Active Networks

So you have decided that your advert must have a call to action in it. A call to action is a persuasive argument designed to have the prospect take an action. It is generally built around a benefit to the prospect (buy now and save 20%) or the fear of missing out (don’t delay SALE – limited to floor stock only). A call to action differs to a branding strategy in that you are chasing an immediate measurable benefit, a sale or the ability to communicate directly with the prospect. Why use a call to Action? It is the old adage [...]

Since the growth of below-the-line marketing channels, employees are put under an ever-increasing pressure to track every source of their marketing, regardless of the goal. Here are 7 ways that you can track your Print advertising... Ask - but as a guide only Don’t rely on the person who answers the phone at the office to track your results. Numerous studies have shown the reliability and effectiveness of staff asking questions related to the advertising source is very hit and miss. If the question is asked, it typically steers the customer to provide one answer, yet we know there are numerous [...]

“You need to spend a dollar to make a dollar.” We’ve all heard the saying and, most importantly, we don’t mind spending a dollar if we know we definitely will make two dollars. Businesses recognise they need to invest money in marketing and advertising and that, if done wisely, they will be better off. However, the question is, “What am I willing to risk and what is my potential return on investment?” ‘Risk’ is simple to understand - it’s your investment (the dollars you will spend on advertising) weighed up against the minimum sales you need to recover from that investment. [...]

Good advert design leads to good dress sense. It’s the weekend, so perhaps you’re going to a party. Or perhaps you’re off to the theatre, watching your favourite sports team play, or having a romantic dinner with your partner. How are you going to dress? How will you present yourself, what message do you want to convey and to whom? How do you want to be perceived? Loud and trendy? Suave? Parochial? Casual but smart, or cool and available? How we present ourselves at work, amongst friends or at an event is an advertisement for who we want to make an [...]

Discover your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and stop selling on price. What could be unique about a hair salon, a café, tradesperson or florist? The vast majority of businesses don’t know what their USP is – yet it’s the key to why customers purchase. For our magazines, it is our shelf life – the ability to put your message on your customers’ coffee table, alive and generating results for up to a month. What’s yours? So, let’s take a look at what a USP is and how to unearth yours. Wikipedia defines a unique selling proposition (USP) as a unique benefit exhibited [...]

Without a BENEFIT, you are just noise. In previous newsletters, we’ve discussed the various components needed to create adverts that sell. Today, we focus on the understanding of product features and benefits. Failure to get this right will mean a huge part of your customer base will be oblivious to your advertising campaign. What is McDonald’s selling? When training new sales staff, I often ask the question, “What is McDonald’s selling?” If you, like many of my trainees, answer “burgers”, you may be costing yourself a lot of business. It is true that when I go to McDonald’s I buy a [...]

Use of the IMAGE Don’t forget the 3 second rule. In 3 seconds, your advert needs to communicate what you do (in broad terms) and engage me! The image is a MAJOR part of this. Let’s take a look at a few rules related to the use of images and then we’ll look at some amazing adverts that rely on an image to convey their message. A good photograph can be just as important as the headline It’s true - a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture is there to grab attention, to engage, inform, generate an emotion, to [...]

Too often we consult with clients that know they need to advertise but don’t know why. NOT WHY advertise, we believe every business should advertise in one way or another, but WHY NOW? Are we advertising as a reaction to a dip in sales, to defend against competitors, to build trust and goodwill, to inform or remind the pubic of a product or service? We really can’t move forward to the WHAT, WHERE and HOW until we address the WHY. WHY Advertise Sell - You need to shift product, meet sales targets or maximise profit. Your sale could be about moving stock [...]