Marketing Made Easy by Karon Thackston - HTML preview

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Chapter III: Successful Copywriting

Headlines - Life or Death of Your Advertising

Discover THE Most Important Element of Your Web Site

Long Copy or Short Copy

Should I Say Me or We?

Light a Fire Under Your Customers

Chapter IV: Offline Marketing With Online Results

Free Offline Methods To Promote Your Internet Business

Do It Like A Pro ~ How to Create A Brochure

Chapter V: Publicity - It's FREE & It Works

Getting Free Publicity – How to Write A Press Release

Chapter VI: Don't Waste Your Time - Track Your Advertising

Results

Which Ads Work and Which Ones Don’t

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Chapter I: Getting Inside the Mind Of Your Customer

The Most Important Thing To Know About Advertising

So What?!

Customer Preferences In Online Advertising

o Part One - Information Rules Over Entertainment

o Part Two - The Annoyance Factor of Online Advertising

o Part Three - Look At Behavioral Traits Not Demographics

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The Most Important Thing To Know About Advertising

© 2000 Karon Thackston

http://www.ktamarketing.com

I am often asked, “What is the most important thing to know about advertising?” The

answer is simple, although it eludes many people.

Know your target audience!

When you ask most business owners who their target audience is, you are generally

quoted a list of demographics. While demographics are a portion of the make up, to

know your target audience goes far beyond statistics.

Advertising is a message you send to the people whose business you would like to

gain. It is a form of communication to a specific group of buyers. When you

communicate with friends and family, you take the communication style of that

particular person into account before you speak or write. The same holds true for

your target audience.

When you begin to write a letter, you don’t sit down and begin writing without first

determining who the letter will be addressed to. If you are writing your mother, you

will no doubt design the message differently than if you are writing your best friend.

Your verbiage changes and your style changes according to who you are writing. You

make a point, although sometimes subconsciously, to write in such a way that your

audience will be receptive. These same principles apply when addressing your target

audience via advertising messages.

Find out all you can about what kind of people your target group consists of… not

just what demographic segment they fall into. Find out if they are analytical or

creative types, if they are business professionals or stay-at-home moms. The closer

you get to those in your target audience, the more effectively you’ll be able to

communicate with them…and the better received your advertising will be!

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So What?!

© 2000 Karon Thackston

http://www.ktamarketing.com

When writing advertising copy, asking this question is essential. Why? Because your

customer is going to ask it over and over again.

Customers do that. I’ll bet you do it, too! Customers want to know what’s in it for

them. That’s why it is vitally important to constantly work the answers to “So what”

and “Why” into your copy. This is done by listing features, but more importantly by

listing benefits.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say you see an ad for a cat litter. The ad indicates

this cat litter offers specially enhanced particles. Everyone’s next question will be “So

What?” The specially enhanced particles are a feature of the cat litter. The feature

doesn’t relate why the customer needs this product. The feature may be quite

impressive, however the person watching wants to know why they should be

interested in those particles. To answer the question at hand we need to list the

benefit.

It just so happens that these specially enhanced particles were developed to absorb

every single bit of odor left in the litter box. These particles will leave the litter box

just as fresh smelling as before kitty did his business. That is what the customer

needs to know. That information is what the customer will relate to. Now, are you

asking, “So What”? Ok, I’ll tell you.

When writing copy, be sure to include features and benefits. Let’s look at our cat

litter ad again. If we make just one small adjustment to the copy it becomes much

more powerful.

Kitty Fresh cat litter was developed with specially enhanced particles that adsorb all

odors from the litter box. Your house stays fresh smelling all day. And because these

particles work so well, you won’t need to change the litter box as often. Try Kitty

Fresh cat litter today!

How’s that? That answers “so what” and “why”. The customer understands what the

particles are and why they need them.

Here are some other questions to remember when writing ad copy:

1) Why does that feature benefit me?

2) Why would I use that product?

