If you want to succeed in business, you have to be a bit of a peacock

One of the most common mistakes made when writing advertising or marketing material is to forget to target it properly.  Most material starts by putting the name of the business in big bold letters at the top, followed by a list of products or services and maybe a message somewhere towards the end.  And guess what?  The people who do that are the first to say “Advertising never works!”   What they should be saying of course is “My advertising never works” because they have forgotten the first basic rule of marketing – you have to get the attention of your target market.

 Have you ever seen a male peacock displaying its full finery? It looks absolutely magnificent and catches the eye of anyone who sees them.  But the peacock is not doing it for you and me – the only reason it is putting itself out there in a big bold statement is to catch the attention of the female who is the object of his affection. 

 
So whenever you want to sell anything--- products, services, ideas or even yourself to someone else you’ve got to be a bit of a peacock and catch the eye of the person you are aiming at. You’ve really got to seize their attention and get them firmly focused on your product. That way there’s a chance that they’ll see your message and maybe even take it in and understand it

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In a written advert the headline is what gets their attention. Headlines are what they put on posters outside newsagents to lure you in and they print them on the covers of magazines for the same reason. Similarly, what the viewer first sees and hears in a television commercial, or the listener first hears on your radio advert, must get attention.  And if it doesn’t you are history.  That’s why you’ve got to get it right.

 
So, whenever you create an advertisement, you should devote around 80% of your time to getting the headline right to make sure you get that attention.  It’s not rocket science. All it requires is a little thought so that it says to your market “Hey I’m the new peacock in town – come and get me while I’m still hot!.