Book review: Scientific advertising by Claude Hopkins
I like selling. I like the idea that i can influence someone to buy a product or service that can improve the quality of their lives and in the process help me create wealth.
It's the kind of obsession that keeps me pondering the question: "What's the secret that makes people hit that 'buy' button?"
So, I deep myself in the world of psychology, persuasion, marketing, and branding because, let's face it, that's where the secrets of why people buy is hidden. In my pursuit of knowledge, I stumbled upon a masterpiece: Claude Hopkins' Scientific Advertising. Now, here's the interesting thing – this book was published back in 1923, celebrating its centenary, and guess what? The principles are still as fresh as a fresh loaf of bread.
Here are the key things i learned
On what advertising is: “ Advertising is salesmanship. Its principles are the principles of salesmanship. Successes and failures in both lines are due to like causes. Thus, every advertising question should be answered by the salesman's standards. Let us emphasize that point. The only purpose of advertising is to make sales. It is profitable or unprofitable according to its actual sales.” The purpose of your content is SALES- Period. When you understand that you’ll force your content to : sell on your behalf, convince on your behalf and persuade on your behalf
Again on advertising: “Advertising is multiplied salesmanship. It may appeal to thousands while the salesman talks to one.” Your sales team or you can only sell 1:1 to people but your content can sell 1 to MANY. So your content has more leverage than you and if you craft your content well it will sell to more people than you could sell 1 to 1. Treat your content like a sent salesman. Dress it well and explain the product as elaborate as you can because the more you tell the more you sell. If you’re in front of a prospective buyer of your product will you be miserly with your words on what makes your product special? I hope you won’t. I talked extensively about this in my 7 hour online course on sales called “EXACTLY HOW TO SELL ANYTHING TO ANYONE’’ Which you can buy now clicking on the link below
On researching the customer: The advertising professional immerses himself in the world of the consumer, diligently positioning himself in the buyer's shoes. The crux of his success hinges on this singular focus, often to the exclusion of all else. Weeks, and at times, months are invested in a deep dive into the client and her customer base when a new advertising project lands on his desk. It is within the folds of this meticulous research that the seeds of groundbreaking ideas take root.
This meticulous approach instantly brings to mind the wisdom of David Ogilvy, the visionary founder of OGILVY, the advertising powerhouse. Reflecting on his experience with the Rolls-Royce account, Ogilvy recounted, 'When tasked with creating an advertisement for Rolls-Royce, I dedicated three weeks to an exhaustive study of the car and its allure. In the process, I stumbled upon a gem of information – 'At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in the new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.' This singular insight became the cornerstone of their 1957 ad campaign, resulting in a staggering 50% increase in sales."
In the realm of advertising, it is the marriage of insightful consumer understanding and creative ideation that catalyzes success, echoing the timeless principles laid down by industry titans.
On headlines: “The purpose of a headline is to pick out people you can interest.” The purpose of your caption or headline is to select the people and problems you solve and command their attention in the process. This is because attention lead to conversations and conversations lead to sales conversions.
One lady wrote a book and called, captioned and headlined it “ Astrological Love” The book didn’t do well it sold only 2,000 copies, so a lover of the book bought the publishing write to the book and re-captioned or re-headlined the book to ‘‘How to satisfy a woman every time and have her beg for more” The book went on to sell 2.5 million copies. I have a list of over 20 headlines that you can use for your caption. To access it join sales factory community Sales factory community
SPONSORS OF THIS EPISODE
My mental health story:
In the intricate expanse of human psychology, it's undeniably established that our overall happiness thrives when we nurture our connections, spark our creativity, deepen our relationships, build our resilience, and elevate our life contentment. Discover actionable insights and psychology-based wellness strategies on the Efra website.
Immerse yourself in enriching content here: [10 Psychology-Oriented Wellbeing Hacks] 10 Psychology
Embrace a journey towards comprehensive wellbeing by joining our community.
Let’s unite in transforming wellness into a collective experience: [Join the Efra Community] Join the community.
Together, we can dismantle the barriers of mental health stigma. Follow the movement and #LightUpWithEfra on Instagram. @lightupefra
Video of the week:
Podcast of the week: