Do You Make this Advertising Mistake?

by Scott Bywater

Published on this site: September 14th, 2006 - See more articles from this month

Hi {First name},

You know how they say that it's insane to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. Well, that's true.

But let me tell you a story which illustrates this point even more so.

I was speaking with a printing company the other day who showed me a 3-step sales letter set of flyers they sent out (3 flyers over a period of 20 days) to clients a few years ago.

I asked him "What response did you get from the flyers?" His reply was that he probably generated a $70,000 or $80,000 return on the mailings.

Cost = $3000 (or thereabouts) Return = $80,000

And here's what's absolutely insane:

He's never used that sales letter again.

Is that crazy or what? I mean, if every time you gave me $10, I gave you $30 in return... how long would you keep giving me $10 for.

For as long as I kept giving you more back than you were giving me, right?

And yet so many businesspeople will pull a campaign long before it's stopped being profitable.

There are a few reasons for this:

They don't measure it, so they don't know if it's profitable or not.

They get bored with their existing system and want to do something new (hey, bore me all you like... just keep putting money into my coffers)

Pretty crazy, isn't it. I mean, here's a formula for advertising success.

Write half a dozen lead generation ads or sales letters.

Test and measure each one.

Once you find the most profitable one, this is called (in direct marketing lingo) the control. Continue to run it over and over and over again. (some ads have appeared for decades in exactly the same format, word for word).

Continue measuring it. (and if it keeps making money, don't stop doing it no matter how bored you get)

Test against it in small quantities.

If you beat the control with your new test, then your new test becomes the control.

Keep running the ad or sales letter.

Bottom line is... if 5 of your first 6 ads or sales letters fail... and you only have one winner, it doesn't matter does it?

Why? Because the ad or sales letter that's profitable can be replicated over and over and over again. You are only ever one ad or sales letter away from a massive jump in the profitability of your business.

I'll leave you with that thought to ponder on!

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) visit his web site now at http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au