Marketing Virgin

Many companies today have a “call to action” in their direct advertising. I’m sure you all know Billy Mays, or at the very least you know his ear-piercing voice. Billy is the spokesperson for a variety of household products including OxyClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom, etc. This company gives viewers a call to action at the end of every infomercial. It goes something like this…

“Act Now! Call in the next 20 minutes to receive five bottles, yes that’s right, FIVE bottles for three easy payments of $19.99. Yes, you heard me right. $19.99! This offer ends soon so Act Now! Just dial the number on your screen to receive the five bottles for three easy payments of $19.99 and I’ll throw in an extra dish towel. Yes, a dish towel! What an offer! Call now!”

Today, consumers are more educated. Instead of immediately responding to an offer, they research the product or the company on the Internet. Blogs are a great way for consumers to get personal opinions on products before they buy. In order to respond to this trend, marketers have devised a new strategy.

Four tips to improve conversion rates:

1.      Learn what makes your customers and prospects buy your product.

Focus groups, surveys, etc - use them to find out what factors influence their buying decision.

2.      Develop new ads focused around value and brand.

A person has to trust your brand before they will buy from you. Determine what they value in your product and focus your ads around those factors.

3.      Test, test, test!

Pick out a smaller, targeted group to see how your ads do.

4.      Measure

You can’t prove your success without metrics.

Tip: If people are turning to the Internet to gain more information about your company or product, make sure your ads encourage them to use your website for this. Encourage your target audience to get more information from you. Make your website easy to navigate and provide valuable content.