When I asked called a client this morning to ask how the campaign we created for him was going, his answer was music to my ears. To quote him exactly: “Un-friggin-believable! And I credit it all to the advertising. My sales manager wants to advertise more, but first I need to be sure we can handle the volume.”
Many things are contributing to the campaign’s success, but I believe that a primary factor is one that’s overlooked all too often: a strong offer. For this particular business-to-business client, we’re testing two. The first, 20% off on all first time orders. The second, 90 days to pay for all qualified first time buyers.
I just looked through half a dozen recent garden industry trade publications and our ad was the only one I spotted with any offer other than “call or write for more information,” “visit us at New England Grows,” or “buy now.” What a difference a compelling offer could make!
Conventional direct marketing wisdom credits the offer with driving 40% of the success of any promotion. Without a strong offer, you’re trying to drive a car on only three wheels.
