Hi Folks! It’s Monday Feb 25^th…

1. EMPATHIZE With Their Pain, And EMPHASIZE It.
2. Come to Their RESCUE in a UNIQUE WAY.
3. PROVE You’re the ONLY Choice.
4. Make An Offer that’s EASY TO ACCEPT.
5. Give Them ONE SIMPLE way to respond.

5 tested steps to making any sales message work like MAGIC. In Radio, Print, TV or anywhere you want to persuade people…
This is the formula I rely on to make powerful advertising messages for my clients. Last time I explained step 2.

Today I’ll show you step Three….

“PROVE You’re the ONLY Choice”

To be sure there’s some overlap from step two here. If you have a killer USP you will have separated yourself from other competitors providing a form of proof. Still there’s more work to do in the PROOF department.
Proof can be offered up in many ways and here, MORE is BETTER! If you can claim you’ve won the Nobel Peace Prize… You’re very fortunate! The rest of us meanwhile need to work a little harder.
Here are some other forms of proof.

Is your product UL Tested? (Independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization) You’ve seen the little logo on the bottoms of toasters, Blenders, and such.
   

Are you certified in some way? Do you have some form of credential you can brag about? “Graduate Cum Laude M.I.T.” “Interned at the Mayo Clinic”, “Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau”, or are you a World Record Holder? Are you recommended by 4 out of 5 Doctors? These are all obvious forms of proof. Logos from organizations, membership to an elite organization, etc.
There are more ways to skin a cat of course… (Who skinned the FIRST cat by the way? Musta been an awful ruckus!!)

The earliest printed citation of this proverbial saying that I can find is in a short story by the American humorist Seba Smith – The Money Diggers, 1840:

“There are more ways than one to skin a cat,” so are there more ways than one of digging for money.
Interesting that it involves getting money! (I digress…On with it then)

Sometimes simply including a sound bite or quote from the owner of the company can introduce an authority figure into the presentation. Video of a doctor saying he recommends this product too ALL HIS patients. Or in print, a picture of a doctor in an advertorial about a vitamin supplement product. This form of proof comes from people in positions of authority.

Interestingly people ASSUME authority automatically just because the stranger is wearing a medical smock with a stethoscope around their neck, or because a guy is standing there in a blue police uniform.
Celebrity endorsements offer up a very powerful form of what’s called “Social Proof” (Read more about all this in Dr Robert Cialdini’s book “INFLUENCE The Psychology of Persuasion”)  You see football pros advertising shaving products and there’s a good reason for that, people place their trust in celebrity! (I struggle with that…. Charlie Sheen comes to mind… WINNING!)

An incredibly powerful form of social proof is the use of testimonials. In my opinion no marketing effort is complete without testimonials!

Call my free 24 hour recording at 855-Magic-Ad
You’ll hear my message complete with a set of testimonials.
Wait for the beep and tell me how much you like my newsletter! (Worth a TRY… Right?… Hello…? …Click BUzzzzz)..aww…

If you get “Love letters” from clients or patients, SAVE THEM! In your day to day operations find the time to record people saying great things about you or your company. With a little video camera, a portable audio recorder, or If you can do it, send out a survey asking people to describe what they like and don’t like about your business. You’ll wind up with some extremely valuable information about how you can improve your customer experience AND grab some great positive stuff for your marketing!

Collect as much material as you can whenever you can because THIS is marketing GOLD!
Referrals for example come by way of UNDENIABLE social proof (friends and family) and bring in some of the BEST clients or customers you can hope to get!

So, my advice? Find a way to PROVE you or your company is AWESOME! It’s a MUST have element in your advertising.

Reminder… These steps work best when they happen in the SEQUENCE… Step one FIRST… step 2 SECOND … etc…

Next MAGIC AD we’ll discuss step 4 of Bob’s MAGIC AD FORMULA…

“Make An Offer that’s EASY TO ACCEPT”

And again let me thank you for keeping me nice and busy!
(If you have a friend that could really use this information PLEASE forward it to them!)
If you’re one of those friends please sign up at www.855MagicAd.com!
Opt in and get my free report “The Top 25 Magical Advertising Secrets!”
Also, if you can think up more ways to provide proof, I’d LOVE to hear about it!

SPECIAL OFFER!
Are you STUCK? Have you written a rough piece of copy for an AD for yourself or a client?
Does it “SING”? If not, I’d like to help!
I’ll get you pointed in the right direction for FREE!
Send your rough draft version to me and I’ll give you a five point outline matched up to my Magic Ad Formula!
Get your Free FIVE POINT MAGIC AD AUDIT… It can be a print ad, radio spot, anything.

