A Biz-Op Ad Critique

I decided to flip through some biz-op magazines at Barnes & Noble this weekend. Not because I'm interested in any business opportunities. (My business keeps me plenty busy, so please no MLM pitches!)

But because I'm fascinated with that market. I talked about hype in my last post. And the biz-op market is full of it.

But the great thing about this market is that there is a very high level of awareness of direct response marketing. Which is right up my alley.

I chose an ad in 'Small Business Opportunities' to critique on this blog. In fact, I'll be doing this from time to time in the future, so be sure and stay tuned.

This ad certainly isn't the worst of the ads I saw. In fact, it was one of the better ones... both in terms of scaled-down hype. And in terms of using proven principles of direct response.

But there are certainly many things that can be improved to maximize its response rate.

Take a look...

A HUGE Online Marketing Mistake

You ever see those hyped-up internet sales pages smothered in yellow highlighting with a forest of exclamation marks?

It seems that in many markets (weight loss, biz-op, network marketing, info products, etc.), marketers will work themselves into a frenzy trying to out-hype the competition.

Terry Dean calls this “hypercopyitis.” Ben Settle calls it “frothing at the mouth copywriting.”

I simply call it “empty hype.” Maybe that’s not as colorful as Terry or Ben, but that’s what it is.

And it’s a HUGE mistake.

The key to out-doing your competition isn’t to out-hype them. It’s to out-flank them.

It’s to find the unique elements about your product that make it better... or simply different.

It could be something as simple as a great story. Perhaps your story... or the story of a happy customer... or the incredible story of how you developed the product... anything that will set your product apart.

Consider this headline from the late Gary Halbert, the legendary “Prince of Print...”

Atlanta Housewife Investigated And
Almost Arrested For Losing 73 Pounds

Wow, what a headline! And what a story! Don’t you just HAVE to read on to find out more?

And there’s not one ounce of hype. No string of exclamation points. No bold, unproven claim like “Lose 70 Pounds In 60 Days!!!!!!”

Gary Halbert knew how to uncover the story that provided the “hook” to get readers involved. That’s half the battle.

The bottom line: engage your prospects. Don’t treat them like blithering idiots. Differentiate.... don’t hype.