Book summary: Ca$hvertising, by Drew Eric Whitman
The Life-Force 8
Human beings are biologically programmed with the following eight desires:
1. Survival, enjoyment of life, life extension.
2. Enjoyment of food and beverages.
3. Freedom from fear, pain, and danger.
4. Sexual companionship.
5. Comfortable living conditions.
6. To be superior, winning, keeping up with the Joneses.
7. Care and protection of loved ones.
8. Social approval
When it came to making big money selling books, mail order guru Haldeman-Julius wrote the book. During the 1920s and ’30s he sold more than 200 million of them, in nearly 2,000 different titles.
They were simple little books, and they all cost just 5 cents each. To advertise his books, he placed ads consisting of only the books’ titles. If a book didn’t sell well, he’d change the ad copy, but not the way you’d expect. He actually changed the titles of the books! Then he’d sit back and study the response. How clever. Look what happened when the titles were changed based on the LF8.
The nine learned secondary wants:
1. To be informed.
2. Curiosity.
3. Cleanliness of body and surroundings.
4. Efficiency.
5. Convenience.
6. Dependability/quality.
7. Expression of beauty and style.
8. Economy/profit.
9. Bargains.
These secondary wants are strong, but they don’t even come close to the LF8. They’re way in the background, completely clouded by your LF8 dust. We’re not born with these secondary wants.
The 17 Foundational Principles of Consumer Psychology
Principle #1: The Fear Factor—Selling the Scare
Fear sells. It motivates. It urges. It moves people to action. It drives them to spend money.
But why does it work? In a word: stress. Fear causes stress. And stress causes the desire to do something.
In their study, Age of Propaganda (2001), Pratkanis and Aronson argue that, “the fear appeal is most effective when:
1. It scares the hell out of people.
2. It offers a specific recommendation for overcoming the fear-aroused threat.
3. The recommended action is perceived as effective for reducing the threat.
4. The message recipient believes that he or she can perform the recommended action.”
your ad must contain specific, believable recommendations for reducing the threat that are both credible and achievable.
fears targeted are specific and widely recognized.
Your goal is not to create new fears, but to tap into existing fears, either those on the forefront of consumers’ minds, or those that require a little digging to uncover.
Consider the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. This unassuming oval has instilled pre-purchase confidence in millions of consumers since 1909. A clever concept, the seal is awarded only to those products whose ads have been reviewed and accepted for publication in Good Housekeeping magazine. The publisher promises a refund or replacement for defective products within two years of purchase. Not only is this a great added-value inducement to buy ad space in Good Housekeeping, but it’s also an ideal example of how a trusted group’s symbol can give your prospect a sense of security before whipping out the cash. Just as any other guarantee, it could actually help you close the sale if you construct it properly. (More about guarantees later.)
Your prospects often use a peripheral, or noncritical style of thinking. It’s this same “shortcut to persuasion” at work when we use symbols that connote—or denote—authority, agreement, acceptance, or recognition. Interestingly enough, I bet not 1 in 100 people who received my client’s postcard had ever heard of the National Guild of Hypnotists. But thanks to the peripheral route to persuasion, it doesn’t matter. It’s all most consumers need for the added boost of confidence they need.
Your prospects:
1) See a symbol of credibility (logo, endorsement, and the like), and then
(2) question less of your sales argument.
Principle #4: The Bandwagon Effect—Give Them Something to Jump On Fact: Humans are social beings with a powerful psychological need to belong. Long ago, our ancestors understood that, in order to maximize their chances for survival, it was in their best interests to form groups of like-minded individuals.
Successfully gaining associative group influence is more complex. This strategy requires that you link your product to a certain societal group, while often alienating others.
You can successfully appeal to your prospects’ desire to belong in several categories: age, class, sex, geographic, politics, and education, for example.
Principle #5: The Means-End Chain—The Critical Core “Don’t buy my product for what it does for you today—buy it for what it will do for you tomorrow!
The formula for activating the Means-End Chain mindset is simple. Your copy and images should always represent the positive end results.
Principle #6: The Transtheoretical Model—Persuasion Step by Step
Transtheoretical Model (TTM) divides consumer knowledge and behavior into five stages, and it provides the guidelines for persuading your prospect so they move from complete ignorance of your product (“What the heck is this?”), to making it a regular purchase or an integral part of their lifestyles (“Doesn’t everyone buy this?”). When you’re aware of these stages, you’ll better understand how and where to begin your sales message. Here are the stages, in a quick and easy nutshell.
One way advertisers use inoculation is by publicizing their competitors’ criticisms of their company, and turning them to their advantage in the form of weak attacks that—thanks to the Inoculation Theory—serve to reinforce and ensure their consumers’ loyalty.
Inoculation is a favorite among politicians. Their stock line goes this way: “My opponent will tell you there’s no way to bring down skyrocketing oil prices...he’ll
This candidate is inoculating his audience by
(1) warning them of an impending attack,
(2) presenting the weak arguments his opponent will say during the campaign, and
(3) encouraging a strong defense by giving them a little ammunition to help prepare for battle.
Principle #9: The Elaboration Likelihood Model—Adjust Their Attitude
Research has found that attitudes based on central route processing are more resistant to counter-persuasion, and show greater attitude-behavior consistency than attitudes formed by peripheral route thinking.
When you get someone to think deeply about something, and you persuade them to arrive at a conclusion, they will adopt their decision as a result of their own thinking, protect it, and defend it against (competitors’) attacks as if it were their “baby”—their “brainchild.”
Principle #10: The 6 Weapons of Influence—Shortcuts to Persuasion
CLARCCS, Cialdini’s six cues are:
1. Comparison: The power of your peers.
2. Liking: The Balance Theory. “I like you...take my money!”
3. Authority: Cracking the code of credibility.
4. Reciprocation: What goes around comes around...profitably!
5. Commitment/consistency: The “Four Walls” technique.
6. Scarcity: Get ’em while they last!
Let’s first look at comparison, which is similar to group persuasion—or the bandwagon effect—and is an extremely potent weapon in your advertising armory. The question, “Everybody else is doing it, why aren’t you?”
Liking says, in effect, “Because you like me, you should do as I say: BUY!”
And here’s another interesting fact: Contrary to popular belief, men are most attracted to pictures of other men, and women to pictures of other women. Why? Psychologists say: Identification.
Cue #4: Reciprocation
They give you something, and you’re compelled to purchase something from them in return.
The last of Cialdini’s cues is scarcity. If, in addition to telling you all the benefits of attending, I say, “My CA$HVERTISING workshop has very limited seating and is very difficult to buy tickets for,” then it becomes more desirable. Why? Simply, we want what we cannot have.
The most common manifestation of the scarcity principle is the use of lines such as one-day sale, limited offer, only while supplies last, or first come, first served,
studies show that two-sided messages are more persuasive, but only if they stick to the format of defending their own position while also attacking the competition
Don’t ever be afraid to tell people why they shouldn’t buy what you’re selling. Not only does it boost your credibility, but if they’re true prospects, it’ll also add fire to their desire.
Run the same ad over and over, and you’re being repetitious. Run different variations of the same ad, and you’re taking advantage of the power of redundancy.
The rhetorical question is really a statement disguised as a question.
rhetorical questions may be beneficial for increasing message retention.
Whenever I sit down to write an ad, I know that, unless I can convince you to believe me, you’re not going to log into PayPal and make my bank account grow fatter.
This hints at the fear that accompanies many buying decisions: the fear of loss. (Re-read that last sentence.)
This is the best way I know to demonstrate the foundational principle of advertising: telling your prospects the benefits of what you’re selling. They must, must, must be convinced that what’s in “your bag” is worth more than the money you ask for it, or the deal won’t happen.
The Length-Implies-Strength Heuristic is a principle that exerts an influence similar to evidence. It’s based on the assumption that a product or service is more likely to be viewed favorably if the ad is long and contains numerous, credible facts and figures.