1. I’ll suggest a way to start your ad!
2. I’ll suggest an approach for pulling off step 2
3. How do you show proof? I’ll give you an idea
4. How about the offer, I’ll tell ya how I would do it.
5. And I’ll suggest a way to finish it off in a compelling way.

I’ll give you what you need to break your writers block! FUN FOR ME… FREE FOR YOU!
Plus… I’ll sweeten the deal! If you like my ideas enough to want me on the project, I’ll finish writing the copy at a 30 percent discount!
You either win BIG or win even BIGGER!

Thanks for reading! Bob Holiday Ad Magician Bob@855MagicAd.com

Hi Folks!

It’s Monday Feb 11^th…

Time for some rock & roll radio…

(Gerry Rafferty, Baker Street… Big dark stadium and thousands of Bic lighters…Duuude…)

…While I write edition 2 of…

(Stage pyro, huge guitar riff with LOTS of reverb!)

Aside from my audio editing gear I also like to play with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, video editing software etc. Creating stuff is my bag… I’ve been doing print, radio & TV advertising for 30 plus years. I don’t know what I like better, the marketing or the TOYS!

All this software is a fairly significant challenge to learn. Life is filled with challenges and I’ve had my fare share. Sans challenges, life would be seriously BORING!

In business and especially in advertising we all must adapt or die… We have to change with the times, learn new things, surmount obstacles. The Marine Corps slogan comes to mind “Adapt, Improvise, Overcome!” HOORAHH! (I can’t HEAR yew!)

Advertising any business requires digging deep for the hidden persuasion MAGIC. Sometimes it’s a thought or an idea that pops up outta nowhere (POOF!). Most often it takes extended dedication to discover that one key to success. Coming up with the BIG IDEA can be a BIG CHALLENGE.

If you read the previous edition of MAGIC AD you’ll recall I revealed the following…

Bob’s Magic Ad Formula

1)      EMPATHIZE With Their Pain, And EMPHASIZE It.

2)      Come to Their RESCUE in a UNIQUE WAY.

3)      PROVE You’re the ONLY Choice.

4)      Make An Offer that’s EASY TO ACCEPT.

5)      Give Them ONE SIMPLE way to respond.

5 tested steps to making any sales message work like MAGIC. Radio, Print, TV… Whatever.

This is the formula I rely on to make powerful advertising messages for my clients. Last time I explained step 1.

Today I’ll show you step TWO….

“Come to Their RESCUE in a UNIQUE WAY”

Often finding the “Unique selling proposition” for a business, product or service is THE most difficult part of the advertising process. If you decide to skip over this aspect of your advertising you’re likely kissing most of your ad budget goodbye! This step often presents the average advertiser with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. However, you MUST “Adapt, Improvise, Overcome!”

Most marketing folks know what a USP is but if you’re unfamiliar, I’ll explain… Basically it’s what makes your business different from others in your category… If you sell Jet Packs, you automatically have a totally cool USP! I don’t know of anyone selling them in the general market (If you do I’LL TAKE ONE!)

It’s a bit tougher if you’re a dentist, a plumber, or a lawyer. MOST folks simply give up on this surprisingly CRUCIAL step. BAD IDEA!

Remember the old Folgers Coffee commercials with Mrs. Olsen? “It’s MOUNTAIN GROWN!” That was the tagline they used to express how they were different from other coffee products.

Well duh!!… ALL COFFEE IS MOUNTAIN GROWN!!… If you were a coffee plantation owner you’d have been screaming that at your TV (If you HAD a TV way up there in the mountains!) The trick is, Folgers was the FIRST to SAY it. After that they were the ONLY ones that COULD say that. No one else dared copy it. So in effect they took something silly from out of no-where and used it to express their DIFFERENCE. (Even though these spots were more in the branding vein, the agency still thought it necessary to come up with a USP and follow the problem solution formula, interesting.)

Here’s another more contemporary example…

I had the opportunity to consult with a financial advisor just as he was about to advertise on the radio for the very first time. Financial advisors are one of the TOUGHEST businesses to advertise. They are saddled with really awful compliance restrictions, by law they can’t say “We’re the best” They can’t use testimonials, they can’t make any claims! It’s like the head of the FTC had a bad experience with a financial advisor and they want pay back by passing laws against them!

