The "Catchy Slogan" Trap
Hey guys,
Since there are a lot of new copywriters here, and business owners interested in improving conversion rates, I'm going to be sharing something more basic, but absolutely essential today.
We get bombarded day in and day out with advertisements that stick in our head. McDonalds "Have you had your break today?" Nike "Just Do it."
The problem that a lot of businesses face is that they end up following a lot of bad examples from the mainstream media. At weekly entrepreneur's meeting I go to, I see people stand up with their elevator pitch, ending with things like "Totally Painless, Totally Pryde." (for a tax accountant named Kerry Pryde), or "Get Smart, Get PaNgo." (for a good detergent). Even an Ad Agency I knew had the slogan "We cut through," with an image of scissors cutting through some metaphorical cardboard. (They REALLY should know better).
The reality that you have to face is that good slogans usually don't translate into more sales. In fact, the catchier the slogan, the more likely it doesn't describe what your product does.
When you have a headline, subhead, or slogan in ANY medium (radio, tv, or online), make sure that your priorities are in this order:
1) It describes what the product actually DOES (i.e., someone could hear it and know what's being sold)
2) It describes the end benefit to the user
3) It's compelling enough to make someone want to read more
Catchiness is a nice bonus but you're almost better off ignoring it as a newbie because it can suck you into such common bad habits. Keep in mind that when you see a slogan on TV, most of the time, it's an enormous brand that has no way of tracking what ads work. This is why people who work in direct mail and online marketing figure out advertising at an exponentially faster rate.
Since there are a lot of new copywriters here, and business owners interested in improving conversion rates, I'm going to be sharing something more basic, but absolutely essential today.
We get bombarded day in and day out with advertisements that stick in our head. McDonalds "Have you had your break today?" Nike "Just Do it."
The problem that a lot of businesses face is that they end up following a lot of bad examples from the mainstream media. At weekly entrepreneur's meeting I go to, I see people stand up with their elevator pitch, ending with things like "Totally Painless, Totally Pryde." (for a tax accountant named Kerry Pryde), or "Get Smart, Get PaNgo." (for a good detergent). Even an Ad Agency I knew had the slogan "We cut through," with an image of scissors cutting through some metaphorical cardboard. (They REALLY should know better).
The reality that you have to face is that good slogans usually don't translate into more sales. In fact, the catchier the slogan, the more likely it doesn't describe what your product does.
When you have a headline, subhead, or slogan in ANY medium (radio, tv, or online), make sure that your priorities are in this order:
1) It describes what the product actually DOES (i.e., someone could hear it and know what's being sold)
2) It describes the end benefit to the user
3) It's compelling enough to make someone want to read more
Catchiness is a nice bonus but you're almost better off ignoring it as a newbie because it can suck you into such common bad habits. Keep in mind that when you see a slogan on TV, most of the time, it's an enormous brand that has no way of tracking what ads work. This is why people who work in direct mail and online marketing figure out advertising at an exponentially faster rate.
e-Mail: hypnoticheadlines@gmail.com