There is no question that we are being bombarded with more advertising and marketing, especially online, than ever before.
And if you want your ads to cut through the noise and clutter of a crowded marketplace, one of the best things you can do is not try to make the sale at all.
Let me explain what I mean by that.
Nearly 100 years ago, legendary copywriter Maxwell Sackheim wrote an ad with a headline (now entrenched in direct-response copywriting mythology) that read, “Do You Make These Mistakes in English?”
And while the ad is considered to have one of the best “sales copy” of all time, nothing was “selling” in the ad.
Instead, the entire ad was designed to get people to request a free book.
You see, before selling anything, the ad made anyone interested in developing better English skills raise their hands. They then sent them a sales letter selling an actual product. Which, from what I hear, sold a TON of courses.
And this concept is even more important today.
Whether you’re writing online or offline, it doesn’t matter. If you find that your ads and sales letters just don’t appeal because you’re in a saturated market, first try writing an ad that sells people something for free.
From there, when they have learned about you and the valuable information you possess, go for the sale. Then sell a direct release into something that costs money.
