How to Create A Believable Advertisement

by | Apr 14, 2015 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Back to my continuing series on advertising on WOWO Radio.  Today, the content of your ad and what follows is excellent advice from a recent newsletter from RAB.com:3d small people holds a magnifier

Commercial specifics get results
Radio creative consultant Jeffrey Hedquist
Which sounds more believable? “Hundreds to choose from!” or “We have 324 of these widgets in our showroom right now.”

Want to give your commercials more power? Be specific. Examine each of the claims that you make in a commercial. Replace the generalities with specifics and you’ll have a more believable story.

Instead of saying “we have great service,” describe how when you come into the store the sales consultant will ask you four important questions about how you’re going to use this product and then demonstrate a variety of choices for you, explaining the pros and cons of each one.

Or you can say, “One week after your purchase, one of our representatives will call you to answer any questions you might have, show you additional ways of using the product and even offer hands-on help should you need it. Why do we do this? We want you to have a successful experience with our product. So when it’s time for you to buy another one you’ll come back to us.” In other words, tell your audience why you’re offering a benefit, don’t just throw out a cliché.

Yes, it takes more time to paint a word picture of this experience, but you’ve now given the potential buyer a reason to buy that doesn’t sound like a pat phrase.

People are so used to hearing generalities like “lowest prices,” or “friendly sales staff” that those words have no meaning anymore. Comb through your copy. Take every single phrase and make it come alive by using specifics. And where do you get those specifics? Simply tell the truth in detail.

Do you have factory-trained mechanics? Tell us, “Last July three of our mechanics attended a two-week training course where they learned how to repair the six most common ignition system problems. They took apart and reassembled the ignitions of seven domestic and eight foreign car manufacturers. Does your mechanic get that kind of training?”

Your commercial will be more convincing if you tell the truth – in detail. Amazing.

This type of specifics should be in all of your ads.  The problem you will run into is the time and cost of creating ads for television and print that need to change.  For example, when you only have 197 widgets left, wouldn’t it be great to have your add give an accurate number?  We can do that on WOWO without the extra cost.  I have a couple of methods to do this.  Contact me and we’ll talk.