This financial advisor was about to jump in the deep end without water wings! We already had 4 or 5 of ‘em on the air at that time and in my opinion this guy’s ONLY hope was a STRONG USP! I felt sorry for him. He was a toddler about to drown in the deep end! (Back then, I dare not speak the truth. I still worked for “THE MAN”.)

So I ambushed him in the hallway and asked, “How are you different from all the other financial advisors?” He looked at me with a blank expression (No doubt wondering who the heck I was) and said “Um, I dunno… I guess I’m the same as the rest of ‘em.”

I told him that just wouldn’t do. (No magic.) So I delved deeper. I asked “What’s the process from beginning to end with new clients walking in your door for the first time?” He proceeded to explain it to me… “Well, they come in and sit down with me, my partner, and our economist and we go over their materials and…”

I stopped him. “Wait… Did you say ECONOMIST?” He looked at me innocently “Yeah…?”

I threw my hands up over my head and danced “THAT’S IT! We found it.. Money in the bank…”

He stared back at me with question marks in his eyes… I continued “How many financial advisors actually have an ECONOMIST right there to consult with face to face?”

His eyes lit up… “Oh… I guess that IS unusual…”

In just five minutes we had his Unique Selling Proposition (I think we broke a record, it’s almost NEVER that easy!)… At his behest I wrote his copy. The ad started out like this… (Notice, I opened with step 1. the PAIN… I also QUALIFIED our target prospect…)

“2009 was tough on your portfolio. Despite that, you’ve built a substantial nest egg. And you’re close to retirement. A misstep now could spell disaster. You need to get the bigger picture. What do folks nearing retirement need most? The answer is PERSPECTIVE!”

The copy beats the “Big Picture” drum throughout… I finished with this…

“When was the last time you consulted with an economist? Get the best possible view of the hazards ahead… Call blah blah..”

We found the MAGIC… It indeed WAS money in the bank… His spot KILLED it. Even on a station already heavily overloaded with financial advisors. The reason was absolutely because of his previously undiscovered USP.

(Cash register rings repeatedly, Stimpy sings “Happy Happy Joy Joy!”)

So my advice? Find what makes you or your advertiser different. Can’t think of a USP? MAKE SOMETHING UP! No, don’t lie… Just keep digging until you find it. Whether or not you have a good USP is virtually ALLWAYS the difference between mediocrity and a FAT BANK ACCOUNT!

(Mopping brow…) There.

That was step two…

Hope you got some perspective… (Oh.. my…)

Next MAGIC AD we’ll discuss step 3 of Bob’s MAGIC AD FORMULA…

“PROVE You’re the ONLY Choice.”

As always thanks for the work you’ve thrown my way I really do appreciate you!

(If you have a friend that could really use this information PLEASE spread the love & forward it to them!)

Also, if you think I’m out of my mind please come right out and say so…

(Won’t be the first time!)

I really do LOVE feedback, even if all you do is make funny raspberry noises.

Until next time! (Cape flourish, puff of smoke.)

P.S. Need help with a project? Give homie a hollah, I’m down wid it!

Thanks for reading, Comments are welcome!

Bob Holiday

Marketing Magician

Bob@855MagicAd.com

Hi Folks!

It’s Monday Jan 28^th, and this is…

Woohoo, YAY…

(Band strikes up, batons start twirling, people cheer, dancers jump out and boogie)

Yep, I figured I’d better come up with a blog… Why?…  (Eye roll)

1)      Because I’m a MARKETING dude! (Being forgotten is NOT good marketing.)

2)      I really DO have useful ideas to pass on (My wife is a tiny bit weary of my shop talk.)

3)      And not least.. I work out of my house… Mostly by myself…. (Sniffle)

4)      Oh, and while I write these things I get to listen to rock & roll radio. (Can’t do that when I record stuff…. Led Zep is on at the moment… Oh yeah…)

I’m a social person, I’m a creative person, and I’m into the science of persuasion. That’s why I LOVE marketing. Coming up with persuasive messages for my marketing buddies is a social thing, a creative thing, makes for really cool mental exercise, AND makes my clients MORE MONEY!

(Band strikes up again, batons twirl, people cheer, dancers jump out and boogie) WE LIKE MONEY! J

I’ve been banging away at it for so many decades that marketing seems to have replaced other forms of entertainment. (When I was young and spry I used to skydive.)

