do you create an offer that gets a prospect to take action? It starts with understanding the purpose of your offer.
Let me share a story I came across with you to explain what I mean.
Your Offer is the Incentive to Take Action
In a Michigan State University study, 97% of the faculty members and staff who bet $40 that they could stay with a six-month exercise program were successful. Only 19% of a non-betting group stayed with their six-month program, however.
– MSC Health Action News, April 1993
Did you pay attention to the percentages in those two groups? They’re pretty impressive:
97% of the faculty and staff who bet money were successful.
Only 19% of the faculty and staff that didn’t bet any money were successful.
That reveals an important truth that you need to remember when you’re creating your offer.
The truth you need to remember is that people are more likely to take action when they have the incentive to do so.
But here’s the thing that amateur marketers don’t realize. The most effective incentives have a positive and negative aspect to them.
Something to Gain and Something to Lose
In other words, your offer should make your prospect see and feel that they have something to gain if they take action.
And more importantly, it should also make them see and feel that they have something to lose if they don’t take action.
Why did I say, “…more importantly” when I mentioned what they’d lose? Because a sense of loss is even more important than a sense of gain.
I guarantee that the reason that 97% of the faculty and staff were successful is because they didn’t want to lose $40. It wasn’t really because they cared that much about gaining $40.
The Two Important Emotional Elements of an Irresistible Offer
You need to clearly explain and paint a picture of what the prospect will gain – how their life will change for the better – if they take your offer.
You need to clearly explain and paint a picture of what the prospect will lose- how their life will change for the worse– if they don’t take your offer.
Again, please don’t think I’m suggesting that you lie or exaggerate when adding these two emotional elements.
You shouldn’t do that. In fact, you shouldn’t need to do that.
If your product or service really offers a benefit to your prospects, and if you have added things to make a powerful offer, then what they will gain or lose is real.
You just need to help them see and feel that gain or loss. The “one-two punch” of gain and loss will be a powerful incentive that will make it much more likely that your prospect will take action.
It will make the gain or loss more real to them just like the $40 bet made things real for the faculty and staff at Michigan State University.
I’m not saying that 97% of them will take action but it will be a much higher percentage than if you didn’t include these two emotional elements.
By the way, if you’d like to read Claude C, Hopkins’ classic book, Scientific Advertising, you can get free access to it in our free member’s area.
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An Advertising Lesson from the Message General Booth Gave to Attendees of an International Convention?
I heard a story that said that many years ago the Salvation Army was holding an international convention and they had a problem.
Their founder, General William Booth, couldn’t attend because of physical weakness.
Unlike the technology we have available to us today, he couldn’t just call in or “be there” virtually during the conference via Zoom to present his message to the attendees.
Instead, he cabled his convention message to them. And what was the message he sent them?
It was just one word: “OTHERS.”
In just a minute, I’ll explain what this has to do with advertising during difficult times like the kind that the Coronavirus has brought us.
But first, let me remind you of what I shared in my last article on this same topic.
Previously on DRCM:How to Advertise During Difficult Times
I then shared some advice from a book that has sold over 8 million copies and that marketing greats have recommended: Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins.
Well, today I have some more advice on how to advertise during a recession like we’re in right now.
And that advice comes again from the same book and the same author.
More Advice How to Advertise During a Recessionfrom the Book Scientific Advertising
People Don’t Care About Your Product or Service
Remember what I said in my last article about this book.
In it, Claude Hopkins shared fundamental advertising lessons that he had seen work inside and outside all of those many years of recessions and economic downturns.
With that in mind, listen to the next important piece of advice he gives…
“Don’t try to be amusing. Money spending is a serious matter. Don’t boast, for all people resent it. Don’t try to show off. Do just what you think a good salesman should do with a half-sold person before him.
“Some advertising men go out in person and sell to people before they plan or write an ad. One of the ablest of them has spent weeks on one article, selling from house to house. In this way, they learn the reactions from different forms of argument and approach.