Your prospect might be able to discount a few of the things you throw at them. But if you provide enough information, the Length-Implies-Strength heuristic will kick in and save the day.
Write so people can understand.
Of the eight products I just now reviewed on his Website, six of them use this technique: “I confess.” “We’re free.” “It’s tough.” “This is important.” “S.W.A.T. teams use them.” “It’s a problem.” It’s a fast and easy way to lure people into your copy, and it’s supported by some of the biggest names in advertising. Limit your opening paragraph to a maximum of eleven words. —David Ogilvy
load your copy with pronouns, such as you, me, I, he, she, him, they, and them.
Be especially generous with the words you and I
Put Your Biggest Benefit in Your Headline
DON’T SAY: “Capturing the Best Times of Your Life Is Now a Snap!” DO SAY: “GIANT FILM SALE! All Rolls of 35mm Color Film are 25% Off—This Week Only!”
Word-wise, most people can grasp the meaning of five to six words in a single glance. So does this mean that short headlines get higher readership? Yes. And studies confirm it.
Crank up the Scarcity
Tell people they can’t have something and they want it more than ever.
Call Before April 5th Supplies Are Strictly Limited
Offer Expires May 15
Price Guaranteed Only Until August 3
Offer Good Only Before 4 p.m.
Seating Is Limited to 50 Participants NO Rain Checks Will Be Issued Good Only for the First 50 Callers
There are four important qualities that a good headline may possess. They are:
1. Self-interest.
2. News.
3. Curiosity.
4. Quick, easy way. —John Caples
We’re naturally interested in what’s new, what’s going on around us.
Any time you can express your benefit with a news flavor, you add an extra zing that’s very appealing.
Ways to Lure Readers Into Your Copy
Continue the Thought in the Headline:
Ask a Question:
Quote a Respected Authority:
Give ’Em a Free Taste:
Challenge Them to Prove It Works:
Tell What Others Are Saying (Bandwagon Effect):
Play Reporter:
Get Personal With You, You, You: “Have you ever been hassled by a salesperson who can’t take no for an answer?
Tell a Dramatic Story:
Lure them with a Very Short First Sentence:
in advertising we know that one way to get people’s attention is via graphic design. Our goal isn’t to make our advertising look the way everyone else’s does. We want to stand out, don’t we? But how many advertisers actually do? Very few.
Reversing slows down reading.
Crush Your Competition With Extreme Specificity
One of the most powerful things you can do is educate your prospects about the specifics of your product or service.
It’s not important that people need to know all that information. I mean, who really cares how many nails and bolts you have, as long as you have what they want. But the psychology behind it—the Length-Implies-Strength heuristic—makes it tremendously potent. Because hardly any other store says these things, people judge the one who does say it to be better, more complete, more successful in some way. Don’t you want to convey that?
Called the Two-Thirds/One-Third Principle—or, more affectionately, the “Ogilvy”—the top two thirds of the ad is one big photograph. The remaining third of the ad consists of the headline (directly under the photo) and the sales copy beneath the headline, often starting with a large “drop cap”—just as I did in this paragraph—to help lure readers’ eyes into your sales message.
Don’t run pictures without putting captions under them. Put a brief selling message or human interest message under every illustration you use. —John Caples
serif fonts make words easier to read.
Garamond was read and comprehended by 670,000 people—66 percent of the test subjects. Times Roman was comprehended by 320,000—less than half of Garamond. Helvetica was comprehended by only 120,000 people—12.5 percent of the subjects.
Set Headlines in Initial Caps
Serif or Sans Serif for Online Reading?
The most preferred fonts were Arial and MS Sans Serif
Bottom line:
For easiest online reading, use Arial for 12-point text and larger. Smaller than 12 point? Verdana, but rarely go smaller than 10 point.
Advertising is a salesperson in print, a salesperson broadcasted to the masses.
The best way to write any advertising is to start by making a list of all the benefits your product or service offers.
After you’ve completed your list, rank them in order of importance—to your customer, not to you.
It’s always a good idea to work the idea of ease and quickness into your first sentence.
Start your letter with a question. It’s an extremely effective device for getting people to read deeper.
In my opinion, you should rarely use informational teasers on your OSE unless your product is pin-point targeted to your mailing list—and hopefully it is. Why? Because teasers immediately tell the recipient that the envelope contains a sales pitch. I’d much rather use nonspecific teasers such as, “PERSONAL ATTENTION OF:,” “PERSONAL LETTER FOR:,” or “IMPORTANT LETTER FOR:” typed above the addressee’s name and address, if anything at all.
People aren’t waiting for your offer to arrive, so there’s no time for tippy toeing. You need to make a big impact fast!
The Granny Rule says that to grab people’s attention with your direct mail, it helps to make your mailing like something your dear granny would send you.
It doesn’t matter if you sell to doctors or pizzeria owners; people believe testimonials.
powerful visual adjectives.
These PVAs produce clear, bright, high-impact visual images. They actually help your prospects demonstrate your products in their minds.
The business that doesn’t play the “PVA game” automatically loses.
First, realize that all experience is made up of only these five factors—V-A-K-O-G: 1. Visual (sight). 2. Auditory (sound). 3. Kinesthetic (feeling or emotions). 4. Olfactory (smell). 5. Gustatory (taste).
How can you “beef up” your descriptions? How can you take your reader on a tour of your products or services?
People want more ease in their lives. Tell them how easy it is to buy from you.
proprietors don’t keep their greatness to themselves.
Don’t be just an ice-cream shop...be “The Home of Monster Dip!” Don’t be just a real estate sales office...be the “Experts of the RapidSell System!”
If you want your ad to stand out from the crowd, say something different.
“What’s unique about my offer? Am I the only one offering this plan, product, or service? What’s unique about me that I can exploit?”
(photos, illustrations, graphics elements) were noted (seen and recalled) 30 percent more often than ads with no visuals. Ads consisting of 75 percent visuals are noted 50 percent more often than ads with few or no visuals.
Gary Halbert, an early mentor of mine, once wrote, “Copy can never be too long, only too boring!”
Studies show that long copy outperforms short copy...yes, even online.
In editorial ads, never sound too enthusiastic about what you’re selling. News reporting is supposed to be objective, so if you get too carried away, too “hypey,” you’ll blow the whole effect.
Can a simple broken, coupon-style line around your ad help motivate people to buy?
Not only do longer, stronger guarantees boost your sales, but they (ironically) also result in fewer returns. Why? Studies show that short-term guarantees (30, 60, or 90 days) keep customers poised to make the return and force them to be more conscious of the return deadline. Longer guarantees (six months, one, five, 10 years, lifetime) give prospects confidence in the product and avoid the “beat the clock” mindset of using the product and sending it back within the short allotted time.
an ad’s attention value is approximately proportionate to the square root of the area. Huh? Okay, this means that if you want to double the attention your ad’s now getting, you need to enlarge it 400 percent. (So if it’s a quarter-page ad, you need to run a full-pager.)
Ads appearing on the inside front cover have the highest average “Noted” (seen and recalled) scores with the greatest increase—29 percent—over similar ads run anywhere else in the same issue. Ads placed opposite a table of contents earn up to 25 percent higher scores. Ads appearing on the back cover score 22 percent higher than ads inside. Ads placed on the inside back cover score a 6 percent advantage over inside pages.
The number-one preference for most people tested is blue, with red a close second, then green, violet, orange, and yellow, ranked exactly in that order. Look at your current sales materials—online and off—and see if they reflect these worldwide findings.
Odd-even pricing theory says that prices ending in odd amounts such as 77, 95, and 99 suggest greater value than prices rounded up to the next whole dollar.
Prestige pricing, by contrast, says that if you want something to be perceived as higher quality, you use only rounded whole numbers when pricing.
It’s quick, easy, takes no time or skill, and research shows it works. It’s the power of white-wrap isolation. It’s another one of those little-known and little-used agency secrets revealed by decades-old testing that can give your ad response a lift.