3) Why should I buy your service/product over any other?

4) What’s in it for me?

When writing, focus on what is going through the customer’s mind. Try having a

friend or associate give you feedback on your copy. Tell them to answer the question

“So what”. If they can, you’ve done your job!

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Customer Preferences in Online Advertising-Part 1 of 3

Information Rules Over Entertainment

© 2000 Karon Thackston

www.ktamarketing.com

Online consumers have given some very explicit information regarding their

preferences when it comes to advertising. According to research conducted by

Jupiter (www.jup.com), a worldwide authority on Internet commerce, there are

several things online business people need to be aware of in order to increase their

advertising effectiveness.

I have created this 3-part series of articles as a commentary relating to the results of

Jupiter’s study entitled, “Inside the Mind of the Online Consumer”. It will help you

understand what the information means to you. Taking heed to the

recommendations Jupiter reveals will most certainly improve your advertising

response rate.

Customers Use the Internet for Information

Forty-eight (48) percent of consumers online use the Internet primarily as a utility

device, not an entertainment device. This means they are using the Internet as a

tool, not a toy. Because of that fact, consumers are primarily looking for

information, not games. This is not a new revelation. However, how this fact relates

to advertising is new.

Customers Want Information-Based Ads

According to the customers in Jupiter’s survey, they respond to advertising that

compliments their online activities. Forty (40) percent said they respond more

readily to online ads that are informative rather than entertaining. This would

include new product developments, benefits-oriented ads and those focusing on

service issues.

Notice that one of the categories listed is “product benefits”. This is where the

majority of online advertisers fall to pieces. It is simply imperative that online

advertising copy be filled with benefits. Online consumers are looking to answer the

question, “What’s in it for me” over and over again. They are seeking information

and the advertising you give them should fill that need.

How to Build An Information-Oriented Ad

So now that we’ve learned that customers are ready and waiting for us to provide

them with information-based advertising… how do we do it? Does that automatically

mean you have to go with long copy? No, not at all.

According to Jupiter, “Advertisers that are marketing high-consideration products,

which require a more informed purchase process, should focus more exclusively on

consumers’ online information needs. Advertisers that are marketing low-consideration products – for which consumers require little information in order to

complete a purchase – have more leeway to take a less informative and more

entertaining approach to their advertising.”

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It’s just as I’ve stated for years. Let your target market lead your decision to use

long or short copy. Those seeking information on affiliate programs, MLM programs,

high-investment products or services, etc. are going to be seeking more information

than someone in search of a new bathrobe. For more detail in this area, visit

http://www.ktamarketing.com/articles_longcopy.html.

Here are some suggestions you can use to help build a successful information-type

ad:

1. Include statistics – When you make a sales claim, back it up with

information, including statistics. You might say, “Our saucepans have a non-stick coating that’s guaranteed for life. In actual, in-home testing, food did

not stick to our saucepans 98.3% of the time.”

2. Include targeted benefits – You must include targeted benefits to make

your message hit its mark. Let’s take the saucepan example a bit further.

“Our saucepans have a non-stick coating that’s guaranteed for life. In actual,

in-home testing, food did not stick to our saucepans 98.3% of the time. You

get omelets that come out of the pan whole. You get sautéed chicken that

makes a beautiful presentation on the plate. You get less waste, less burnt

food and more healthy cooking because you use no oil.” Now those are

benefits any chef would think are important.

3. Provide content on your site that backs up your claims – As you surf

the Web take note of information that supports your advertising claims.

Surveys, research, reports, testimonials, etc. can all provide valuable

information that could move a customer from the point-of-decision to the

point-of-purchase.

4. Submit articles – Customers looking for information are much more likely to

respond to a URL listed in an article than a bold-faced advertisement.

Because articles provide information in a non-threatening way, they work

along the same level as endorsements and referrals. Write articles relating to

your area of expertise and submit them to article archive sites and Ezine

publishers.

