Before you write an advertisement ask yourself these three questions:
- What is the action we want someone to take?
- Who are we trying to persuade to take the action?
- What does that person need in order to feel confident taking that action?
If you have read Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg’s book Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?: Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing then you may recognize these questions. If not, buy the book. These questions, along with the other insights that Bryan and Jeffrey share, will help you to remember why you’re writing the ad in the first place, who the ad is for, and what you need to do to make sure your audience takes the action you desire.
Don’t think these three little questions can have a big impact? Prove me wrong. Print these questions out and post them somewhere you can’t miss them. I keep them posted above my whiteboard. The next time you write an ad, create a web page, or write an email, ask yourself the three questions. Then, share your experience in the comments below.