“They learn what possible buyers want and the factors which don’t appeal. It is quite customary to interview hundreds of possible customers.
“Others send out questionnaires to learn the attitude of buyers. In some way, all must learn how to strike responsive chords. Guesswork is very expensive.
“The maker of an advertised article knows the manufacturing side and probably the dealer’s side. But this very knowledge often leads him astray in respect to consumers. His interests are not their interests.
“The advertising man studies the consumer. He tries to place himself in the position of the buyer. His success largely depends on doing that to the exclusion of everything else.“
– Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
Do you see the now see why I said General Booth’s message contained an advertising lesson? Let me explain…
The Common Advertising Mistake In a Recession
You see, the common mistake most businesses make during or after a recession is that they study and focus mainly on their product.
As Hopkins said, this kind of thinking will only lead you astray from influencing your prospect or customer.
(*You might be able to occasionally get away with that outside of a recession, but not when we’re in one and people are holding on more tightly to their money.)
How to Advertise More Effectively in a Recession
That’s where General Booth’s message and Claude Hopkins message line up. The way to advertise more effectively during a recession is by focusing more on others.
Study the customer.
Put yourself in their shoes.
See things like they do.
Think like they think.
Feel what they’re feeling.
This is where effective advertising in (or outside of) a recession begins. Honestly, it’s where it ends too.
As Hopkins said, “Your success depends on it.”
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Many people are trying to figure out how (or if) to advertise during this time.
No one wants to be insensitive but businesses still need to make money, if they’re going to survive the economic impact that has come from the Coronavirus.
So what should a business do? Look at what others have done during similar times. Let me explain…
Many of us know there was a Great Depression, but many of us don’t know there was a recession from 1920-1921 also known as “The Forgotten Depression.”
Wikipedia describes the depression of 1920-1921 like this…
“The Depression of 1920–21 was a sharp deflationary recession in the United States and other countries, beginning 14 months after the end of World War I. It lasted from January 1920 to July 1921.”
– Wikipedia Definition of 1920-21 Depression
But that’s not all.
What you need to realize is that this depression wasn’t the only difficult economic time that people had experienced.
Recessions in the U.S.
There were MANY recessions before this forgotten depression:
The Recession in 1899-1900
The Recession in 1902-1904
The Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1910-1911
The Recession of 1913-1914
The Post World War I Recession of 1918-1919
The Recession of 1923-1924
You might be thinking…
“Who cares about all of these recessions? What does that have to do with whether (and how) I should advertise during this current economic downturn?”
I’m glad you asked. 🙂
A Legendary Advertising Book Reveals How to Advertise During an Economic Downturn
You see, a very famous advertising book was published just two years later in 1923.
IMPORTANT: That means it must have been written in 1922 and it must have been based on advertising that was used during the (then) most recent depression and all of those difficult years before.
What book am I talking about?
It’s a book that has sold over 8 million copies and that marketing greats like David Ogilvy, Jay Abraham, and others have recommended.
Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins
The book I’m talking about is Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins.
In that book, Claude Hopkins shared fundamental advertising lessons that he had seen work inside and outside all of those many years of recessions and economic downturns.
And what was his advice about advertising that he learned from all of these difficult economic times?
Listen to what he says and pay close attention…
“When you plan or prepare an advertisement, keep before you a typical buyer. Your subject, your headline has gained his or her attention.
“Then in everything be guided by what you would do if you met the buyer face-to-face. If you are a normal man and a good salesman you will then do your level best.
“Don’t think of people in the mass. That gives you a blurred view. Think of a typical individual, man or woman, who is likely to want what you sell.”
– Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
Claude Hopkin’s Two Tips for Advertising During Difficult Economic Times
Claude Hopkins revealed two powerful tips you can use to help you advertise during difficult economic times:
1.How you advertise during this time depends on WHO your typical buyer is.
That means you need to know who you’re trying to reach in the first place.
