Re: ONLINE-ADS>> advertising on free e-mail sites

Red (red_at_thisisgreat.com)
Tue, 19 May 1998 16:50:11 -0400

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"Kristin Zhivago" <kristin_at_zhivago.com> wrote:

> With all due respect, 30 years of high-tech marketing has taught me one
> thing: no matter what medium you're using, the most profitable "click
> triggers" are not any of the items mentioned here. There is only
> one "click trigger" that leads to profits, and it is this: a promise
> to solve a real problem or meet a real need

What Kristin ia actually describing here IMHO is the "purchase trigger"
(step two), not the click trigger (step one).

A banner ad is not a complete advertisement. An effective banner is
simply an attention grabbing headline. As in print advertising, the body
of the ad solves the problem. An effective banner may present a problem
or simply suggest something outrageous or intriguing to get the viewer's
attention - it's an attention-grabbing headline. The headline may also
solve a problem, but that can't always be done in a few short words for
every product or service. The banner is the stuff dreams are made of,
the destination seeks to solve the problem and induce an order.

Think of some marketing ads out right now: A famous American TV
commercial for home study courses features Sally Struthers. The first
thing she says (the headline) is "Do you want to make more money? Sure,
we all do." She presents the problem, but doesn't solve it in the
"headline". The solution is in the body and the product. They also use
this same technique in their print ads and haven't changed it for years.
Why? It works.

I saw an ad for merchant services that said "Every Business NEEDS this".
It's a teaser and an effective headline. It solves no problems, but gets
the busy exec or entrepreneur etc. thinking (s)he might have missed
something in their business planning. It's emotional and appeals to fear
and hopes for success, and hopefully gets the viewer to read on, where
the problem is presented and solved.

Microsoft's now famous slogan "Where do you want to go today?" solves no
problems, but is makes an effective attention grabbing headline. It
makes people curious and appeals to a sense of adventure.

My own domain name, www.thisisgreat.com has achieved clicks here and
there simply because the name piqued people's curiousity, and they
wanted to know what was so great.

In short, when developing a banner campaign, I would go back and read up
on writing headlines, not on making sales. Use your sales-letter writing
techniques at the destination website.

Great comments everyone! I am pretty new to this list and really
enjoying it!

--
Shirley "Red" Pulawski red_at_thisisgreat.com
* FREE Pentium Computer and $900 Cash *
http://www.thisisgreat.com/freepc
* Let the Banks Fight for Your Merchant Account Business *
http://www.heyitsred.com/merchants/


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