How to Win New Customers Before Your Competitors

There are only TWO types of marketing.

1.    DIRECT response marketing, and

2.    Brand marketing.

The difference can cost you thousands or make you thousands.
Brand marketing is used by companies like Coca Cola to build and increase awareness of their brand.  If you want to do brand marketing ask yourself the following important questions:

1.    Do you have HUGE amounts of money to spend?

2.    Do you mind not getting it back?

Unless you have huge amounts of money which you are happy to lose, you should avoid brand marketing at all costs. For small & medium businesses it is a complete waste of money.

Brand marketing is all about image, it does not compel people to buy and is largely ignored.  Although I admit they can consist of great graphics and may be amusing.

The ONLY type of marketing you ever want to consider is direct response marketing, which has just one purpose; to produce a clear response. 

Direct Response Marketing is about giving your prospect enough of your sales story to compel them to take action and ask a question about what-ever you are selling.  Your marketing must provide sufficient, persuasive information to create an immediate response from your prospect.  It creates interest, desire, matches their needs and leads to your prospect taking action NOW.

The type of response may vary depending on the type of business you are in and your overall marketing strategy. You may want the response to be an immediate purchase. You may want the response to be for someone to contact you to ask for a brochure or join your opt-in list.

The great thing about direct response marketing is that you can instantly tell whether it is working – well as long as you are testing and measuring.  It either produces a response or it doesn’t. Most small business marketing does not work because it lacks the basic elements to get a response and tries too hard to be a brand.  This makes it a combination of ‘almost not quite’ direct response and completely ineffective brand marketing. 

You now know the difference.  Direct Response is the ONLY marketing for 95% of businesses.

My proven formula for a marketing piece, regardless of medium (print, TV, radio, Internet, etc) to get you on the right track:

1.    Only use ‘BENEFIT to Prospect’ Headlines – make the benefits obvious – every medium you use has a headline

2.    Follow through your headline promise in the first sentence / paragraph – expand on the promise made with a sub-headline

3.    Tell them what they are going to get

4.    Provide your prospect with proof / endorsements

5.    Tell your prospect what they will lose out on if they do not act now

6.    Make an offer – and in doing so make your closing sales points a summary of the most important benefits

7.    Tell them to take action NOW. Such as;

a.    Call NOW

b.    Ask for a FREE Sample

c.    Ask for your free 30 day trial now.

8.    And finally…. Your logo if used at all, is not important – put it bottom right

Want a compelling headline?  Read my previous post that gave you 53 template headlines to kick start your headlines.  BUT before you do read this….

Want to know the 18 benefits people buy?  Subscribe to our free blog / Newsletter announcement list and you’ll get my report on the 18 benefits people buy for FREE. 

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Your Success Partner

Peter