Lend Your Name To Your Marketing For Better Results
Have you read Claude Hopkins' book "My Life in Advertising?" It was written nearly a hundred years ago, yet its principles are just as important today as they were then.
Life was different - simpler, yet harder in many ways. But people wanted then what we still want now. We want to buy products that live up to their promises. We want to buy services that do the same. And we want some assurance that there is a person in charge in case something goes wrong.
Look how frustrated we all feel when we try to deal with some large corporation where no one seems to have any authority to help with problems. And even worse - where no one seems to give a darn.
One of his chapters talks about the importance of putting a human face and name on a company. His example was advertising he created for a car manufacturer. In his ad he gave the name and face of the chief engineer - the man responsible for building a good car. In later ads he pictured the entire engineering team. He told of their expertise and their dedication to turning out the finest car on the road.
That made me think of the ads I see for local service businesses - ads that have no name beyond that of the company. My first thought is always "I wonder who it is?" Of course, since this is a small community, I want to know if it is someone I know, and if it is someone whose work I know - good or bad.
Because I've been connected to building construction my entire life, those are the ads that catch my attention: plumbers, electricians, excavators, insulators, etc. And since there are some in the community that I would steer clear of, I would definitely want to know who was behind a name like "Perfection Painting" before I would call.
I simply wouldn't call them unless I knew the name of the person I was calling. Yet, I've even seen business cards with only the name of the business. My memory isn't that good. If I pick that card up again in 6 months I don't know if it's someone I want to call or not. I can't remember the names people choose for their businesses.
Claude Hopkins wasn't talking about small towns and knowing the people personally. He was talking about taking a large company and turning it into an entity with a face and a name behind it. He was talking about making advertising more personal, and allowing prospects to feel they are dealing with someone real rather than a faceless entity with no one in charge - no one accountable.
But the principle is the same no matter if its a huge corporation or a small-town hair salon.
I have another thought on that subject. If you have a product or service to sell - or even a large company to promote - shouldn't you have enough pride in what you're doing to lend your name to the enterprise? If you're ashamed of it, why should anyone trust you?
We don't see too much personalization any more. But I think that what worked for Claude Hopkins nearly 100 years ago is just as important today. Taking pride in your business and lending your name to the enterprise will add a layer of trust that just doesn't exist when you hide behind a "company name."
Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter who specializes in making people feel good about buying products or services - or donating to worthy causes.
She has extensive experience in writing search engine optimized web copy, direct sales letters, postcards, space ad copy, press releases, and more. She is also available for marketing plan creation and editing services.
You can visit her at http://www.marte-cliff.com While you're there, sign up for her marketing ezine - or just send a blank email
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