And that means that you should have ALREADY CHOSEN a target group that needs or wants what you’re selling (and has the money to purchase it).
But you need to also ask questions like: How are they doing financially during this time? Are they doing well, just ok, or poorly?
This is what’s going to determine how you advertise during an economic downturn or recession.
This is going to determine how you get their attention.
2. After you figure out the “who” and how you will advertise to get their attention, then everything you say in your ad is what you would say to them if you met them face-to-face.
Hopkins warns us NOT to think of them as just a mass of people. That will only give you a blurred view. Instead, we must sharpen our view. How?
To do that, Hopkins says you must create your ad based on what you would say if you met one of the people from this target group.
When you do these two things, you’ll not only create advertising that doesn’t offend the people you’re targeting, but it will also resonate deeply with them.
That is how you advertise during difficult times like we’re facing today. (HINT: It’s also how you advertise to them when everything is “back to normal.”)
STAY TUNED:38 Experts Share How a Business Can Survive and Prosper in a Recession
During the last two recessions (in 2002 and 2008), I interviewed 38 business, marketing, sales experts and got them to reveal how businesses can survive and even prosper in a recession.
The best part? I reread them both recently and 90% of the books are still very applicable to today.
Stay tuned.
I’m getting ready to drop a new podcast soon where I’ll share some of the things that these experts shared with me in those interviews.
(Plus, I’ll also be re-releasing both books as a package.)
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It’s a fable that reminds us of the fact that it’s HOW you communicate your ideas in your content marketing or copy that will make all the difference in the effectiveness of your marketing.
Here’s the fable…
The Fable of the Old Blind Man & The Young Ad Writer
Once an old blind man was sitting at a busy street corner in the middle of rush-hour and begging for money. He had a cardboard sign and an empty tin cup.
On the sign, he’d written: “Blind – Please help.” But no one was giving him any money.
That is until someone special came by.
You see, a young ad writer walked past the blind man and saw him with his sign and empty cup. He also saw all the people passing by without giving any money.
And that gave the young man an idea.
The ad writer took a thick marker from his pocket. He turned the cardboard sheet over and re-wrote the sign. He put it back next to the tin cup and then he was gone.
Immediately, things changed. People began putting money into the tin cup.
After a while, when the cup was overflowing, the blind man couldn’t understand what had happened. He finally asked a stranger to tell him what the sign now said.
The stranger told him, “Your sign says, ‘It’s a beautiful day. You can see it. I cannot.’”
The Moral of the Story: Words Matter
The moral of the story is that words matter.
It’s not just WHAT you say that influences how people respond to whatever you’re offering. It also has to do with HOW you say it.
This is true for content marketers and direct response marketers. The content you create and the copy you write will succeed or fail based on HOW you present or say the information.
Check out these two quotes from advertising legends and you’ll see that what I am saying is not just my opinion…
“What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form.”
– David Ogilvy
“I have learned that any fool can write a bad ad, but that it takes a real genius to keep his hands off a good one.”
– Leo Burnett
Whenever I am creating content or any other persuasive words, I always spend the majority of my time trying to figure out HOW I am going to express my ideas in the most intriguing and interesting way.
Today, I want to challenge you with this.
As you are working on your content or copy, remember this fable and let it inspire you to really take time to think about HOW you’re going to express your ideas.
And if you have been having a problem getting customers, clients, or patients, then take a look at your content and/or copy and see if you can improve how you’re expressing your ideas. Then see if that brings you better results!
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My Discovery That Collected “Digital Dust” in My Inbox for Almost 4 Years
It happened on October 6, 2015, and I don’t even remember how I came across it.
I was probably searching and bouncing around the internet looking up some marketing related information.
And that’s when I made this surprising discovery. (Even though, at that time, I’d have to admit that I didn’t realize how important my discovery was.)
What was it? It was a digital copy of an old book about advertising from 1912.
I skimmed it and thought it looked interesting, but I didn’t have time to really read it right then.
