Stop trying to bore people into buying from you.
SHAKING THE TREE #83
The legendary ad man David Ogilvy once said, "You cannot bore people into buying your product; you can only interest them in buying it."
This simple point illustrates much of what’s wrong with advertising and marketing, and it also underscores a fundamental principle that’s as relevant today as it was during Ogilvy's era.
Ogilvy's statement highlights the critical importance of making a solid, lasting connection with your prospects and potential buyers.
Traditional advertising methods that rely on repetition, monotony, or sheer volume of exposure are often ineffective in today's saturated media landscape.
To attract and maintain people's attention, you must create content that intrigues, entertains, or educates people. Whether it's a memorable headline, or a compelling story, or an eye-catching visual, the key to creating success advertising lies in creating a memorable connection.
Pulling this off requires something a lot of marketers still haven’t figured out: understanding your audience.
To interest people in your product or message, you need to understand what’s important to the people you’re setting out to reach and influence.
Effective marketing goes beyond creating generic messaging—any idiot can do that, which explains why so much advertising is idiotic.
Understanding your audience involves tailoring your content to resonate with the specific needs, desires, and pain points of your audience.
By doing so, you can create a deeper connection and generate genuine interest.
Ogilvy's wisdom also suggests that flooding consumers with information or repeating the same message ad nauseam doesn't lead to meaningful results.
Instead, you need to focus on the quality of your content, its relevance, and its ability to capture, hold, and direct your audience’s imagination. In the age of information overload, the way to stand out is to create and share content that’s unique, insightful, emotionally sticky, and socially or personally captivating.
Which leads us to storytelling, which is by far the most compelling and captivating of tools at your disposal when it comes to successfully getting and keeping your audience's attention.
Narratives, anecdotes, personal experiences, and stories all work to evoke and to connect with emotions, and the more you can connect with people’s emotions, whether that’s through nostalgia, comparison, sympathy, empathy, and desire, the more memorable your messages will become.
Ogilvy understood the persuasive power of storytelling and used it effectively in his campaigns year after year. Why? Because it worked! Don’t believe me? Just search Google for examples from O&M for Rolls Royce, Hathaway Shirts, and dozens of other clients.
Today, successful marketers continue to harness the emotional appeal of storytelling to interest people in their products or causes.
To interest people, you must be willing to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.
Ogilvy was known for his creative and unconventional advertising ideas. Similarly, in the modern marketing landscape, those who dare to think outside the box and break the mold are more likely to capture attention and leave a lasting impression.
With the advent of digital and social media, the means of capturing attention have expanded.
Leveraging various channels and formats—such as social media, video, podcasts, and interactive content—allows for a more dynamic and engaging approach. Adapting to the evolving media landscape is essential for maintaining relevance and interest.
Interest is not only about capturing attention but also about maintaining it over the long term.
Trust, belief, and credibility all play a pivotal role in this regard. Honesty, transparency, and the willingness to deliver solidly on the promises you make are essential for keeping the interest of your audience.
In essence, David Ogilvy's wisdom reminds us that the art of attracting attention in marketing and advertising requires a deep understanding of human psychology, effective communication, and a commitment to delivering real value.
By focusing on interest rather than boredom, you can create a meaningful connection with your audience, ultimately leading to successful marketing campaigns and brand loyalty.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Why knocking your competitors is a bad idea.