If you're just tuning in to the Best Damned Martial Arts Business Newsletter, welcome! Now, let's get you caught up...
For the last couple of weeks I've been talking about direct response marketing for martial art school owners. What it is, why you need it, and the specific elements that go into a direct response marketing ad.
- Direct response marketing is just what it says; marketing that is directly targeted at a specific market segment, that is designed to elicit an immediate response.
- You need direct response marketing, because unlike awareness marketing, it is designed to generate leads and sales immediately.
- This is important because small businesses are often cash-strapped, and all businesses run on cash.
- The defining characteristics of a good direct response marketing ad are that it is focused in its message, targeted to a specific audience, and that it includes a compelling offer (a "Godfather offer").
- The elements of a direct response marketing ad are the headline, subhead, body copy, offer, call to action, and fine print or postscript.
- The headline draws attention and makes a bold promise with a strong emotional appeal; the subhead and body copy draw the reader further into the ad by backing up the headline; and the offer spurs them to action while the call to action seals the deal by telling the reader what to do.
Now, let's talk about the fine print and postscript, and why they are important to the ad.
Just What The Hell Is A Postscript?
Back in the day, when people actually sent hand-written letters to each other, a postscript was a way to add information that you forgot to include in the body of your letter.
This was back before the days of smart phones and emojis, and even before the days of word processors (if you don't know what a word processor is, look it up because it'll blow your mind). And back then, there was really no way to edit a letter or piece of writing after the fact.
So if you forgot to include some vital bit of information in your letter, you either had to write it all over again, or you could add a postscript, like this:
P.S. - Don't push the red button. Hopefully you read this part first. If not, here are instructions on how to disarm the bomb...
I think it's easy to see why people did it. When you have just handwritten a three-page letter in beautiful, flowing script, and you realize you left out the most important part, you might not have time to spend another hour writing the letter all over again.
So, you add a postscript.
How The "P.S." Became A Standard Copywriting Element
Back in the golden days of direct response marketing and ad copywriting, folks like Robert Collier and John Caples figured out that one of the most effective ways to structure an ad was to write it like a personal letter.
Now, you have to understand that these guys were pioneers in direct response marketing. Back in the early 1900's, print media was still a relatively new thing for the average person.
At that time, the illustrated magazine had only been around for 60 years or so, and printed materials had only just become cheap enough to allow the common person to purchase magazines, newspapers, and novels.
So, they were figuring out how to sell stuff to people in print while the medium was evolving. The thing is, it might take weeks or months for an ad to reach people after it was printed.* For that reason, once they found something that worked, they kept using it.
And early on they found that people pay particular attention to postscripts, because the "P.S." often included important info.
How They Used Postscripts To Supercharge Their Ads
Those early marketers knew that any "lift" (increase) in the response to an ad was a good thing. And they tracked the response each ad got, religiously.
When they saw that adding a postscript that created a sense of scarcity increased an ad's response, they knew they were on to something. This technique works because of fear of loss; people simply hate missing out on a good deal.
Soon it became standard practice to include a postscript that placed a limit on the availability of the offer... either a time limit or some other form of scarcity.
How This Became The Most Abused Tool In Marketing
After marketers saw that using scarcity in their ads created a lift in sales, they began abusing this marketing technique.
Soon it was common to see ads with postscripts like "We only have 100 bottles of Dr. Shyster's Snake Oil Tonic left... order now while supplies last!"
Obviously, this was a scammy thing to do. And unfortunately it's a practice that still persists in marketing today.
Even so, using a postscript and/or adding fine print to an ad can help increase the response you get. But is there a way to use this technique ethically?
The Ethical Way To Use A Postscript
Before you decide to use a postscript or fine print to increase your ad's response, I must warn you that if you abuse this technique it will ruin the trust people have in you and your business.
So if you're going to use it, then use it wisely. Don't lie and say you only have 10 spots left, unless that's actually the case.
In other words, ALWAYS BE HONEST IN YOUR ADS.
Here are a couple of ways to ethically use scarcity in a postscript:
- With a real, firm deadline for the offer. "P.S. - This sale ends on 2/28/2017. Call 555-5555 now to take advantage of this special price for new students!" So long as you actually end the offer on that date, there's nothing wrong with using this method to get people to pick up the phone and call immediately.
- By strictly limiting the number of people who can claim the offer. "This offer limited to the first 20 people who respond. Call now to reserve your spot!" Again, so long as you actually limit the number of people who can claim the offer, it's an entirely ethical way to encourage people to respond right now.
In my opinion, the deadline is the easiest and most ethical way to use a postscript or fine print to increase the response to an ad. By simply placing a deadline on an offer, or an expiration date on a coupon, you will see a lift in your response rates.
Another way to do this in an ad is to say things like "during the entire month of August" or "this month only" so people understand that the offer ends at the end of the month.
What To Do When An Offer Expires
The next question is obvious: What do you do when an offer expires?
The answer is simple. Just come up with a new offer and promotion to run in place of the one that just expired.
Final Thoughts On Postscripts And Scarcity
Not to beat a dead horse, but I feel I should mention this again:
Don't ever abuse this tactic.
Strong brands are built today on reputation and trust, and that's even more important for a small, local business. You want your business to have a solid reputation in your local community for honesty and fairness. Without it, you're just another dojo.
If you abuse techniques like scarcity in your ads, you'll undermine your reputation. So, use these techniques carefully and sparingly.
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Alright, enough about postscripts, deadlines, and scarcity. Tomorrow I'll begin discussing direct response marketing channels; in other words, where you can use direct response marketing to get new students.
Stay tuned....