So what did I do? I Gmailed it to myself so I could look at it later and figure out what I wanted to do with it.
I think over these years I might have glanced at it once or twice really quickly but, again, didn’t get to really consume it and figure out what to do with it.
That is until Friday, February 1st of this year.
117-Year-Old Secrets About What Makes People Buy (That Still Apply Today)
That’s the day that I remembered again that old book that I had emailed myself.
For some reason I can’t really explain, this time I decided to finally take the time to sit down and really read the book.
And when I did, I began to smile with excitement.
Why? Because I suddenly realized just what an amazing find I had been sitting on for almost four years!
The more I read, the more excited I got. I quickly began to realize that this book was unique. Why?
It a world where the same ideas are repackaged and regurgitated over and over, this book contained some rare ideas, concepts, methods, and tools on how to discover the real reason people buy.
Not only that, but it contained a unique tool (in the form of a chart) to help you uncover the thing that’s really keeping someone from buying from you (It’s a different tool than ones I’ve come across before.)
This might sound strange, but some of the ideas and methods that it contains have been forgotten for so long they are new again!
And finally, when I looked at the publisher and realized the origin/source of the ideas — and when I realized that the methods had been thoroughly tested and produced proven results back then — that’s when I understood why these truths have stood the test of time.
This all led me to realize that the high quality and quantity of information gathered and presented in this book was something I needed to share with others.
It was too valuable to keep to myself or let remain forgotten.
Because in this day and age, just as it was 117 years ago, knowing how to create content or copy that makes people buy is a key skill that is crucial and is always in demand.
(*CLARIFICATION: Please don’t misunderstand me. When I say “make people buy,” I do NOT mean that in a manipulative or sleazy way. I mean causing people to want to buy in a completely honest, upfront, powerful, and persuasive way. A way that helps the seller present their valuable solutions and helps the buyer solve their pressing problems.)
And because I knew that I was about to reveal DirectResponseContentMarketing.com to the world, I realized that this book would be the perfect fit and this site would be the perfect platform to reveal the powerful lessons this book contains.
So today, I am going to begin peeling back the layers and reveal some of the valuable and profitable ideas that this book contains.
(IMPORTANT: This book is 117 years old. I am not claiming that all of the things in it are amazing or still applicable. They’re not! But when you see the quality and quantity of ideas, concepts, methods, and tools that it does contain —which are amazing and still applicable today, I think you’ll agree that I am not exaggerating.)
Why You’re Going to Have to Wait to Find Out the Name of This Book.
But before I share the first lessons from this book, I want to be really clear about what I am going to do for you and what I am not going to do.
What I Am Going to Do
What I am going to do in this series that I am beginning today is repackage and share the information that this book contains.
I am going to pull out lessons from this information and show you how it applies to the content and the copy that you create today.
What I Am Not Going to Do (and Why)
But, what I am NOT going to do is reveal the name of the book…. at least not just yet. And when I do reveal it, I am not going to reveal it all of you.
Why? I want to wait to reveal the name of the book at the end of this series for several important reasons that benefit not only me but also you:
I want to be able to share my exclusive insights from the book with you here,before the information can be diluted and commoditized.
This rewards me for finding the book and for taking the time to read it, condense its wisdom, and present it to you in an easy to consume, understandable, and applicable format.
It also rewards you for finding this website, spending time reading what I have written, and gives you a head start in applying this information before it becomes common knowledge and loses its effectiveness.
Plus, mysteries are fun. They’re attractive. They create suspense. I want to leave the source of this information a mystery in order tomake it more enjoyable for you as you discover the powerful lessons along the way. And I am doing this so that the anticipation will make the “final reveal” more exciting for us both.
*When I reveal the title of the book at the end of this series, I will only be revealing it to members of DirectResponseContentMarketing.com.
Why? There are many important reasons but here are a few of them:
It will give you an incentive to sign-up to become a member of DirectResponseContentMarketing.com. (This book will only be one of the treasures that you will eventually have access to in our Member’s Resource Area.)
