How to Make Your Advertising Believable (Step by Step)

by Scott Bywater

Published on this site: July 3rd, 2006 - See more articles from this month

Are you frustrated by the fact so many of your competitors are making such outlandish claims it's hard to make your product stand out from the rest.

Have you ever heard claims like:

...Best Lawnmower in the country

...Absolute Lowest Prices In Existence

...Leaves your hair cleaner than any other shampoo

Of course you have. But do you believe them.

Or is there a certain degree of doubt in your mind about their credibility? Or whether they are 'hyped up'?

Think about it. Everybody expects advertisers to exaggerate their claims. To present them in their best light. Which is the exact reason why general statememts are not as effective as...

Specific Statements

So...

Rather than saying "Our prices have been reduced"... instead say... "Our prices have been reduced by 22% to prepare for our end of year stocktake"

Rather than saying "More than 20 varieties of Reebok shoes in stock"... instead say... "More than 23 varieties of Reebok shoes in stock"

Rather than saying "Our staff are very experienced carpet cleaners"... instead say... "Our team of 12 staff have a combined experience of cleaning carpets for 63 years"

Rather than saying "Used all over the world"... instead say... "Used in over 46 countries"

Or rather than a cleaner saying "We clean your house thoroughly" why not list every single thing you do

One more thing. When you give people a specific number, they tend to believe it must be true. So don't use numbers which are a multiple of 5 or 10. Instead say 4 or 9. It makes it more believable.

Even KFC realises this.

No. They don't have 10 herbs and spices on their special chicken. They have 11. That's a heck of a lot more believable than 10... or heaps, isn't it?

So take a moment now and think about how you can apply what you've learnt and be more specific in your advertising.

Scott Bywater is well known for getting results as a professional direct mail copywriter. And also the author of Cash-Flow Advertising. To get access to his highly prized complimentary copy of '7 Ways to Boost Your Turnover... No Matter What the Economy' (valued at $29.95) and a free subscription to his "Copywriting Selling Secrets" newsletter where you'll discover the truth about why most ads and sales letters don't work (and how to make yours different) scamper over to his web site at http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au