5. Offer a free report – Give away information free with a purchase or

subscription to your newsletter. Since information is what surfers are looking

to receive, it will work as a big incentive.

Next in the series will be a focus on ads that are avoided and shunned by online

customers… and how to be sure yours isn’t one of them!

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Customer Preferences in Online Advertising-Part 2 of 3

The Annoyance Factor of Online Advertising

© 2000 Karon Thackston

www.ktamarketing.com

In part one of this series, we discussed the fact that studies show information leads

over entertainment. We discovered that Web site visitors are primarily looking for

information, and therefore, ads should be more information-oriented.

The second of the three discoveries in the Jupiter Communications (www.jup.com)

survey that I will comment on is the discovery that some online advertising is seen

as an extreme annoyance. Let’s be sure your ads aren’t included in that group.

What They Hate

No one likes to be bombarded with advertising. We all see it everywhere we go. It’s

on television, the radio, billboards, and even grocery story carts for goodness sake.

However, online advertising is viewed as the most aggressive.

Jupiter found that 49% of those surveyed said online advertising was the most

intrusive of all. Many were willing to tolerate ads in broadcast or print media,

probably due to the fact that they could leave the room, change the station or turn

the page. However, online ads hold an extremely negative reputation.

From my experience, this is most likely due to the fact that online ads often have a

“used car dealer” air to them. I have seen many that look like they’re all produced

from the same template.

These ads promise the sun, the moon and the stars. They scream about why you

simply must buy the product or service. Then, to make it worse, the site captures

your email address and you receive hundreds of email advertisements via an

autoresponder that apparently has no end.

The Worst Possible Ads

The worst offender is pop-up ads. These are the advertisements that pop onto the

screen as you click through a Web site. They advertise specials or offer subscriptions

to Ezines, etc. Once thought to be a tremendous sales tool, these ads have become

increasingly offensive.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of those in the Jupiter survey viewed pop-up ads

negatively. Almost 25% found them so annoying they would completely avoid sites

that used them. That’s a powerful statistic. Can you afford to have 25% of your

Web site traffic never return simply because you employ pop-up ads?

What We Can Do To Make It Better

So, now that we know what our site visitors hate, how can we adjust our advertising

in order to please them (and make them buy)?

Here are some recommendations to consider when creating your next piece of

advertising:

1.

Don’t do “anything and everything” to get the buyer’s attention. Everyone

that comes to your site isn’t going to buy. The harder you try to get their

attention and force them to read your ad, the harder they will try to

escape.

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2.

Remember from Part 1 in this series, site visitors are looking for

information primarily. Include your ad along with other, useful

information. Perhaps you might try offering a free report or article that

provides information the visitor can use. At the bottom, insert an

advertisement for a product or service you offer that can help them

further.

3.

Don’t use pop-up ads.

4.

Keep your target audience in mind. Business people aren’t going to have

the time or inclination to participate in game-type ads. On the other

hand, teenagers love them. If your target group is younger people,

games might be the thing for you. Design your ad to meet the

preferences of your target customer.

Using these suggestions will help your ads be more readily received – instead of

avoided at all costs!

In Part 3, the final article in this series, we’ll look at the behavioral aspect of online

advertising and discover what characteristics and traits should be kept in mind.

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Customer Preferences in Online Advertising-Part 3 of 3

Look At Behavioral Traits Not Demographics

© 2000 Karon Thackston

www.ktamarketing.com

In part two of this series, we discussed the annoyance factor of online ads and how

to overcome them. In this last article, I’ll tell you how to use behavioral traits to

direct advertising efforts rather than demographics.

I am a strong proponent of defining your target audience. If you don’t know who

you are communicating with, how will you be able to do it effectively? Jupiter

Communications’ (www.jup.com) survey backs up my claims.

What Difference Does Behaviorism Make?

