Last week, I went on a guy’s camping and boating trip to Lake Havasu. The lake is one of five that sits along the Colorado River. It’s perhaps most famous for being home to London Bridge, which spanned the River Thames until the late 1960s.
We found a decent campsite on the lake’s eastern shore just above Parker Dam, and settled in for a few days of fun and relaxation.
Before long, however, we found ourselves plagued by a series of uninvited guests — namely four diamondback rattlesnakes that seemed intent on blocking our path and taking over our campsite.
Needless to say, a chomp on the foot from one of these critters would have put a serious crimp in our fun and relaxation. So when one by one they got too close, we dispatched them — hopefully sending them to a better place with more mice and fewer humans.
These rattlesnakes remind me of something Vic Schwab says in “How to Write a Good Advertisement:”
“You, the advertiser, are the Uninvited Guest — actually, let’s face it, an intruder.”
Why? Because …
“Nobody in the world (except you) is waiting for your advertisement to appear. Everybody in the world (except you) would much rather read the news, comics, stories, articles, editorials or even the obituaries.”
And while your prospects are unlikely to kill you and chop off your head for intruding on their day, they are ready, willing and eager to delete your email, drop your direct mail piece into the garbage, close your landing page and to turn the page on your space ad.
That’s why, according to Schwab, you’ll get a big advantage over your competitors when your advertising — whatever form it takes — offers your prospects, “news, entertainment or instruction which is of helpful personal value.”
Adding value gives your prospects a reason to read your advertising. And it turns you from intruder in their lives into a welcome guest with something to offer.
It doesn’t mean every prospect will buy, of course. In fact, most of them won’t. However, you’ll have a much better shot at getting your message heard and your product or service sold.
So the next time you sit down to write an ad, put yourself in your prospects shoes. Ask yourself what desirable reward you can offer them in return for them taking the time to read your message. Look for ways to provide a little value alongside your advertising message and you’ll be astounded at how much better your results will be.
