What leads some ads to become breakthroughs — and others to die on the vine?
(And note, despite using the same two words in succession, the title of this essay does not refer to the actual writing of the book Breakthrough Advertising by the late, great Eugene Schwartz. Although I do HIGHLY recommend that book. In fact, it’s #2 on my Top 10 Copywriting Books list. And, as you’re about to read, that book heavily influences today’s advice.)
I’ve spent a lot of time (since 2005!) thinking about what it takes to write a great ad.
First and foremost, an ad that has an overwhelming chance of being profitable and hitting response benchmarks for my clients.
Second, I most definitely want the control — meaning, the best-performing ad against any and all challengers, to sell the same offer.
Third, I’m always aiming for a big breakthrough.
And in service of that, I’m CONSTANTLY looking for ways to write ads that capture more attention, maintain and build interest, stimulate desire, and inspire action.
Hint: it’s all about the IDEAS…
I’ve written before about The ONLY Three Big Ideas for Any Selling Message. And then I went and built my whole High-Velocity Copywriting and High-Velocity Copywriting Templates program around those three big idea types.
But in the last few days, I’ve been thinking more and more about this, as I’m developing two very different “Big Idea” promotions alongside each other.
And I’ve realized that pretty much any time you get a promotion that performs a notch or two higher than anything else being written by top writers, it actually fits one of two criteria…
Big Idea Criteria #1: It’s about something that’s truly new…
I go to the investment market for examples, because it’s where I’ve done so much client work.
So, for example, a new technology is developing, or coming to market. There’s a newer company who has a foothold in the market.
This is all NEW and EXCITING, and inherently carries with it an appeal for investors who are always looking for the next big thing.
When Apple launches its newest iPhone, it’s playing to this phenomenon, too. There’s a new product that people have been waiting for, and its newness is enough in the beginning to capture attention and interest.
Big Idea Criteria #2: It’s a new spin on an old concept…
You see this frequently in Agora-style investment promos.
Once upon a time, one writer wrote about Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs). This is where you buy a stock through a designated vendor (not your normal brokerage) and reinvest any dividends back into more shares.
These actually turn out to be incredible long-term investments, when compared to the market as a whole. And so they offer really appealing returns, BUT…
They are boring as stink, and well-known to most investors. So if you simply pitch DRIP stock recommendations, nobody cares.
So you put a new spin on it, give it a new name (or, as Mark Ford/Michael Masterson taught, neologize it).
And with a new name, you can capture all the interest that newness brings, even if you’re selling an “old” concept.
In both cases, the reason these create breakthroughs is they “hack” the market awareness spectrum…
Here’s the thing…
In the most-competitive, most-mature, most-lucrative markets, prospects are hyper-aware and largely jaded.
The only way to get through to them in a major way is to make them feel unaware again — that is, to give them the feeling of discovery.
Even if you’re in a familiar market, this feeling of novelty around your idea or message will draw in their attention and engagement, at least for long enough for you to get them stimulated in other ways.
And yet, that’s NOT the only benefit of doing this…
This kind of NEW “Big Idea” can also hook prospects who are actually unaware…
That is, in a market like investing, there are millions of people who’ve signed up for free and paid investment newsletters. Most have seen quite a few promotions already. And they’re aware.
But there’s a much larger audience of potential prospects out there who simply haven’t moved into the market as buyers yet.
And this even bigger audience will NOT go for something that’s more direct.
If someone’s not used to buying investment publications, it’s unlikely you’re going to hit them with a more direct promotion that might work for the kinds of people who buy lots of investment newsletters and are willing to try almost anything.
But let’s say you present a “NEW” idea that actually feels somewhat newsworthy and interesting. It might be about the direction of the economy, or it might be about that new technology. Or, it might be on a personal finance topic that holds some appeal for anyone interested in personal finance (I’m thinking of the “new retirement account” promotion referencing DRIP stocks).
Whether or not the opportunity being revealed is “new,” the newness of the idea and presentation can capture this broader market, too.
And it’s the newsworthiness of the whole thing — the feeling of novelty — that brings people in.
One more thing about these “new” big ideas…
The buying process pretty much always moves through the market awareness model presented in Eugene Schwartz’s book.
From unaware…
To problem/need/desire-aware…
To solution-aware…
To you-aware…
To deal/offer-aware…
When you’re presenting a “new” idea, you’re actually forced to walk through this entire awareness spectrum, just because you don’t assume the prospect knows anything about it.
And so you have to present it, step-by-step, in a way that carries the prospect through the natural cycle involved in any purchasing decision.
You know you’re presenting something that feels “new” to the prospect. So you have to justify it every step of the way.
Which means it doesn’t matter if your prospect is mostly unaware in the market, or if they’re a multi-buyer from your company, you’re still helping them get from wherever they’re at all the way to the sale.
And, in fact, this can even be helpful in breathing new life into a customer relationship, if they were you-aware but losing interest because you were starting to feel less “new.”
My question to you…
How can you make your next advertisement or selling message about something that looks and feels NEW, both to people coming into your market for the first time, and to people who already know you well?
Do that, and you might just create a breakthrough.
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
