Home » Advertising » Page 21

Category: Advertising

Radio Ads That Don’t Sound Like Ads in 30 Seconds or Less

The other day I was on a Facebook page with other toy store owners. The subject came up about writing radio ads.

My biggest advice about radio ads is to make them not sound like other radio ads. Say something unique that grabs the listener’s attention and then tell a story from that. So I took a line from everyone’s comments in that thread on FB and tried to make a radio ad out of it.

I’m posting them here for you to see the creative process. You can say just about anything in the opening line and craft an ad around it. The more outrageous the opening line, the more people will pay attention.

My best ad ever started with the line… “I couldn’t believe it. They were taking customers into the men’s bathroom!”

For your amusement and motivation, please read on… (and remember, I took a line from everyone’s comments and used it for my opening – I especially like the Margarita ad)

The one investment guaranteed to pay off is your child’s toys. Before you laugh, hear me out. The quality of the toys you buy is what shapes your child’s ability to think and learn. And it isn’t just about educational toys. It’s about toys that foster creativity and imagination. Invest in those and your child will reap benefits one hundred times greater than the money you spend. Come see me at Toy House and I’ll find you the best investment for your child.

Ask not what your toy can do for you, but what you can do with your toy. That’s the problem with most toys. They do so much your kid rarely gets to play. Except for the toys at Toy House. We specialize in toys your kids actually play with, toys that foster their creativity and expand their minds. Don’t buy toys that do, buy toys that make your kids do. Trust me, they’ll thank you for it later.

We have a great Christmas party every year. The best part is that the kids are off playing, leaving us adults alone. Of course, when they get toys from Toy House there is so much more play value that they want to play with their toys. In fact, at our Valentines’ Party they’re still playing with those toys. Toys for Christmas that last through Valentine’s. You will find them at Toy House.

Given the current stock market roller coaster, I would tell you to invest your money in your child’s toys. Buy toys that will expand his imagination. Buy toys that will spark her creativity. No matter what the economy… imagination and creativity are the two skills your kids will need to compete in the future. And you’ll find the best selection of these toys at Toy House in downtown Jackson. That’s one investment guaranteed to make you smile.

I never used to have time for Margaritas. I was always busy trying to find new things for my self-proclaimed bored kids to do. Then I found Toy House. They taught me so much about how to evaluate the play value of toys. Now I buy better toys and my kids keep themselves busy. And I have time to relax with my friends sipping our favorite drink. Go to Toy House. They’ll teach you everything you… and your kids… need to know.

I was so freaking uninspired. My kids never played more than a couple weeks with all of the toys I bought. I figured, I would try that little toy store down on Mechanic St. Talk about mind-blowing! They showed me how to pick toys that matched my kids skills and interests, how to find toys that had longer lasting play value. You might think being a smaller toy store, it wouldn’t have what you want, but Toy House has the kind of toys my kids play with for months on end. Thanks Toy House. You rock!

It’s not like buying underwear. Your kids will wear whatever you buy them (if you can get them to wear any at all). But buying toys takes a little more thought. The right toys will grow their brains and put them at the top of their classes in school. The toys that simply entertain them with asking them to do much if anything will create selfish little brats that will cause you to meet with their teachers way too often. So go to Toy House and get top of the class toys. Unlike the underwear, your kids will actually want to use these.

Have fun with your radio ads. Say something interesting and outrageous and people will pay attention. It isn’t as hard as you think.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS For more on advertising, check out the Freebies section of my website. Seven FREE eBooks to help you spread the word about your wonderful business.

One at a Time

I was on a bus full of rowdy kids with a brand new leader sitting in the front seat. In a voice slightly above a whisper, the leader said, “If you can hear my voice, touch your nose with your thumb.”

About five kids nearby put their thumbs on their noses.

Then, with the same voice she said, “If you can hear my voice, put your palm on your cheek.” Another half dozen kids joined the first group.

Then, with a normal voice she said, “If you can hear my voice, clap your hands twice.” About two-thirds of the bus clapped their hands twice. A few seconds later every voice on the bus went quiet and every child was paying attention.

She never once raised her voice. She never yelled, never cajoled, never forced anyone into being quiet. Instead she invited the kids into her world a few kids at a time. As some kids joined, more kids became interested. In no time at all, she had everyone’s rapt attention.

Marketing works the same way.

You can yell and scream and force all the people into listening to your message. They might listen, but they will not hear. As soon as you are done yelling they will go back to what they were doing.

Or you can speak quietly to those closest to you and invite them in. Get them to commit and they will help you get others interested.

