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Six Questions That Produce Successful Web Advertising
By Jerry Bader (c) 2007

You would think that everyone in business would be able to tell
you what they do and why you should be doing business with them;
unfortunately the sad truth is many business executives can't.
In fact one of the biggest problems in designing websites has
always been getting appropriate raw material that can be turned
into meaningful presentations: a handful of badly written
brochures and a few out-of-date photographs are not going to
make much of an impression.

And now that the Web has involved into a sophisticated
communication platform, able to deliver audio and video content,
the problem has become even worse; not only do websites need to
deliver appropriate copy and image content, they need to present
audio dialog and video performances that demonstrate how
products and services improve the business or personal lives of
website visitors.

As a company we are good at what we do, we can turn the mundane
into the memorable but we can't do it if clients don't know or
can't express their own marketing story, or are unwilling to
allow their multimedia advisor to develop that story for them.

At the heart of the problem is fear, fear of making a definitive
statement, declaring loud and clear what you do, and why anyone
should care. It's no longer good enough to apply technical
solutions to marketing problems: you are not going to engage
your audience with SEO, XML, CSS, or PHP. You must have a story
to tell and you can't be afraid to tell it as boldly as you
can.

Do You Know Who You Are and What You Really Do?

We know who we are and what we do: we deliver our message
knowing that some people are just not going to buy into what we
have to say, but those that do get it, really get it, and they
are our potential clients. As far as the others are concerned,
well, there's lots of business for everybody, and nobody is
going to get it all.

You can't be afraid to lose a customer you never had in the
first place. In our case our job is clear: we deliver marketing
stories using Web-video and audio in memorable
Web-presentations. We are not afraid to tell clients that they
need multimedia, and that an over dependence on search engine
optimization or any other technical answer is a mistake - a big
mistake.

Are You Doing All You Can To Attract Business?

There are many methods that can be employed to drive appropriate
traffic to your site: search engine optimization is only one.
Have you written and published articles and advice on what you
do, have you created a blog or a MySpace page to create a
community of interest, or have you issued press releases on new
developments and product releases? If you're relying solely on
search engine optimization as a substitute for marketing, you
are not doing everything you can to attract new business.

Even if your search engine tactics are attracting large numbers
of visitors to your site, what is your conversion rate, how long
are people staying on your site, and do you have enough
compelling content to get them to come back?

If you're in the business of selling banner and text ads on
your site, if that is how you make your living, then lots of
random traffic may serve your purpose; but if you are in the
business of providing something useful to people, then you
better pay more attention to what your visitors see once they
arrive on your site. After all, all the traffic in the world is
useless if those visitors don't get your message. It all starts
with the message, so what's your message?

What's Your Story?

Crafting your marketing story is not as easy as it sounds, and
you may have to let go of some outdated thinking in order to
bring your story to life.

Web-videos are not feature films or even viral videos intended
to show how clever you are. You are making a commercial: special
effects may be cool but they are not a substitute for a finely
crafted script delivered by a professional performer.

Websites Don't Close Sales, People Close Sales

Web-videos are designed to make a statement: "this is who we
are, and this is what we do, so contact us to find out how we
can change your life." Websites create leads, not sales; so
don't expect your Web-video to make the sale, that's your
job.

Now you know the purpose of your website presentation, it is
time to figure out what you want to say. Below are a series of
questions that will help you develop your marketing story.

1. How will your product or service change your customer?

All stories or marketing messages have to do with change: a
cosmetic company provides change from plain to beautiful, from
self-doubt to self-confidence. A vitamin supplement supplier
provides change from poor health to good health, from sluggish
to vitality. A self-help motivational program provides change
from defeat to victory, from depression to wellbeing, and so
on.

All good marketing stories highlight the change that your
audience wants to make in their business or personal lives. Go
deeper than the obvious - look for the psychological, emotional,
cognitive or spiritual change your company delivers.

All successful campaigns are about change. People who are
satisfied with their work and life aren't motivated to be
customers; you want to target people who are motivated, people
who want to be better, stronger, smarter, prettier, healthier,
and richer; people who want more out of work and more out of
life.

If your audience isn't motivated to change and if your product
or service can't deliver that change, then you're wasting your
time and your money.

2. Is what you have to say different?

If you are saying the same thing, the same way as your
competition, you're in trouble. You must differentiate yourself
somehow; you must standout. Your product or service must provide
something different. The world is full of 'me-to' companies,
businesses that do the same thing as dozens of other businesses.
You must find that unique something in what you offer that makes
you different; that says you are not a follower but a leader.

If your product or service is substantially the same as your
competitors, perhaps you should market it differently, or maybe
you should concentrate on the 'High Concept' need it delivers,
rather than the standard 'same-old-same-old' that everyone
else is touting.

Which one of 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs' does your product
or service fulfill: physical, safety, social, self-esteem,
aesthetic, cognitive, or self-actualization? Chances are your
competition has completely ignored the psychological and
emotional marketing angle and is focusing on specifications and
features that have little to do with why people really choose
one product over another.

3. Do you know how to tell your story?

You must have more than a story to tell or a message to deliver;
you must know how to tell it. Your marketing should create a
recognizable corporate image that establishes a unique identity
in the mind of your audience. If your audience sees no
difference between you and the competition then you become
interchangeable.

Apple didn't capture the lion's share of the MP3 market just
because their product is arguably better than everyone else's,
they did because iPods are more than MP3 players, they are a
life-style choice, clearly delineated in commercials and
advertising.

4. Can you say it boldly?

The meek may inherit the earth, but if they're in business,
they'll probably go broke. If you've got something to say,
SAY IT, and say it loud and clear. There are just too many
companies, too many websites, too many advertisements, and
too much everything to expect people to pay any attention to
you if you are afraid to stand up and be noticed. Go boldly
or don't go at all.

5. Who is your target audience?

Decide who you want to target and what motivates them; then
design your website, videos, and advertising campaigns to
trigger every hot button motivating message you can. Develop
your message so it speaks directly to that audience.

Your message must have purpose, be focused and concise, and
deliver a clear impression of identity. This means you can't be
all things to all people. By focusing on a clear audience with a
precise message you may even have a better chance of capturing
non targeted audiences: the fact that Apple iPod commercials are
aimed at a hip young audience has not stopped Apple from
capturing MP3 market share across all demographic profiles.

6. Can you take the heat?

Last but not least, do you have what it takes to tell your story
in a way that people will remember? Are you prepared to deliver
your message in the boldest, most audacious manner you can? Are
you ready to give up on non productive audiences and
concentrate on those motivated to say yes to your message? Are
you able to ignore the odd complaint or nasty email objecting to
your cutting-edge approach? Are you ready for the Web-video
revolution?
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Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design
firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Visit
http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads, http://www.136words.com, and
http://www.sonicpersonality.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com
or telephone (905) 764-1246.
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