Naked advertising is striped of those critical elements that compose an effective selling message, and cause prospects to respond, engage, and buy. Unfortunately, most ads have lost their selling luster, and gone the way of “creative.” Creative ads may win awards, but effective ads sell products and make money.

1. Does your ad have a compelling headline that does one or more of the following:

• States a problem and provides a solution?
• Introduces news of a breakthrough, an exciting new product, a new solution, or a new use or application for an existing product?
• Offers a major benefit?
• Offers an incredible price, savings or discount?
• Asks a compelling question?
• Provides “How To” information?
• Addresses a specific audience i.e. “Heartburn Sufferers”
• Announces a major event?

2. Is your headline supported with a sub-head or a short opening sentence that supports the headline?

3. Does your ad start with your biggest and most exciting benefit you can possibly offer?

4. Does your ad clearly and simply state your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

5. Is your USP so compelling and powerful that it clearly makes you the obvious choice?

6. Do you support your USP, headline or offer with quantifiable and verifiable facts and logical, believable reasons why you can make such a claim or offer?

7. Does your ad copy contain specifics, examples, test results, testimonials, awards, endorsements?

8. Does your copy contain action verbs and proven “power words” of effective advertising?

9. Are you speaking directly to your audience in a direct, personal and friendly tone? Does it sound like you’re speaking directly to a friend?

10. Does your ad have an emotional appeal? Does it stir one or more of the following emotions:

• Love?
• Fear of loss?
• Ego?
• Status?
• Fear of embarrassment?
• Vanity?
• Power?
• Respect?

11. Does your ad provide specific prices or payments?

12. Does your ad offer a savings of time and hassle? Does it offer a major convenience factor? If not, does it offer huge savings of money?

13. Does your 30-second TV spot, or 60-second radio spot contain no more than two offers or products?

14. Does your ad offer something free to responders, such as a free booklet, free trial, free report, free sample, or a free gift?

15. Does your TV or radio ad have a catchy jingle that supports your USP, includes your company or product name, and is clear, simple to understand, easy to remember and sing along with, and memorable?

16. Does your ad provide a very specific solution or benefit to a specified and targeted niche segment of the population? (“The largest selection of ground cover plants and bulbs in the county”). Or does your ad provide a very specific solution or benefit to a fairly large group (“The largest Ford truck dealer in Atlanta, with 247 new models in 27 colors, and 196 used Ford trucks to choose from in every price range from $3,500 to $43,000. We guarantee that if we don’t have exactly what you’re looking for, we’ll buy you a fabulous lunch for 2 at Mills Rib House).

17. Is your ad part of an on-going, long-term campaign with a central theme and message?

18. Does your campaign maintain continuity in look and feel, sound, voice or camera talent, music bed, graphics, colors and fonts?

19. Is your compelling sales message, USP, and core benefit integrated into all of your advertising, printed collateral, Internet site, signage, merchandising, point of purchase and sales presentations? Is every customer contact point with your business delivering a consistent and predictable message that is “on-strategy” with your campaign?

20. Is your TV or radio schedule providing greater frequency than your nearest competitor who is also advertising on the same station, dayparts or programs?

21. Does your advertising schedule provide a 3 frequency against at least 70% of the stations audience per week, every week of the year?

22. Does your ad give a specific and compelling call to action?

23. Do you offer a guarantee, warranty, or a risk reversal? Is your guarantee the best in the business? Do you make it easy for the consumer? Do you stand behind your guarantee? Is your guarantee full of loopholes, exceptions, hurdles, roadblocks and fine print?

24. Do you have a built-in mechanism to track, log and document the responses to your ads?

25. Do you build a database of customers, prospects and responders for future follow-up, referrals, re-selling, cross-selling and up-selling opportunities?

26. Do you mine your database with personalized, timely, specific and compelling offers?

27. Is your ad budget and schedule sufficient to reach your sales goals? Is it realistic? Is it based on a percentage of current sales, or last year’s budget, or what is average for your industry? Or is your budget and media schedule proactive, and therefore based on where you want to be, and what you want to accomplish?

28. Do you have a long-term focus on growth and a commitment to your campaign and advertising schedule?

29. If you were not you, and instead an ordinary citizen and a prospect for your company, what would you think of your ad? Would you believe it? Would you be motivated by it? Would you remember it? Would it push any of your emotional hot buttons? Would it give you specific and compelling reasons to shop or buy?

Would it make you feel totally and completely confident that you will not be disappointed, cheated, taken advantage of or unhappy if you bought the product? Would the guarantee of satisfaction totally remove your hesitation to buy? Would the offer remove all risk from you, the customer?

30. Are your print ads arranged with a photograph at the top, a headline below the photograph, and a sub-head or support copy below that?

31. Is your print ad copy long enough to tell your story, and sell your product? Long copy sells better than short copy.

32. Do your print ads have black or solid colored copy on a white background?

33. Do your print ads make the mistake of having copy on top of the photograph, or printed on a colored background?

34. Do your print ads use a serif font like Times Roman or Century?

35. Do your print ads have a response mechanism built into them?

36. If you have additional photographs in the body of your print ad, do they have captions below them to explain the benefit or the sales message?

37. Is the photograph in your print ad showing your product in use, or the result of using your product, preferably with people that the targeted audience can relate to?

38. Do your print ads have enough white space surrounding your headline to make it a clean and obvious central focus point?

39. Is your overall print ad layout simple and clean to look at, and easy and inviting to read?

Do you have to struggle to figure out what the main selling message and benefit is, and what the copy says, what the offer is, how to respond, and what the photograph means?

Most “creative” ads fall into the latter category. Remember, creative entertains and wins awards, but it does not normally sell products. On the other hand, ads that are well written with compelling and informative copy, and an irresistible offer on a guaranteed product in a clean and easy to read layout always does outperform the cute, cleaver and pretty ads.

The more of these questions you can sincerely, honestly and objectively answer in the positive, and with strong conviction, the more effective your advertising will be. Business is not easy, and it is not a game for wimps. Entrepreneurs must take their advertising very seriously in order to survive and prosper. Advertising is not a sideline, or a part-time thing. Advertising and marketing is your lifeblood. But it only works if it is done well, as a scientific pursuit for predictable results, and done consistently.

Duane Sprague is president of Dunning Sprague Marketing & Advertising, located in Foothill Ranch California. Duane has written over 60 published articles and 3 books on marketing and advertising, and is a national speaker. He can be reached at 888-264-1963 ext. 1618. Or on the web at www.dunningsprague.com. Email: dsprague@dunningsprague.com