I’m sure almost everyone has heard the phrase features vs. benefits. The entire

premise behind this statement is that you must tell the audience what’s in it for

them. How, if you don’t know their concerns, their hopes and their needs, are you

going to define benefits that will make a difference to your target customer?

The difference between demographics and behaviorism is that one tells you the

basics and the other tells you the details. Demographics let you know that your

customer is a man employed in upper management who is 45 years old, has 2

children and makes approximately $50,000 per year.

Behaviorism tells you that, because he’s a man, he is compelled by information-type

ads. (If he were a she, she would most likely respond to animation or sound.) It

also tells you that he’s burned out on corporate politics, having a mid-life crisis, can’t

being to think of how he’s going to pay for college for 2 kids and is in bad need of a

raise! Now… which profile do you think you could communicate more effectively

with? The demographic or the behavior? (It’s a rhetorical question!)

Target Everything About Your Advertising

People hear the phrase “target marketing” and “target audience” all the time. But do

you understand how extremely important those phrases are to the success of your

marketing campaign? You simply must, MUST know your target audience.

When you communicate with them through advertising, you absolutely have to be

able to address their fears, their problems and their concerns with a solution. They

want to know what’s in it for them. If you don’t understand what they need, you

simply can’t answer that question.

Targeted advertising increases sales!

When you create an advertising piece, especially online, every aspect should reach

out and grab your target customer. This means the copy (especially), the design,

the colors, the photos, the graphics, the packaging (if applicable), the ordering

process… absolutely everything.

Segmenting Your Broad Market

One trouble that often plaques businesses is the fact that their target audience is so

broad. If that is the case with your company, try segmenting the market and

appealing to each segment’s behavioral traits.

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For example: perhaps you’re a Real Estate agent. You need a Web site and want to

appeal to several segments of the Real Estate market. What can you do to

incorporate the behavioral traits and other preferences of so many people?

Divide your site into smaller areas specifically targeted to each segment. You might

choose to have a link on your home page that says “Need to sell your home? Click

here!” In that section you can speak specifically to the needs and concerns of home

sellers. (Who are usually women!)

Another area might be directed toward home buyers. These people want lots and

lots of information, including pictures. Be sure to give it to them along with some

articles dealing with hiring a moving company, transferring your utilities to a new

address and how to prepare children for a new school. Get it? Major decisions

require lots of information.

Keep Focused On the Customer

Above all, keep focused on your customers and their needs. Resist the temptation to

use your favorite shade of pink as a primary color in your Web design if your

customers are mostly men. Remember that you can choose to include an optional

flash presentation within your site if you’re dealing mostly with women. And always,

always address your target market’s concerns and needs with benefit-oriented copy.

By combining the information within the 3 parts of this series, you can truly make

your online advertising more powerful… and more readily received by your

customers.

***The initial survey (about which I have written this commentary) was conducted

by Jupiter (www.jup.com), a worldwide authority on Internet commerce.

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Chapter II: Develop A Plan of Action That Works

Putting Together the Pieces of the Marketing Puzzle

There's Free Advertising Money Out There

Fast, Good, Cheap

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Putting Together The Pieces of The Marketing Puzzle

© 2000 Karon Thackston

www.ktamarketing.com

When I started in advertising… too many years go to admit to… I began to notice

that most “do-it-yourselfers” were making the same mistakes. They were treating

each aspect of marketing and advertising as a separate entity. Instead of creating a

plan based on the marketing process, they were picking and choosing individual

areas to concentrate on. Needless-to-say, they didn’t have much marketing success.

Marketing is the entire process from product conception to delivery. Most people

mistakenly believe that the words “marketing” and “advertising” can be

interchanged. In actuality, advertising is only one part of the entire marketing

process.

The marketing process is like a puzzle. If you leave out any of the pieces, you’ll find

a big hole that detracts from your end result. So what are the pieces and how do

you put them all together? Here, I’ll show you the basics that must be included in

your marketing plan.

Product