In my direct response print and Yellow Page ad design business, I offer a FREE 60 point ad audit at my website www.InstantYellowPageProfits.com. Of all of the hundreds of ads I audit each year, most include the same 3 profit killing mistakes.
The first profit killing mistake I see in small business advertising is having a weak headline. The weakest headline you can usually have is the business name which normally contains no benefit for the consumer. What would happen if you had a pipe leaking at your home and you went to the Yellow Pages under the “Plumbers” heading to find a competent professional to fix your leak.
You review ads under the heading, and the first 2 have the following headlines. Headline number 1 is “Joe’s Plumbing” and the second ad’s headline is, “Your Leak Fixed In 60 Minutes or It’s FREE!”?Which ad appeal most to you? By using the headline, “Joe’s Plumbing” it appears that the business owner is focused on himself. That’s not a benefit to the consumer. Getting your leak fixed in 60 minutes is a HUGE benefit to the consumer with a leak so this is a far better headline.
So when you are writing your headlines, ask yourself, “What is the greatest benefit I can offer my prospects, and what is their greatest desire when they are viewing my ad?” If you take those most sought after benefits and include them in your headline you will dramatically increase response to ALL your advertising.
The second profit killing mistake is to have no offer. When you add an offer to your advertising, you will increase your ad response. You kill your advertising response and profits when you fail to include an offer.
So what is the best type of offer to include in your advertising? Including a offer for your new customers is what I recommend. This could be a “dollars off” offer on their first service, or an added bonus for just for new clients. Since most print and Yellow Page ads fail to even include an offer, a well designed offer will make your advertising stand out from your competition.
The third profit killing mistake is to not include a guarantee. Every business can include some sort of guarantee in their advertising. Small business advertisers find that adding by a 100% Moneyback Guarantee they increase ad response by removing the risk of a new client trying your business. I know what you’re thinking, “If I offer a 100% Moneyback Guarantee like Larry says, everyone will ask for their Moneyback and rip me off!”
I know how you feel, because I felt the same way before I included a 100% Moneyback Guarantee in my advertising. My concern was that my prospects would rip me off, but when I tested the guarantee I saw positive results. My guarantee more than DOUBLED response to my advertising. Only 2 customers asked for their Moneyback in 7 years of making that offer. In both cases, things did not go according to plan and these clients deserved and got their moneyback. If I had not given them their Moneyback, I would have had 2 lawsuits that would have exceeded the price of my refund. This moneyback guarantee did double duty by increasing my advertising response and profits while simultaneously removing legal liability when unusual things happened.
Businesses that can not have a 100% money back guarantee, can guarantee a portion or part of the first purchase even if this means limiting what services you provide on their first purchase. When you reduce or remove the risk with a risk-free guarantee, you lower the barrier to entry and the downside of doing business with you.
So you can see that having doubled my business from the same size ad and having only 2 (deserved) refunds in 7 years and over 1500 jobs is a tremendous financial gain.
So upgrade your print and Yellow Page advertising by having a great headline, a money back guarantee and a new client offer. You’ll get more profits from the same size ad and new clients at 50% of what your competition has to pay which is a HUGE long-term competitive advantage for your business.
Larry Conn has accumulated 34 years personal experience in advertsing and direct response marketing. He is an in-demand direct response marketing expert, marketing strategist, copywriter, author and speaker. In just the last 24 months, 4 top direct response marketing experts have featured Larry in their top selling books and products due to his skills in designing profitable marketing strategies and writing copy for high ROI print and Yellow Page ad design. At his website www.InstantYellowPageProfits.com Larry offers a FREE 60 point Advertising Audit worth $150.00.
Tags: advertising, direct response advertising, direct response marketing, direct response marketing agency, guarantees, headlines, Larry Conn, marketing, marketing agency, marketing strategy, offers, small business advertising, Yellow Page ad design