Alas, I’m not so spry these days. So I collaborate. I noodle, I write, I persuade and I get a big kick out of it.  As a result, you and all my friends (clients) get an occasional giggle, some really useful advertising fuel and I keep my brain turned on. I have so much to tell and so little time to get these ideas out to you that a newsletter seems to be the most efficient way I can help you get the most out of your advertising.

Hence…

MAGIC AD.

Why do I call it that? Over the decades I’ve learned how to make magic (money!) for my clients. I’ve repeatedly been forced to make things happen in the limited space of a 60 second radio commercial. When the phones ring like crazy it truly does feel like magic.  So… How do I make advertising magic?

I do it with my 5 part MAGIC AD FORMULA… I developed this formula over the course of 30 years in radio. I stole bits and pieces from other people made up some of my own, and tested it over and over. I fine-tuned it and now use it in every kind of persuasive message, radio, TV, and all sorts of print, and it has literally worked like MAGIC…. I’m not a selfish guy so here it is…

The Magic Ad Formula

1)      EMPATHIZE With Their Pain, And EMPHASIZE It.

2)      Come to Their RESCUE in a UNIQUE WAY.

3)      PROVE You’re the ONLY Choice.

4)      Make An Offer that’s EASY TO ACCEPT.

5)      Give Them ONE SIMPLE way to respond.

That’s it… 5 tested steps to making any sales message work like MAGIC. Radio, Print, TV…

ANY persuasive message.

Please note EACH step is EQUALLY CRITICAL and each step must appear in your message in THIS EXACT SEQUENCE! Of course many ideas are worth a test but this sequence has had the highest batting average overall. Deviate at your own risk!

Today I’ll show you step one….

Tax Relief, Mortgage, Gold, Debt Relief, Auto Repair Insurance. These categories are ubiquitous on the air and I’m all over the radio with messages selling them. The failures I’ve seen in these (and other) categories virtually ALWAYS are the result of a failure to follow the formula. And in all the campaigns I’ve been asked to “fix” the very FIRST thing I see is a low impact headline.

(YIKES! Step one is MISSING!)

Emotion is what sells. Touch on the strongest NEGATIVE emotion the listener holds deep in their hearts as relates to the product or service at the very beginning of the message and you will already have avoided the BIGGEST mistake people make in selling.

Why focus on their pain in the headline? Because social psychology experiments have proven beyond any question… Humans will expend MORE energy fleeing a painful condition than they will expend pursuing pleasure! (Read Dr Robert Cialdini’s “Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion” In this fabulous book DR C. sites the study!) Bottom line if you have something to sell make certain you start by emphasizing the negative condition that will persist if they don’t avail themselves of your product or service. Emphasize it! Do your best to make them want to RUN from their PAIN!

Virtually EVERY product or service has a negative consequence if not purchased. Take tax relief for example… “You owe a ton of money and they’re out to get you!” Is a MUCH more powerful lead than “Save a ton of money and free yourself from the IRS” They both speak to the same condition but the first example will carry FAR more emotional impact. It doesn’t matter that you may not understand exactly why. It’s a simple proven fact that humans predictably react more strongly to the negative perspective, so use it in EVERYTHING. Even if you only do this ONE thing I can virtually guarantee you’ll improve your odds dramatically! (Avoid bumming them out through the entire message! I’ve tried that and it didn’t work!)

Oh, but it seems so tiresome! If every ad starts that way you won’t sound different! I’ve heard this argument over and over, and over and over it seems being different isn’t as important a factor as people think, at least where the lead is concerned.

No argument. Being different IS important! It’s just not important at THIS stage of the sequence. We’ll discuss being different in next MAGIC AD communique. (I can already hear you shouting “Unique Selling Proposition!”)

This first MAGIC AD has already taken up WAY too much of your time… I’ll sign off with my apologies and with a promise, I’ll do my best to make these notes as short and as sweet as I possibly can while packing them FULL of dramatically useful material!

Next MAGIC AD we’ll discuss step 2 of The MAGIC AD FORMULA.

“Come to Their RESCUE in a UNIQUE WAY.”

‘Till then please know this, I truly value you as a friend and colleague. (And if you have a friend that could really use this information PLEASE spread the love & forward it to them!)

Also, if you think I’m totally NUTS please come right out and say it…

I LOVE feedback!

CHOW BELLA J

P.S. Need help with a project? Drop me a line, I’m totally FULL of it. (Marketing ideas I mean.)

Thanks for reading, Comments are welcome!

Bob Holiday

Marketing Magician

Bob@855MagicAd.com