The awesome power of FREE

The Power of FREE

Yes it is a fact that businesses who have embraced this philosophy are staggeringly more successful
than those that keep on the old traditional ways, but how can this be.

What is the first stage of Marketing:
Understanding this, and indeed all facets of marketing will set you apart from your peers.

Most businesses think marketing is simply putting an advert in a magazine or newpaper but they couldn't be further from the truth.

You need to start by asking yourself

* What is the advert intended to do?
* What should someone reading the advert do as a result of seeing it?
* Who is it aimed at?

The best form of advertising is 'Direct Response advertising'. This is where your target is encouraged to take some action immediately as a result of seeing the ad.

So if we think back to the purpose of the first stage of advertising. It should be to filter out your target leads from the population of prospects. The term I use is

"... making someone raise their hand to signal an interest in what you do..."

How do we achieve this:

Well lets consider how we ourselves might act. Its unlikely we would buy something there and then, and its unlikely we would call up a number for a chat, ( even a freephone number ). We might however be tempted by a FREE item of some value connected to the main product proposition.

Example of this at Work:
Lets say I am advising a firm of Financial Advisors who are looking to take on more clients. I would suggest they run an advert with a headline along the lines of

Do you want to get a Better Return from your Investments

Now, as our members learn from the copywriting modules, the headline is reader centric as its about them not the company. Its benefit laden and 'Speaks' to someone who already has investments but want to improve them.

So we've filtered out our targets from the prospect population. We've already done better than 98% of other adverts. Well done!

Now we go on to point out how confusing all the products can be and how people have been seriously caught out by not being properly advised.

This begins to introduce my client as possible experts and introduces fear inthe target about not having their own affairs sorted correctly. What if they get caught out?

Now we have a targetted, interested reader who is in doubt as to the state of their own investments so we move in with the relationship building. Remember they're unlikely to sign up and move over to this new advisor right away and they are apprehensive about calling and getting into a pressure selling situation so we offer them a way out.

The advert finishes off with

" Visit www.robmnrun.com or call our automated service to get your FREE 10 page guide entitled
7 things you must know and do to protect your investments and lock in a better return"

Why wouldn't they respond? Now most will use the web link but either way my client gets their contact details and Email address and can start a relationship with them.

Businesses who want to Grow and survive in the modern economy must start doing things differently.

Find out how. Become a member of The Business Builder Club.com

By Steve Wardle - Founder of TheBusinessBuilderClub.com
http://www.TheBusinessBuilderClub.com

Wed 17th Feb 2011