You've probably read thousands of advertisements online and offline over your lifetime. You've read excellent ads that made you buy right away, and some that may have had a decent product, but had a poor ad copy that turned you away.
Now that your in business for yourself, you've probably written some of your own ads. Did some of them work? Or did some of them bomb?
The key is to keep changing and testing your ad copy. Don't just write one and then stop. You don't have to have a college degree in copy writing, but it's important to learn from the mistakes and never give up.
Please keep in mind that not all of the ad copy mistakes listed below will apply to each and every ad you write. It's a list you can reference for future use.
Ad copy mistakes that you can learn from:
- no compelling headline
- no believable testimonials
- no sub-headlines
- no attractive benefits
- no features
- no strong guarantees
- no asking or answering questions
- no proof of benefits offered
- no contact information for questions
- no endorsements
- no conversational writing
- sentences that are too long
- no deadline to order
- no free trials/samples
- spelling mistakes
- grammar mistakes
- text that is too light
- background on Web site too dark
- ad copy doesn't blend together
- no breaks in ad copy
- no bullets
- ad copy in all CAPS
- few ordering options
- no visual aids
- no comparison to competition
- no reminding of benefits or deadlines
- no information about your business
- no appealing adjectives
- no appealing phrases
- text that is too large
- text that is too small
- no emotional appeal
- paragraphs that are too large
- no story telling
- no underlining or bolding of keywords
- ad copy that is too short
- ad copy that is too long
- no facts or case studies
- hard to understand jargon
- no free bonuses
- price is too low
- price is too high
Take one of your current ads and compare it to the list right now. Remember, your ad copy could make or break your sales.
This article may be reprinted as long as the About the Author resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.
About the Author: Fran McClough wrote the entertaining MLM soap opera, The Amazing Secret of 4 Desperate Networkers, which is for anyone who loves a story with comedy, romance, suspense, and yes, network marketing. The soap opera is available for free only at http://www.DesperateNetworkers.com. She also helps network marketers grow their businesses by understanding marketing, and you can subscribe to the tip of the week newsletter at MLMMarketingSpot.com. Copyright 2005 Fran McClough.