Hope the title above doesn’t offend ya.
I’m not calling YOU “stupid.”
I’m simply paraphrasing our old president Slick Willy’s adviser who told him in order to win the election it was all about the economy — “It’s the economy, stupid!”
Why am I telling you this?
Because I’ve been doing a LOT of ad critiques lately.
And it never ceases to amaze me how much research these folks have done on their product, their business, their company, the benefits, etc.
But how little research they’ve done on their market.
For example:
Not long ago, I critiqued someone’s ad selling an eBook for single parents about making moo-lah online.
His headline basically went something like:
Flapping Stacks Of Cold, Hard CASH
From Peoples’ Wallets!!!”
I mean, can’t ya just feel the love?
So before even looking over the rest of his ad, I asked him…
“When you talk with single parents on your list about earning some extra bux, do they talk about making huge stacks of cold, hard cash?”
“Well… not exactly…”
“What DO they say?”
And then he went into the REAL problems, pain and desires his list has.
And, let’s just say, they had nothing to do with sucking flapping stacks of cold, hard cash out of anyone’s wallet.
Anyway, here’s my point:
Your market is EVERYTHING.
It dictates what to say in your headlines. What to put in your offer. What benefits to feature in your ad. What benefits NOT to feature in your ad.
And so on, and so forth.
In fact, “A-List” copywriter Doug D’Anna told me he spends 40 hours ALONE just on market research before writing his ads.
That’s more than most people put into an entire project.
But that’s how seriously copywriters at his level take this.
And there’s no reason why we shouldn’t do the same thing.
Ben
P.S. Speaking of Doug D’Anna…
I used to have an interview with him about digging into your market on my site, but recently took it down.
Just too darn valuable to give away.
However, you will be able to get this eye-opening interview in Appendix 6 (or via MP3 on the CD that comes with it) of my revised “Copywriting Grab Bag” book.
To be notified when it’s ready, go to:
