I was just re-reading chapter 3 of Vic Schwab’s How to Write a Good Advertisement. That’s the chapter that talks about different kinds of proof.
At the end of the chapter, Vic throws in some grab-bag comments about how to make your ads more credible and effective.
Among these: use real photos in your ads, and not illustrations.
It’s been tested, says Vic, and photographs outpull drawings.
I’ve heard this advice from other sources as well, and I’ve taken it for granted. Until, that is, a few days ago.
That’s when I got a note from one of my clients who sells ecommerce products through Facebook ads. He wrote to say that they’d tested using custom-made illustrations in their FB ads.
These images aren’t trying to be hyper-realistic.
They are also clearly fake, in the sense they illustrate an idealized product-use scenario.
And yet, they are profitable — with higher clickthrough and conversion rates than regular product shots.
So what’s going on?
My guess is that it’s a matter of contrast.
Now that everybody is using photos, and even high quality photos are cheap to make, a drawing catches more attention and engages the consuming mass mind better.
Which might be a useful tidbit for you to know. But I think it’s also an illustration of the basic formula for effective marketing. And that’s to find a way to make the same promise — more money, less pain, a bit of respect — in a new and attention-grabbing way.
Which coincidentally, is what daily sales emails or blog posts are also about. Like what you’re reading right now.
New day, new angle — but same fundamental offer. Speaking of which:
If you’re looking to write daily emails for your business, which tirelessly promote your product or service in always new and fresh ways, then you might get some good ideas in the following: