Halil

Every decision in advertising should be judged by sales standards, not entertainment standards.

“Complexity is the enemy of execution.” —Tony Robbins

Many people set unrealistic goals, including me. My goals were massive. And I never achieved them because of that. If you want to make €3k a month, you first have to make €100. Then €200. Then €500. Step by step. Brick by brick.

Ads are not meant to amuse. They are not meant to win applause. They are not meant to be clever shows. When ads focus on entertaining, they attract the wrong people. People who like being entertained. Not people ready to buy.

One of the biggest mistakes in advertising is when writers forget their job. They stop being salesmen. They start being performers. They chase laughs. They chase praise. They chase creativity points. And while they’re doing that, sales disappear.

Don’t try to be funny in your ads. Buying is serious. People don’t joke when spending money. Just do what a good salesman would do when talking to someone who is half convinced but not fully sold yet.

People don’t just buy products. They buy how you make them feel about themselves.

If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t put it in an ad.

The maker cares about: Features - Processes - Costs - Technical details - Pride in how it’s made The buyer cares about: - Their problem - Their desire - Their convenience - Their outcome The number one reason advertising fails: Businesses communicate what they care about.

You cannot sell profitably, face to face or in advertising, if you think like the seller instead of the buyer. Ads are written with the wrong mindset. They are written to satisfy the seller. To express what the seller likes. Meanwhile, the buyer’s interests disappear.

Good advertising does not start with creativity. It starts with human persuasion.

Advertising works better today because people already did the hard experimenting for us.

How to make an ad that makes the phone ring for your local business. Go for a walk on a sunny day. Pull out your phone and press record. Say: “Do you WANT X? Or… Do you have a PROBLEM? We help X get Y." Tell your offer. Ask them to contact you if they are interested.

Advertising works better today because people already did the hard experimenting for us. Big companies have been running ads for a long time. They ran hundreds of campaigns, tried thousands of ideas, headlines, offers, layouts, words. The best marketers know what works.

For most products, it’s not the product itself that people want, it’s the bottom-line benefit they’re buying.

What’s more important: the visual or the copy of an ad? I had a girlfriend. I'm a serious guy. She was gorgeous but dumb. The visual was there, but the copy wasn’t, so I dumped her. Visuals sell when you sell a hamburger. But if a client needs to invest a lot, copy sells.

Chat GPT's genius marketing plan... They were losing millions in the beginning. They were offering their tool for free. Why? To generate leads, to get as many people to use the app. Now everyone knows about it and millions are paying for it. Takeaway: Offer value for free.

If people can’t tell the difference between you and your competitors, they won’t choose you.

The purpose of your headline is not to be “catchy”. It’s to be effective.

Advertising is not entertainment. It’s not art. It’s not a riddle. It’s salesmanship in print. If it doesn’t move money, it failed, no matter how clever it sounded.