Charlie Page’s latest ‘Real World Tactics’ Year 7 Issue 6 article is titled “Is Your Ad a Sheep or a Lion?” [‘Real World Tactics’ Article]


Charlie Page’s latest ‘Real World Tactics’ article:

Is Your Ad a Sheep or a Lion?

by Charlie Page

Have you ever wondered why most ads on the internetfail miserably to get the job done? It’s frustrating,isn’t it? You pay your money, place your ad and the
result is … underwhelming. Why? Why do SO many ads fail to get the response wehope they will get?The answer lies in an old Arab proverb. The proverbsays …”An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.”When it comes to doing business online, we cantranslate that proverb this way …”It is better to have 100 highly qualified visitors to your site than 1000 visitors who got there by mistake or misdirection from a misleading ad”I’m willing to bet that you are not satisfied with yourresults online right now.

I’m willing to bet that yourads are not working well, and that you are not making the money you hoped online. And I’m willing to bet that it’s not your fault – thatno one ever told you how to write a truly great ad. So let’s fix that right now.The simple fact is – most ads are sheep. They are weak and afraid and they don’t get results. They neverinspire the reader to take action. They never lead.They sound so much like all the other ads that thepeople who read them just say to themselves “yep – heard that all before” and click away. But it does NOT have to be this way. Your ads cancapture attention and cause the visitors you want tocome to your website IF you know how to add realselling power to them.

So how can you stop using “sheep” ads and start using”lion” ads? I believe there are two ways that you can add power toalmost any ad you are using now or to create new andbetter ads than you use now. STEP 1 – REALIZE WHY ADS EXISTThe ONLY purpose of the ad is to get the right kind ofclick… period. If people click, you might make money.If they do not click, you have no chance to make money. It’s really as simple as that. So what does “the right kind of click” mean? It meansgetting the RIGHT people to come to your site.

– Not tire kickers.

– Not “lookie Lous”.

– Not time wasters with questions who never take action.

What you want is REAL prospects that know what you doand are genuinely interested in learning more. This fact, that the job of the ad is to get the right kind of click, has led to two great misunderstandings. MISUNDERSTANDING 1 – The first misunderstanding is thatwe should do anything we can do to get the click. Totally wrong, because tricking people into visiting your site will not result in sales. Getting everyone toyour site is not the goal – getting buyers to your siteis the goal.

MISUNDERSTANDING 2 – The second misunderstanding is that all clicks are equal.
Totally wrong, because not all clicks are createdequal. In fact, the ONLY clicks that matter are frompeople who want, or need, what you offer and can takeaction. Think about that statement for a bit, because it’s important. They must want or need what you offer.

Ifthey do not, then everyone is just wasting time.They must be able to take action. Wanting, or evenneeding, what you offer means nothing if they fail to take action once they arrive at your site. Consider these scenarios. In scenario one you run a generic ad, one so timid thatthe reader really can’t tell what you are selling. Here is a sample of such an ad.

“Ever want to fire your boss and start your ownprofitable business from home? Our proven process meansthat now anyone can make a small fortune working fromhome!”This is a “sheep” ad that will generate clicks but will fail to make sales. I can tell because I’ve writtenthousands of ads. What you will get from this ad is visitors who are in adream-world. Sure, they would love to fire theirstinking boss, but are they going to take action?

I suppose you could go for these types of clicks andhope that your website is so appealing that itconvinces them but, candidly, that won’t work.By the way, this is the most common model being used online. Get EVERYONE you can to your site and hope thatyour website does the selling. If you are still reading this article I suspect youknow that this model does not work. Now scenario two is where you run a “lion” ad; one that is bold and unafraid and actually qualifies theprospect BEFORE the click. Here is an example of that ad. “Are you tired of the rat race and ready to make amassive income working for yourself at home?
A lot of people feel that way but few are willing to dowhat it takes to make the big bucks. Do you have what it takes?Are you the type of person who will “go for it” oncethey see what they want?

If you are then our proven system will show you thestep-by-step process to follow so that you never haveto work for anyone else again!If you think you have what it takes you can prove itright now by using this link to get more information. Today could be the best day of your life IF you arebold enough to act. Will you take control of your future today? Only YOU can decide! Use this link now and let’s get started!”

Now this is a “lion” ad that will get fewer clicks butmake many more sales. The reason is simple. This ad hasqualified the prospect. If they click the ad they have accepted your challenge to get more information and change their lives. And that is exactly the mindset you want them to have whenthey visit your site. Remember this – your ad has one job … qualify theprospect and, in so doing, set up the sale. It is vitally important to understand the differencebetween sending just any visitor to a site and sendinga pre-qualified visitor. Yes, you want clicks but you want the RIGHT kind ofclicks… qualified prospects.

STEP 2 – ADD POWER TO YOUR ADSHere are some ways to convert a weak “sheep” ad into abold “lion” ad. Use a HEADLINE that sets the right tone. Let readersknow that this is NOT for everyone or for those who will not take action but that massive rewards awaitthose who will take action. Make a clear statement of what you really are OFFERing.If you can’t be proud of what you offer then findsomething else to sell online. Tricking people might work for a while but it’s no way to build a business.

Be very clear about your offer. Make QUALIFYING STATEMENTS so the reader can know thatthey qualify for what you offer. In our example thephrase “Are you tired of the rat race and ready to make a massive income working for yourself at home?” is aqualifying statement. If someone is happy with their job then they wouldquickly know that your offer is not for them. Always be TRUTHFUL in your ads.

This should go without saying but often is not the case. If you have beengiven misleading ads to use by your company pleasedon’t use them. You will only hurt your reputation, andreputation matters online. Be clear about what the reader will gain (BENEFITS) if they do take action. In our example the phrase “If you are then our provensystem will show you the step-by-step process to followso that you never have to work for anyone else again!”clearly states that they will be shown a proven system IF they qualify.

ALWAYS include a *strong* CALL TO ACTION. There areseveral calls to action in the “lion” ad above. Read it again and see if you can spot them. The bottom line to all of this is simple – you mustadvertise if you want to make money online so your adsmight as well be as strong as they can be. If you take a little time and make your ads “lions” instead of “sheep” you will not only sell more (or getmore signups) but you will save advertising dollars aswell because YOUR ads will be the ones that work thebest.

And having ads that work, that REALLY work to make sales happen, is a beautiful thing indeed!

About Charlie Page

Charlie Page helps people succeed online. How can he help you? Find out now at his main site or call his toll free number. http://www.RealWorldTactics.com

* IMNewswatch would like to thank Charlie Page for granting permission to reprint the latest ‘Real World Tactics’ article.

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