Since I screwed up and didn’t follow my advice and schedule time to send in my articles, I decided to send two articles today. They will both be further advice on advertising.
Part 2
- Make an irresistible offer. This is a way to create a first contact with potential clients. Offer them a deal that they cannot refuse if they have any interest whatsoever in your product or service. This can be a product at cost, or even a free offer. One thing I’ve begun to offer in order to begin communication is a CD with party advice, photos, information, and a planning calendar/checklist. I suggest not attaching any strings to this offer or it will turn people off. Sure it may not produce immediate funds and it may even cost you something (it runs me 50 cent for the CD, mailer, and postage), but you’re creating relationships for future clients.
Chris Anderson, the editor at WIRED magazine, wrote an interesting piece about ‘FREE’ being the new business model: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free
- MAJOR POINT: Test various headlines for your advertisements. Again, this is something you’ll want to do with all of your communications. Test various headlines to see your response. Also, make sure you include a headline. Many people do not include headlines on their ads or other services and I really think this will hurt your effectiveness. People like headlines because it lets them know whether to read further.
**Bonus Tip** Two great ideas for forming headlines are to include a number (i.e., 51 Ways to Prosper in Any Economy) or to use the phrase “How to” (i.e., How to Market Your Entertainment Business). As you can tell, I do indeed take my advice.
**Bonus Tip** If you use this technique for mailings or e-mails, try putting the client’s name or company in the headline. This helps to make the message personal.