It will reward people who sign-up as free members of this community so they get “first dibs” at it and can go read the book for themselves.
It will hopefully delay the dissemination of this valuable information to slow the pace of it being diluted and cheapened.
Plus, I am doing this in order to apply my “6th Indisputable Law for Creating Highly Valuable Content,” which states: “Things that are popular and hard to get our hands on are seen as more valuable.” (In other words, I am applying this law because I don’t want to fail you by cheapening the information you’re about to discover. If you think it’s easily accessible then you might make the same mistake I did and wait four years to consume and apply this important information.)
Now that we’ve gotten that all out of the way, it’s time to pull this book from my digital shelf, open the cover, and thumb through its pages to unveil its first insights and lessons…
How to Create Content and Copy That Sells – Pt. 1 (Wisdom from Inside the Book)
Content and Copy That Motivates People to Buy Requires More Than These Things
Contrary to popular opinion, marketing that makes people want to buy is more than:
The appearance of the content and copy
The words you choose to use
The layout of the copy
The choice of the medium
Don’t get me wrong. All of these things matter! But you can do all of these things perfectly and still not produce something that makes people want to buy.
Why? Because even if your marketing had all of the above things going for it, it could still be missing the secret ingredient that influences people to buy.
The thread that must weave its way through your whole marketing campaign must be grounded in a strong appeal.
And not just a strong appeal, but an appeal that makes people want to buy.
If you don’t find the right way to appeal that will make your chosen prospect want to buy, then everything else will fall flat.
But, if your content or copy is grounded in a strong appeal that makes people want to buy, then the appearance, words, layout, and medium you choose will amplify it.
An Example We Can All Relate to From Childhood
Let me give you an example of the importance of choosing the right appeal in order to get someone to take up your offer.
Think of any type of food you used to hate as a child but you now love as an adult.
I used to hate curry when I was a kid. Back then, my step-dad was a cook in the hospital cafe and he made some curry there that people loved.
My mom would bring some home and try to get me to eat it by saying things like “it’s really good” (appeal to quality) or “everyone loves it” (social proof).
But those appeals had no effect on me, so I didn’t take the offer. WHY? Because I didn’t like curry, her appeals were pointless!
But now, as an adult, I LOVE curry. If my Mom made those same appeals now, I would instantly respond and take her up on her offer!
Appeal: the power of arousing a sympathetic response: ATTRACTION
Do you understand? When I was younger, all of my Mom’s efforts were useless, because her appeal wasn’t attractive to me since I didn’t like curry at the time.
But now, since my tastes have changed, she could convince me to eat curry with hardly any effort – using the same appeal – because that appeal is attractive to me now.
That means that BEFORE you put any effort into your content or copy, you must make sure that the underlying appeal that you have chosen will make your prospect want to buy.
The skillful content marketer or copywriter must make sure that the message that runs through their content marketing or copywriting is filled with buying reasons and buying attractions that are appealing to their target prospect.
The skillful content marketer or copywriter must focus on the product’s essence in a way that’s appealing to his target prospect and in a way that appeals to the prospect’s desires.
Otherwise, the marketing will have no pull, no attraction. And with no pull, all the effort, strategies, and methods in the world can’t help you!
Without the Right Appeal, You Can’t Create Effective Content or Copy
In the book, it says that if you want your content or copy to get people to buy, it must:
Grip your prospects
Reveal the innermost benefits that your product or service offers
Focus on their wants not just your needs
Foresee every hesitation the prospect might have and counteract these with logical reasons to buy
But how can you possibly do any of these things, if you don’t know the right appeal that will make your prospect want to buy?
When your content or copy is based on a weak appeal, or the wrong appeal, then your prospect will quickly begin to put up one of four roadblocks that will keep you from getting them to move forward.
