October 26, 2009

Why Your Ads and Copy Are Failing

ImageChef.com - Custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more If you ads and copy are not getting results then it pretty much comes down to one simple factor.

What is it you ask?

Well it's funny that you're asking because that's what you should be doing with your market.

If you're not getting the results you want in your advertising copy then…

You simply don't know your market well enough.

It really just comes down to RESEARCH.

I've found time and time again that the only time I've ever had what most people call 'writers block' is when I didn't quite know the market I was writing for well enough. It's actually a symptom of lack of knowledge.

All I'd do on the few occasions I've encountered this in writing for clients, is go back and do some more work researching – the copy would flow from me soon after.

The same applies to getting results with your marketing and copy. If they're not forthcoming then it's time to take a step back.

The truth is researching doesn't have to be hard. There's lots of ways one can find out about there market.

What sells currently? What ads seem to be working for others? What do the prospects and customers in the market think?

These are simple questions to ask yourself.

But to really know you need to be looking deeper, actually getting in to the thoughts of your market.

The two best ways to do this are SURVEYS and INTERVIEWS.

I'll talk about these more in future posts but for now the point to understand is…

If you're not getting the response you want from your market, there's something you're missing.

It could be in the product, the offer or the copy (the presentation of the offer). The fact remains the same.

It's dead simple and yet I see it time and time again with new clients coming to me for help. Copy being written with limited (if any) real understanding of the market.

So have a think about how this might apply to your business and then get to work developing a real, in-depth understanding of your market.

And stay tuned for more on the specific techniques on how to do this. I know you'll find them very beneficial.

Stephen

Filed under Copywriting, Copywriting Basics, Market Research