The lesson here is easy. First sell to your fans, your VIC’s (very important customers). Speak to your current customers. Invite them in. Make them feel special. They will get other people interested in you.

It is a slower growth, but a far better return.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Yes, I’m talking about Word of Mouth. You do not get that just by being good. You have to give your customers something to talk about. First check out this free eBook – Main Street Marketing on a Shoestring Budget. There is a wonderful explanation of the four ways to generate word-of-mouth. Then download the free eBook Customer Service: From Weak to WOW! to see how you can raise your service to a talk-worthy level.

The Busy Season

As a toy retailer everyone expects that my busy season is December. They would be wrong.

December is the store’s busy season. My busy season is right now. Here is my October To-Do List:

  • Place all my orders for product I expect to sell in December. If I wait too much longer, many of the best items will already be sold out.

  • Hire and train my seasonal staff. This involves writing and placing ads to attract applicants, weeding through all of the applications, scheduling and doing interviews, doing background and reference checks, setting up a training schedule, updating the employee handbook, and doing the actual training. It also includes refresher courses for the regular staff.

  • Place orders for all selling supplies. I need to make sure I have plenty of bags, giftwrap, price tags, receipt paper, toilet paper, paper towels, layaway string, tape, etc. to get through the holidays. Do it now or forget and not have it when you need it.

  • Prepare my marketing campaign. I need to write/create/produce/schedule all of our marketing for November and December. This includes promotional events like Neighborhood Toy Store Day, the Downtown Christmas Parade, Discover Downtown Again Day, and the Toys for Tots Breakfast. This also includes writing radio ads and planning a Facebook campaign.

  • Carefully plot out cash flow. The money rolls in during December. The money rolls out during October and November as we stock up for the holidays. That means I have to pay close attention to every penny I spend.

  • Clean up. The entire store needs a fresh and thorough dusting. Displays need to be upgraded or moved out. Merchandising needs to be plotted and planned for all the new products coming in.

Yes, my busy season is right now. After I accomplish all those things over the next few weeks I’ll have plenty of free time in December to do what I do best – sell toys.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS I wrote this list as much for MY benefit as for YOURS. For me, it is a reminder to stay focused on the tasks at hand. For you it is a reminder of all the things you need to do to make this the most successful selling season ever.

Driving Traffic to Your Site (SEO)

I had a local entrepreneur contact me about her website. When she launched she was getting regular sales. But she hasn’t had a sniff in months. She thought maybe something was wrong with her site and asked me to take a look.

She sells Made in Michigan, lead-free, lightweight, high-quality, reusable shopping bags, something worth a look for stores like ours. Check out her site, www.berniebags.com. It will be helpful in understanding the rest of this post. (Full disclosure – nothing to disclose. I am not promoting her site or products, did not know her other than as a customer before she approached me, this is purely for educational purposes, but if you like what she’s selling, by all means, buy it.)

I took a look at her site and did not see anything inherently wrong with it. But I am not the best judge of that. I do not shop much online, prefer to buy local whenever possible. So I ask you to check it out and tell me what you see that could be done better.

Her biggest problem, however, is one we all face.

I Googled her product category “Reusable Shopping Bags”. Thirty five pages deep, I gave up. She was nowhere to be found.

So I gave her the following list of things to do to raise her site in the rankings of Google and other search engines…

1) Make sure you have good keywords and metatags. Whoever designed your website should know what I mean. Basically, you want to have the key phrases people might use to search for your product in the keywords and metatags (behind the scenes) parts of you website.

2) Get some “link love”. The more that other websites link to you, the higher your site will rise in Google’s eyes.

Ways to get links include asking your friends/customers who have websites to put your logo and a link on their sites. Also, you can launch a Facebook Page, a Google Places Page, a Yelp Page, etc. If you have a profile on LinkedIn or any other type site, make sure your website is referenced there.

Another way to get links is to comment on blogs and articles online. Run a search on all the articles on lead in shopping bags and write a quick comment like “That’s why I decided to make and market some Michigan-made, lead-free, reusable shopping bags.” Find the bloggers who are writing about this and make comments on their blogs, too.

3) Consider starting your own blog. You can get free blog sites from blogspot and wordpress. It takes time, but you can grow a following. Simply write quick, short, one-paragraph reminders of why using reusable bags is so good. Have links to other articles. Have photos and video. And make sure each post links back to your site.

4) Do a youtube video of the bag and why it is so cool. Most smartphones have video so making a video is easy. It doesn’t have to be polished, just has to be clear and informative. Post it on youtube (free), link to it from your Facebook page and website. Email it to friends and clients and ask them to share.

5) Find yourself in the Google Search and “+1” your listing (click on the little box next to your listing and get all your friends to do the same). This is tedious because you may have to search through dozens of pages of Google Search before finding yourself. But if you and 5 friends each do this on their computers, it will make a difference.

All of the above will simply cost you time, not money. If you want to spend some money, consider Google Adwords. You can drive a lot of traffic that way, but you have to convert a large portion of your visitors to be worth it.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS I know there are some savvy SEO gurus out there who read this blog. Did I hit the mark? Anything I missed that she could do? Anything with which you patently disagree? Your comments will help all of us grow.

Ripping a New Ad

I just recorded my October radio ad. Here is the ad copy…

They gave up on you. They dropped layaway. They dropped a friendly knowledgeable sales staff. They even dropped classic toys like wooden building blocks. Oh, sure, they brought back layaway, but only for a fee. Our layaway is still free. So is our giftwrapping. And with over five times as many toys as any of our local competitors, why would you shop anywhere else? We’ve always been here for you. Toy House and Baby Too in downtown Jackson. We’re here to make you smile.


There are five things that turn okay ads into great ads.

  1. Make only one point

  2. Speak to the heart of the customer

  3. Speak more of the customer than you do of yourself

  4. Back up all your claims with evidence

  5. Tell a story

Let’s break this ad down and see how it does…

Make Only One Point
This ad is what is known as a contrast ad, designed to contrast one business with another. In this case I use multiple examples to make the point that they don’t care about you, we do. I open with that point – They gave up on you – and close with that point – We’ve always been here for you. This message is consistent with our Character Diamond, focusing on the core value HELPFUL.

Speak to the Heart
On this I could have done better. Contrast ads, however, are about information more than emotion. Still, for effect I added emotion into the line, Oh sure, they brought back layaway, but only for a fee. Sometimes emotion is in how you read it as much as in what you say.

Speak More of the Customer
Here is the same copy but with the key words highlighted…

They gave up on you. They dropped layaway. They dropped a friendly knowledgeable sales staff. They even dropped classic toys like wooden building blocks. Oh, sure, they brought back layaway, but only for a fee. Our layaway is still free. So is our giftwrapping. And with over five times as many toys as any of our local competitors, why would you shop anywhere else? We’ve always been here for you. Toy House and Baby Too in downtown Jackson. We’re here to make you smile.

On this point I did not do well. Spoke of myself six times and the customer four times (and the competitor five times). How could I have spoken more of the customer? Hint: each of the “They” sentences could have included a “you”. Oh sure, they brought back layaway for you, but only if you pay a fee.

Back Up Your Claims
My big claim is that they gave up on you. To support that claim I point out how they dropped layaway and only brought it back with a fee. I also point out how they stopped carrying certain toys.

The only unsupported claim I made was about the friendly, knowledgeable staff. This point is a matter of opinion. Without evidence to back that up I am taking a risk that people will not believe my ad. Those people who believe my competitors do offer great service will dismiss my ad.

In this case I am banking on two things. First, that most people generally believe that my competitors have lousy customer service. This is called assumptive reasoning. Second, that because I backed up my main point, people will believe this secondary claim.

Note: The final claim I make – that we carry five times as many toys – is also not backed up by evidence. But mainly because the evidence is in the store. No one would expect me to count it all for them on the air. But since I give a specific number like five as opposed to saying “way more” or “much more” the claim is more believable. Listeners expect that I have done the math before making a claim like that. And I have. It is true.

Tell a Story
Stories are powerful. Many of my radio ads paint mental pictures for the listener. The mental image for this ad is how my competitors are giving up services while we still have them. Although not as powerful of an emotional story as I have written before, this ad is a good alternative because contrast helps lay the foundation for making future stories believable.

Here is an ad I wrote with a much more powerful story…

You do not have to be a fantastic copywriter to write quality ad copy. Just stick to the five points above and your ads will resonate far better than the boring look at me ads most stores run.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS I gave myself a B for this ad. But it is also part of the bigger picture. Sometimes I use certain ad styles today to set up ads for tomorrow. When you have a long horizon view, a long timeline for your business, you will make different decisions than if you only worry about the here and now.

Fifty Cent Words are a Dime a Dozen

I got this email the other day. Here it is verbatim…

Hi Phil,
May I send you information regarding an upcoming thought leadership summit focused on data driven decision making, integrated business planning and leveraging business analytics?

Regards,
Alex

I don’t know about you, but that looks like a bunch of business book vomit to me. A “thought leadership summit”? (who is thinking about what?) “Integrated business planning”? (integrated with whom?) “Leveraging business analytics”? (what analytics from where?)