These roadblocks come in the form of four choices that the book describes a prospect making if your appeal isn’t correct or strong enough:
1. Without the right appeal, the prospect (B2C) or company (B2B) you’re trying to target might decide to save their moneyfor now. They might decide to not spend it all, spend it on something else, or save it for a larger purchase.
(*How much “money off” do you think you can offer them as an incentive to buy if they’ve already decided to save themselves 100% by not buying and just saving their money?)
2. Without the right appeal, the prospect (B2C) or company (B2B) you’re trying to target mightjust decide to delay the decision. Maybe he/she is too busy today. Maybe they have more pressing concerns right now.
(That means that instead of just needing to convince them that your product/service is good and can help them, you’re going to need to convince them that they’re not too busy and that your offer is more important than their other concerns.)
3. Without the right appeal, the prospect (B2C) or company (B2B) you’re trying to target might want to take some time to reexamine or reappraise their situation. This might come from self-doubt about the uncertainty of the exact problem that needs to be solved.
(*How easy do you think it’s going to be to convince them that your product/service will solve their problem if they aren’t sure that that’s their exact problem?)
4. Without the right appeal, the prospect (B2C) or company (B2B) you’re trying to target might simply procrastinate and put off the decision (like we all like to do).
(*Think about how good you are at procrastinating and then think about what you’re up against in trying to get your prospect not to do it.)
So you see, by not using the right appeal it’s going to make things very difficult.
But if you figure out the right appeal, then some of your prospects will proceed forward before even stopping to consider putting out these roadblocks.
Without the right appeal, you’re just wasting your time trying to convince your prospect that your product or service is great and can help them, when that’s not the reason they aren’t buying. (Remember my mom and the curry story?)
If you’re going to have any hope of discovering the right appeal, then you must start by clearly understanding the answers to four questions from the book:
What does the prospect want?
How does your product fit that desire?
What overall tone should permeate your content marketing and/or copy?
And what should be your primary appeal that will get your prospect to see that buying now is their best (if not only) option?
Just knowing your product or service isn’t enough. You must know your product or service in relation to your prospect.
It’s the only way to begin to figure out what is keeping a prospect from buying from you right now.
In just a second, I will show you give you a preview of what’s coming next.
But I want to offer something to those of you who want to begin applying what you’ve already read…
Want a Checklist to Help You Begin to Analyze, Evaluate, and Apply What You’ve Learned Here?
If you’d like a checklist based off of the concepts, ideas, and questions that I’ve presented here, then sign-up to become a free member of DirectResponseContentMarketing.com.
I have put together a 5-page checklist that will help to do two things:
Analyze and important a current piece of content or copy
Create a new piece of content or copy
Become a free member right now and you can download this and other resources in our Member’s Resource Area.
Sneak Peek: A Tool to Help You Analyze Your Marketing Problems, So You Can Uncover the Right Appeal
As we continue delving deeper into this book, I am going to begin revealing the questions from a unique chart that this book provides.
It’sa chart that is meant to be a tool to help you analyze your marketing problems and uncover the correct appeal you must use to get your customers to buy.
This chart will help you figure out things like:
The key factors in determining the most effective sales appeal for you to use
The buying motives that you should make sure that your copy or content appeals to.
And more
I think you’re going to have plenty of “aha! moments” and experience some breakthroughs, so make sure you to come back for Part 2. (And there are many more parts to come!)
We’re Just Getting Started
Most of you who have read this far are excited to read this information and thinking of friends, followers, and colleagues you can share it with.
But I know there is a small group of you who, even though you thought the information was good, you aren’t convinced that it is that unique, rare, or different.
My only response to you is, “We’re just getting started!” Come back next week for part two and see the next batch of powerful ideas, concepts, methods I am going to reveal next.
Do You Have a Guess?
You’re always more than welcome to take a guess at what you think the title of the book is at any point throughout this series.
If you have a guess, please email me and let me know what you think it is. (I just won’t confirm or deny it.)
*Just please don’t ruin the surprise for everyone else by posting your guess in the comment section.
