Look, we’ve been in this game a long time. The good, the bad and the ugly, you name it, we’ve seen it. However, when it comes to direct response advertising there are mistakes we see time and time again. And because we’re nice, we’ll give it to you straight. We’ve listed the main reasons campaigns fall flat so you can avoid them.
- Creative that is too subtle. Yes, we all love stylishly minimal copy complemented by beautiful imagery. It’s pleasant on the eye, but does it say enough? All too often, when scanning through the press we see adverts that look gorgeous but we don’t actually know what they’re promoting, never mind what the product USP is. If you’re running a direct response advertising campaign you need to create a responsive advert not a piece of art.
- Media strategy that misses the mark. OK, so your creative is perfect but you still aren’t seeing the returns you need. That will be your media schedule letting you down. Perhaps you’re not in the right places, or maybe you’re simply paying too much. Whatever the problem, great creative is useless unless it is supported by a robust media strategy.
- Not having a strong offer. Wherever you are advertising, you can be sure the competition for both your target customer’s attention and their money is fierce. When running a direct response advertising campaign, it’s imperative you give people a damn good reason to respond to your ad. Let’s face it, everyone loves a deal and if you time limit it, you’ll create a sense of urgency too.
- Failing to track response. We’re well aware this can be tricky. Especially when there are myriad ways in which a consumer can respond to an ad and you don’t have any time to sift through results. HOWEVER, when you know exactly what works and what doesn’t, you can refine your strategy accordingly. Without response data you’re taking a shot in the dark. If you can, a unique offer code (see above…) will help you trace the source of your leads. QR codes are good too and offer the added bonus of bypassing a Google search, which is exactly where your competitors are lurking, ready to snatch customers from under your nose.
- Assuming you know your customer. Good data on who your customers are is a real competitive advantage. You might imagine they’re glamorous, 20 something urbanites but is that actually the case…? Once you’ve established precisely who you need to be talking to you can craft messages that resonate and create efficient media strategy.
If your advertising is not delivering the results you need you might be making some of these direct response advertising mistakes. For over 40 years we’ve been all about responsive advertising strategy and we know how to create campaigns with impact. From creative and media strategy to response analysis and customer profiling, we’ve got every angle covered.
Think your campaigns could be more responsive? Get in touch for a chat, we’d love to help you out. Visit our services page to find out more about us.