This month we’re dissecting a local newspaper ad (contrary to popular belief and despite the proliferation of newspapers and magazines moving online, many people still prefer the printed version rather than the digital one, so printed media is still a fantastic medium to generate sales and leads).
Here are the details…
Industry: Insect Defence
The Results: This ad replaced an existing one which had been performing so poorly that the owners considered pulling their advertising spend altogether. The new ad ran and immediately increased lead generation by over 100%. This in turn increased sales by over £30,000.
Why It Worked So Well:
- The headline is based on the headline format of one of the best – selling ads of all time (written by John Caples—“They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I started To Play…”). It works perfectly in the context of this product.
- The ad is written in a personal and conversational style, making it fun and interesting to read.
- The product is introduced in the ad in the context of a solution (a proven method) rather than just a product that has a list of functions and features.
- The ad has a photo of the owner with his arm around the product as if it’s a living, breathing thing. This creates a personal connection with the owner and the machine he is promoting.
- Strong social proof in the form of testimonials is provided early on in the ad, increasing confidence in the ad’s claims about the product.
- The ad uses a number of key benefits to communicate in limited space what a user could expect if they purchased this product. This is in stark contrast to the standard feature list that many product ads use, which under-inform and in turn undervalue the product in question.
- The call to action uses a scarcity tactic which works well as long as it’s The results proved that in this case it performed well.
- The ad thanks the people that the owner and his staff met at their exhibition stand at a local event, further adding a personal touch to the ad.
