“Advertising comes from the latin ‘anima advertere’, or ‘to direct attention.’”
— Rory Sutherland, Alchemy
Advertising’s job is to direct attention, so the question becomes, “To what?”
One might want to see the advertisement as the end. The customer sees the ad, and then they buy the product. Job done.
But that’s not really how it works, is it?
Your customers, your potential clients, I bet they don’t buy on impulse. I bet they think about it for a while, maybe do some research, and they might even involve other people in the decision.
I bet it takes them a little while before they’re comfortable spending the money.
Which means one ad in one place isn’t going to get them to buy.
All it can do is move them one step closer.
So we’re back to our first question: One step closer “to what?” If an ad alone isn’t enough to sell, what else do we need to provide?
Middle step content, my friends. Middle step content.
The ad doesn’t sell, it steers toward your content, which does.
So the ad’s job is merely, and exclusively, to tell your potential clients that you do the thing they need done and to make it easy for them to learn more about how you work.
Of course it must also be appealing, creative, novel, and eye-catching. Otherwise it won’t grab attention, which means it won’t be able to direct it.
But once we have the attention, the ad’s job is to point it toward content which can reveal the unique insights you’ve learned and developed from your experience. You can demonstrate the tradeoffs you’ve made to be uniquely capable and suited for your ideal clients (whose attention you’ve directed toward this content).
So if you have an ad or sponsorship opportunity, or are thinking of buying a placement somewhere, here’s your checklist:
- Will it be placed somewhere your ideal prospects are already giving their attention?
- Can your ad effectively direct that attention to your content?
- Does your content reveal insights which will make them more comfortable buying from you?
If no to any or all, don’t buy the ad. Save the money.
Because, my friends, I spent a long time in advertising agencies. I have worked on hundreds of campaigns spanning from thousands of dollars invested to many, many millions.
And let me tell you: It’s possible to spend a fortune on advertising and have it do nothing for you but waste your money and enthusiasm. You can be a household name that nobody buys.
The trick is to direct attention toward content that will keep your ideal prospects in your orbit and you on their mind.
So that when it comes time to buy, they know why they should buy from you.
Not because you bought an ad.
But because that ad directed their attention to content that made them comfortable.
Kelford Inc. shows you the way to always knowing what to say.