The Advertising Solution: Influence Prospects, Multiply Sales, and Promote Your Brand

by Craig Simpson, Brian Kurtz (With)

Overview

Love it or hate it, advertising remains a key component in acquiring customers and nurturing brand engagement. Distilling the wisdom of the world’s greatest advertisers, direct marketing expert Craig Simpson delivers an education on how to create best-in-class direct marketing and advertising copy that creates brand awareness, sells products, and keeps customers engaged. He takes readers through basic principles and time-tested methods of creating effective ad copy that increases profits. Dissecting the principles of legendary marketers like Robert Collier, Claude Hopkins, John Caples, and David Ogilvy, the reader will find applications to modern digital marketing, direct marketing, and inspiration for headline writing and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599185965
Publisher:	Entrepreneur Press
Publication date:	10/11/2016
Pages:	214
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Craig Simpson is the owner of Simpson Direct, Inc., a direct marketing firm based in Oregon. Since beginning his career in direct mail nearly 20 years ago, he has managed thousands of direct mail campaigns, helping to gross hundreds of millions in revenue for his clients. His direct marketing company sends out nearly 300 mailings per year for his private clients. He works in practically every industry, marketing everything from courses on the benefits of drinking water, to technical software, retail stores, real estate investment, financial services, health products, diet programs, insurance, and even wholesale clothing. He lives in Grants Pass, OR.

Brian Kurtz has been a serial direct marketer for almost 35 years and is the driving force behind the Titans of Direct Response Conference. He writes and speaks regularly and consults with leading direct marketing companies and entrepreneurs in a wide variety of categories.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xiii

Preface xv

Introduction xxiii

Chapter 1 Meet the Legends Who Created the Rules of Modern Promotions 1

The First Scientist of Advertising Claude Hopkins 2

The Philosopher Ad Man Robert Collier 4

The Maestro of Headlines John Caples 7

The Advertising Wizard David Ogilvy 9

The Breakthrough Advertiser Eugene Schwarrz 11

The Godfather of Copywriting Gary Halbert 15

Common Threads 19

Chapter 2 Creative Salesmanship-A Little Genius and a Lot of Sweat 21

Tricks of Showmanship 22

The Ideal Sales Letter (or Any Other Promotional Material) 27

The Rolls-Royce Effect 33

The Number-One Rule of Success 36

Selling Creatively 40

Chapter 3 The Psychology That Sells 43

If You're Going Fishing, You Need Bait 44

When It Comes to Every Kind of Marketing, Emotions Pay! 47

The Chimpanzee Brain 51

How to Sell with Emotion 57

Chapter 4 Secrets of Writing Great Copy-Part I 63

Hopkins' Laws for Writing Copy That Sells 64

More of Hopkins Laws for Writing Copy That Sells 69

The Six Essentials-Plus That Extra-Special Ingredient 72

Chapter 5 Secrets of Writing Great Copy-Part II 79

How to Increase the Selling Power of Anything You Write 79

How to Produce Advertising That Sells 86

More David Ogilvy Secrets: Necessary Expenses, Secret Weapons, and Killer Copy 92

Final Thoughts on Writing Great Copy 98

Chapter 6 Headlines: It's All About Getting Your Prospect's Attention 99

Be Shrewder Than Your Rivals 100

Understand the Real Purpose of Your Headline 101

Ogilvy Wisdom on Headlines 105

Caples: The Most Important Part of an Advertisement 109

Writing Headlines That Really Work 112

Headlines by Any Other Name 116

Headlines-Yesterday and Today 120

Chapter 7 How to Be Creative 121

Never Have Writer's Block Again 122

Gary Halbert's "Most Important Technique" for Writing Copy 128

The Key to Creativity Is Knowledge 134

Chapter 3 How to Boost Your Response to Every Ad 137

"Taking the Guess Out of Advertising" 138

Caples' 32 Ways to Get More Responses to Your Direct Mail Sales Pieces 144

How to Get More Response without Changing Your Copy 153

Always Work to Find a Better Way 159

Chapter 9 Test, Test, and Test Again 161

The Value of Testing 162

Getting It Down to a Science 165

18 Miracles of Research 169

Surprising Ways to Test Your Advertising 175

Some of My Own "Miracles of Research" 178

These Principles Work for Every Medium 181

Chapter 10 The Top Ten Lessons from the Legends 183

Lesson 1 Know Your Product 184

Lesson 2 Know Your Audience 186

Lesson 3 Get Started 188

Lesson 4 Make Sure You Get Every Part of the Package Right 189

Lesson 5 It's All About the Prospect 190

Lesson 6 Be Passionate about What You're Selling 192

Lesson 7 Showmanship Will Differentiate You 193

Lesson 8 Be Clear and Consistent 194

Lesson 9 "Advertising Opportunities Are Now Infinite" 197

Lesson 10 Testing Trumps All 198

About the Authors 201

Index 203

Editorial Reviews

Finally. A century of direct response wisdom (and test results) distilled into one easy-to-read volume! Craig and Brian have done a great service to the entire marketing community. I am sharing this with all my copy cubs TODAY!
—Clayton Makepeace, World Renowned Copywriter, Educator, and Speaker

The Advertising Solution is a “short course,” tour de force primer, on the very best of direct marketing principles that universally endure and profoundly perform. Brian Kurtz and Craig Simpson have produced a rather unexpected and integrative tour guide for grasping decisively how the most powerful, profitable, and predictive direct response performance principles were discovered, then take you on a no-nonsense, non-theoretical, totally actionable distillation and experimental application guide for how to apply these methods right now, in whichever market you choose, to form an activity you do—with consistently increased performance—and a bottom line that boosts results.
—Jay Abraham, Global Marketing Expert, Speaker and Author

Want a free, two-minute lesson in the creation of desire? Then right now, read over the table of contents of this life-changing book. See how, in less than two minutes, it creates an irresistible desire to own it. Then realize that this is exactly the knowledge you need to sell your own product or service. Whatever your field, your ability to create instant, irresistible desire will greatly leverage your success and wealth. But don’t take my word for any of this. Try this two-minute table of contents challenge now and see how it’s done. Then go and do likewise.
—Gary Bencivenga, Master Copywriter and Publisher of Marketing Bullets

My quick diagnosis for how serious a copywriter or marketer is—or how much potential he or she has—is the answer to the question: "Who are your heroes?" Direct response advertising (the kind of advertising that works best on the internet) was not invented yesterday or even ten years ago. Everything—and I mean everything—that works online today is based on principles. These principles were first sorted out decades ago by giants who tested literally billions of dollars worth of ads, offers and selling strategies over the course of their careers. Put aside the latest internet "fad of the day" and read The Advertising Solution and get to know these giants. Make them your new best friends. It's the surest way to get rich that I know.
—Ken McCarthy, TheSystemSeminar.com

Two master practitioners (not academic theorists) and experts in direct-response advertising, Craig Simpson and Brian Kurtz, have done a magnificent job profiling and extracting million-dollar lessons from past, true legends of advertising and copywriting. It will not surprise anyone who knows me: I do not agree with everything in their book, but I certainly recommend it. Those under-informed by history and legacy consistently work harder than necessary for poorer results than available. No one engaged in or spending their or their client’s money on advertising should skip this master class.
—Dan S. Kennedy, Direct Marketing Strategist and Copywriter, Author of the No B.S. Series

When I started my first online business back in 1996, I quickly realized it was a direct marketing business—and that one distinction has made all the difference. But there was virtually no one teaching online marketing back them, so I went back to “old school” direct marketing to learn the craft—including the six legends featured in this book. Their work is timeless and powerful, but it can also be dense and difficult to get through. That's why it's exciting that Craig Simpson and Brian Kurtz have distilled (and updated) their wisdom into a one volume that cuts right to the heart of direct marketing.
—Jeff Walker, author of The New York Times’ bestseller Launch

The Advertising Solution is a master manual which you should build into your copy, based on six masters. If you use this book as your “make sure we don’t miss anything” checklist, no promotion you write will ever leave a gaping hole. I especially recommend this for the new writer who doesn’t have enough street experience to be sure which sales elements are performing the heavy lifting. At the top of the list is Gary Halbert’s most important technique for writing copy in Chapter 7. This is from the guy who did more to transform copywriting into a cult-following passion than anyone who came before him...or since.
—Perry Marshall, Author of Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords, 80/20 Sales & Marketing and Evolution 2.0

I personally read the works of these advertising giants while we were building Guthy|Renker and they were invaluable. I still read them today. Now Simpson and Kurtz have synthesized, selected and distilled their collective genius, originally contained within multiple volumes, into one best-of can’t-put-down book which is a must-have for any marketer. If Gary Halbert were alive today he’d promise you that this book would get you “maximum results in minimum time.”
—Greg Renker, Co-founder Guthy|Renker

Simply put: If you're a marketer of any sort, and consider yourself a professional—this is a must-read book. Period. After reading this book, you'll have the ability to see things other marketers cannot, spot opportunities others overlook, and avoid land mines your competitors will walk right into. History repeats itself. And the deeper your understanding of the past is the further you can see into the future.
—Ryan Levesque, National Bestselling Author of Ask., Creator of the Ask Method™

Craig and Brian have extracted and refined pure platinum from the six greatest practitioners of people-driven marketing—Hopkins, Collier, Caples, Ogilvy, Schwartz, and Halbert—and share how their techniques and wisdom—that sold billions of dollars’ worth of products and services back when a billion dollars was real money—are just as powerful in today’s digital world. I wish to hell I had this treasury when I started out and could have used it as a refresher course throughout my career.
—Denny Hatch, Author and Founder of the WHO’S MAILING WHAT! Newsletter

My career has been heavily shaped by the legacy and advice of past legends (including a 20-year close friendship with Gary Halbert), and I can’t recommend studying these guys enough. I’ve known Brian for decades, and remain in awe of his business savvy. He excelled in one of the most brutal markets in direct response, wrangling a Who’s Who stable of legendary copywriters (and squeezing some of their best work out of them)… so he’s had a front-row seat in what works, what doesn’t work, and what’s worth learning in this crazy modern business world. And from all I've heard, Craig has had his own incredible experiences in that same rough and tumble world of direct marketing. Good for Brian and Craig for putting this together.
—John Carlton, author of Simple Success Secrets No One Told You About

Since direct response advertising is the oxygen that makes your business work, understanding it is critical. Brian Kurtz and Craig Simpson have done a great job piecing together the techniques, concepts, and strategies of six of the most effective direct response advertisers who ever lived—and laid it all out for you on a gold platter in The Advertising Solution. If you want your business to have increased revenue and sales, then read this book and apply the timeless principles and strategies in it.
—Joe Polish, Founder of Genius Network and Piranha Marketing, Inc.

The six legends profiled in The Advertising Solution are the pioneers most of whom I studied early in my career. What I learned I truly believe was the basis of my success in direct marketing. The advice in in this book is timeless as all the principles still apply today. To have these six legends featured in one book is brilliant. Anybody will benefit from reading the lessons of just a few of the legends let alone six. I strongly recommend this book for anybody who wants to master everything from basic copywriting to the power of the internet.
—Joseph Sugarman, Author and Chairman of BluBlocker Corporation and JS&A Group, Inc.

To see further you must stand on the shoulders of giants. Marketing and advertising is the lifeblood for any successful business and by studying these six legends profiled in The Advertising Solution you’ll gain an unfair advantage. To me, the best ideas come from going back to the source. 21st century digital marketing is all based on the fundamental strategies outlined here. The tactics will change like the blowing winds but these key principles are bedrock.
—Yanik Silver, Author of Evolved Enterprise

From the Publisher