Image via WikipediaAs I’m scanning my business book library for some information I needed for an article, I ran across a book I hadn’t touched in a while: Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples (5th Edition revised by Fred E. Hahn). Looking through the pages, some intriguing ideas jumped out.
But before we get into it, a little background on John Caples (1900-1990). He was an advertising industry legend for over 60 years who emphasized more “scientific” or tested methods of promotion and was a brilliant copywriter, primarily in the areas of direct response ads and direct mail. His incredible career began in the 1920s and his classic ad headline, “They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano. But When I Started to Play,” launched a new school of advertising that tapped into people’s real emotional needs.
So what can we learn from a book that was last published in 1997, prior to the huge explosion of the Internet, and from an advertising genius who began his career almost 90 years ago? A whole lot, especially for maximizing your impact on Twitter.
1. Headline is the Most Important Element - The success of any advertising depends heavily on the headline. If it doesn’t grab the reader, you don’t grab a sale. Since Twitter only allows 140 characters, if you’re planning to get people to click a link for more information on your product or service, or just get them to follow you, your post is your headline.
2. A Successful Headline Must Have One of Three Appeals – Successful ads fall into three classes: 1) Self-interest of the reader; 2) News; and, 3) Curiosity. How many Twitter posts have you seen that fail these three tests?
3. Use Telegraphic Language – Since you need to allow characters for a link, even a shortened one, it is all the more necessary to apply Caples’ advice to “Use telegraphic language, as if you were sending a cable and you had to pay $5 a word.” He even goes so far as to suggest that your headline should be only a one to five word “stopper” headline, one that quickly stops them in their tracks with a strong appeal to their needs. Sounds like perfect advice for the 140-character world.
4. Photos are Proof; Head Shots are Attention-Getting – How many times have you seen Twitter profiles for real people that are logos? Caples suggests that photos are proof and help make an ad believable. Use your photo in your profile! It will help increase your followers’ trust by providing proof that you’re a real person. He also suggests that the photo of a person looking square at you will stop you quicker than photos of products or scenery. Scroll through your Twitter timeline. I think you’ll find this to be true.
While some of the material in the book is dated, appealing to the emotional needs of humans never grows old. Read this advertising classic and see what it can mean for you in today’s online world.
Get John Caples’ Testing Advertising Methods book at http://www.GetTheCaplesBook.com. You can follow promotional products marketing expert, Heidi Thorne, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/heidithorne.
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