Even if it was from a company I recognized and trusted, I still might not attend because I would feel left out from the beginning because I don’t even know what those phrases mean. I don’t want to go where I will feel like a fool.

Your customers are the same way. They will not go where they feel foolish, either. Do not use words or phrases in your marketing, on the phone or in person that might make them feel that way.

Every industry has big words specific to that industry. But do not assume that your customers understand all those words. Whenever possible, use simple words that make the same point without making the customer feel foolish. Your customers will be more trusting, more comfortable, and more likely to act.

Hi Phil,

Can I send you an invitation to a meeting of business owners who want to learn new ways to look at data to make their businesses more profitable?

Regards,
Alex

Alex, I would have allowed you to send me an invitation if you had written your request that way.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com


PS One of my favorite Ernest Hemingway quotes… “Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.”

Make One Point

As you prepare your advertising for the holiday season, here is one thing you can do to make your campaign work better.

Make only one point in your ad.

That’s it. One point. No more.

The truth is, most people will neither hear nor see your ad. They are so bombarded with advertising that they have tuned you out. Those that do hear or see it will be distracted by life so they will not be paying much attention because, frankly, your ad just isn’t that important to them either. The remaining few who actually do hear or see your ad and give it the minimal amount of attention will be lucky to remember one point. Which point do you really want them to remember?

Say too much and there is a good chance they will remember nothing or at the most, the wrong thing.

Pick the one most important point you want people to remember and say that. Nothing else. Your ads will be more memorable, and you will get your point across more clearly.

Did I make that clear enough?

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Don’t know what point to make? Check out my free eBook on branding Understanding Your Brand. Then download the worksheets. You’ll know what point to make soon enough.

Four Steps to a Killer Radio Ad Campaign

You’ve tried radio advertising. Bought some package the sale rep offered. Ran a few ads that sounded “professional” and got little return out of it.

That’s because you didn’t do it my way.*

Here are the four steps to running a Killer radio ad campaign.

  1. Figure out your core values.

  2. Pick one core value that will have the deepest connection with your customers (and one that your competitors most likely don’t have).

  3. Write a killer emotional ad that touches on that core value.

  4. Keep the ad running changing only the copy, not the core value, now through Christmas.

Core Values

These are the values both you and your business hold dear. Values that you will never change. Values so strong that you would rather close up shop than change them.

My store’s core values are Fun, Helpful, Educational, and Nostalgic. Ask me to drop any of those and it is a deal killer. If you are struggling to figure out your core values, download my free eBook Understanding Your Brand and the accompanying worksheets.

Deep Connection

Believe it or not but it isn’t income, education or marital status that drives loyal customers into your store. Your best customers are there because they share the same values or belief system that you do. Those shared values are the bond between you.

The deeper that connection, the stronger the bond.

When you pick a value to use for your marketing, either pick the one that is the most emotional or the one that is least likely to be found in your competitors.

For example, as a toy store, one of my values is Fun. But all of my competitors also have some claim on the concept of Fun because we all sell toys. Nostalgia, however, runs much deeper and more emotional. Education is a missing component in the big box competitors, and Helpful has never been their strong suit either. So I tend to focus on those values in my ads.

Killer Emotional Ads

Remember that the goal of your ad is to move someone to action. That someone is the person who shares your values. Write an ad directly at her heart. Speak to her and only to her. Speak about her values and how you understand them. Speak to her concerns, needs, and beliefs.

Forget about everyone else who might be hearing your ad and just write it to that one person. You will be amazed at how many of those “one persons” there are out there.

Killer emotional ads do not sound like any other ad on the radio. That is good! No one likes ads so we tune out anything that remotely sounds like an ad. Here is an example of a killer emotional ad…

He left Detroit 9am Christmas Eve… Someone somewhere had to have the one toy his sweet little six-year old wanted. Six cities…seven stores later, he stood, travel-weary, across the counter from me. “I suppose you don’t have any Simon games either.” As I handed over the last of our Simon games he smiled and said, “God Bless You!” Believe me, He already has. Merry Christmas from the Toy House in downtown Jackson. We’re here to make you smile.

Keep it Going

Radio advertising is not a sprint. It is a long distance run. If you want this campaign to give you great fourth quarter results, you have to start running now.

At the same time, radio ads can get boring really quickly. One superbly written, emotionally-driven, killer ad can turn boring in only a matter of weeks. So you have to write a whole bunch of ads all around the same value. Figure out how to say the same thing five different ways and you have the makings of a killer campaign.

There are eighteen weeks until Christmas. Five ads all about your strongest core value running three to four weeks each will connect you powerfully to your best customers and get them to choose you over your competitors this fall.

Killer.

-Phil Wrzesinski

www.PhilsForum.com

*PS My way is really Roy’s way, as in Roy H. Williams, aka The Wizard of Ads. He taught me. I did it. I saw the results.

PPS For more on how to use radio the right way, check out this post I wrote in 2009.

The Magnetic Principle

The power of a magnet to attract is in equal proportion to its power to repel.

That is a universal truth about attraction.

We hear with magnets that opposites attract because the positive pole of one magnet attaches to the negative pole of another. But in reality alignment attracts. For two magnets to hook to each other, they both have to be in the same alignment – heading in the same direction.

The same is true with batteries. Put two batteries into your flashlight facing different directions and the flashlight will not work. But put the batteries in alignment with each other and the light comes on.

The same is true with your advertising. When you clearly state your values, those who are aligned with your values will be attracted. Those who are not aligned with your values will be repelled. Just like the magnet, the stronger you state your values, the stronger the attraction and repulsion.

The problem with most advertising, however, is that we focus on the repulsion.

“I don’t want to anger anyone.”
“I don’t want to be controversial.”
“I don’t want anyone to hate me.”

And we write bland ads that will not offend.
And we wonder why we did not attract new customers to our store.
And we think that maybe we are not reaching the right people.
And we change our medium, but not our bland, white-bread, non-offensive, un-attractive message.

And we get the same results.

Focus your advertising message to attract, not to keep from repelling. Say something powerful enough to move the needle for someone. Roy H. Williams, aka The Wizard of Ads says that if your ad does not get complaints, you have not written a strong enough ad.

Say something powerful and meaningful that aligns strongly with your core values. Do not be afraid to make bold statements. In my current radio ad I start with the line…

“Shop here. Your kids will be smarter…”

The ad started yesterday and I had my first complaint by 9:00am that morning. I also had three people praise me for my ad. If they are complaining or praising, then they are listening.

Be the most powerful attractor you can by making bold, powerful statements aligned with your core values. Then you will get the return on your advertising investment you want.

-Phil Wrzesinski
http://www.philsforum.com/

PS The whole radio ad copy reads as follows… Shop here. Your kids will be smarter. Oh sure, that’s a bold statement to make, but I know it’s true. Need proof? Which is a better method for selling a toy? Because it’s tied to a movie or TV ad or because it has incredible play value requiring brain-stretching imagination? My competitors? They use the former method. I use the latter. Brain-stretching toys guaranteed to make your kids smarter and have more fun. Toy House in downtown Jackson. Smart kids, lots of smiles.

PSS If you need help figuring out your Core Values, download my FREE eBook Understanding Your Brand and the accompanying worksheet. Work it through and email me if you have questions.

Three Keys to Remember About Advertising

As business owners we are often the worst judges for determining what to do with our advertising.

We’re bad because we don’t act like the typical consumer. We see ads that most people would miss because we are an advertiser. So all advertisements are relevant to us, ads that would not be relevant to the average consumer. And we read them more carefully, so we know them better than most.

Then we make advertising decisions like where to place the next ad based on what we do and see, not what our customers do.

So if you are debating where to place your next advertisement or what to say, remember these three things about advertising.

First: You cannot reach all of the people. No matter what you do, no matter how much you spend, there will always be some perfect customers for your business that never heard or saw your advertisement.

Second: That is okay because chances are they will know someone who has heard or seen your ad.

Third: Therefore, the most important thing is for you to impact the people you do reach well enough to make them want to tell somebody else about you.

Picking your medium is now easy.

Choose a medium in which you can create a compelling ad, one with a strong emotional connection to your potential customers.
Choose a medium where you can get your potential customer’s attention and move her into action.
Choose a medium where you can tap into her powerful right brain, the side that deals with emotions and actions.
Choose a medium where you can paint a mental image so she sees herself doing exactly the behavior you want her to do.
Choose a medium where you can make a point that is relevant to her lifestyle and choices.
Choose a medium where you can afford to reach her often enough on a continual basis until she has no choice but to think of you first when she is ready for your product.

Personally, I like radio for that purpose. But that’s because I learned how to write radio ads. An awesome graphic designer might have a different opinion.

No matter which medium you choose, the most important thing is to craft a powerful, emotional message that causes her to act. Anything else is just a waste of your time and money.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS The quickest, easiest way to come up with a powerful, memorable, emotional message is to unlock your Core Values. Read more in my free eBook Understanding Your Brand. Then download the Branding Worksheet and get your advertising doing what you are paying it to do.