Gold marketing principle 3 A picture is not worth a thousand words

Should you include a photograph in your ads? Most of the time, the answer is no. Why? Well, what does a photo really do except show something? Merely letting a prospect see what something looks like is not selling. While it's true that a photo can be a piece of the puzzle in a total marketing message, the problem is that it takes up a lot of space - space you could be using to list benefits, make a great offer, explain to your customer why they should buy, and what they'll get if they do. So why do you see so many ads with photos in them? The vast majority of these ads are run by mega-corporations doing institutional advertising. The Ford Motor Company can afford to spend millions printing and publishing pictures of their shiny cars. They have a lot more money to also put in all the other marketing messages they want, even though they very often never do.

But you don't have that kind of money to blow. That means taking up a huge portion of your ad space with a big picture that just sits there and says nothing is a dangerous way to advertise.

In some cases, pictures can help, if they are used wisely, and they do not crowd out the more vital information that the ad copy delivers.

Here's another interesting point: when you send a sales letter, adding a picture of yourself somewhere may actually help response. That's because when you show your face, people are more willing to trust what you're saying in your letter. The reader thinks that if you're willing to show your face, you're most likely willing to stand behind your offer. Also, putting your picture on your business card is an excellent idea. It almost turns your tiny business card into a response-pulling piece of direct mail!

So think about your ad illustrations wisely, and that goes for your other printed marketing material as well.

Continue reading here: Never underestimate the intelligence of the buyer

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