2. Direct Mail Advertising Techniques

Do use a stamp vs. a bulk mail endicia – Open rate on envelopes with physical stamps is 13% higher.

Do make your letter look like newsworthy content – Content gets read, not advertising.

3. Writing as Advertising Techniques

Note: this applies to anything to do with Direct marketing, Internet marketing, even memos to your boss.

Do understand that the use of certain words are power words which produce results.

Do use present tense – better response than past tense.

Do use the word “you” or “your” far more than “I” “me” or “we.”

4. TV Advertising Techniques

Do use TV as a way to legitimize your brand, launch your brand, or reposition your brand. When used prudently and selectively, it can be one of the best advertising techniques depending on your situation.

Do investigate buying “remnant” TV media and making opportunistic buys for a fraction of retail prices.

Do make sure your TV spot looks like nothing else on TV (in order to stand out).

5. Public Relations as one of the “Earned” Advertising Techniques

Do understand that Public Relations is fundamentally different than advertising. PR is not necessarily in the genre of advertising techniques, but on average PR is 6X more powerful because people pay attention to content 6X more than advertising (that’s starting at 500% higher ROI).

6. Print Advertising Techniques (Newspaper, Magazine, etc)

Do understand that a print ad which looks like an “ad” will fail unless you have an amazing offer (great discount, sale, limited time only). Without an offer, an ad that looks like an “ad” won’t get read.

Do make your ad look like content (use the same font style and layout as the publication) or make your ad look like no other ad in the pub (reference Infiniti print ads from 2005 and Pfizer’s Celebrex print ads from 2007)

7. Radio Advertising Techniques

Do understand that radio advertising works best with high frequency and proper timing.

Do understand that the first five seconds of your radio ad may be the most important…a cell phone and the radio preset button is a moment away from avoiding your ad.

8. Word-Of-Mouth and Buzz as Advertising Techniques

Note that word-of-mouth or buzz is created with pull, not “bought” like print advertising.

Also note that this lost art which was practiced before the advent of Television is more powerful than any other set of advertising techniques (Euro RSCG Study found it 10X more effective than TV or Print advertising).

Do understand that the root of all buzz is a seven-letter word: stories.

The crux of buzzmarketing and word-of-mouth is to give people a great story to tell, which they, in turn, can tell others…and by them telling the story it makes them interesting, fascinating, and newsworthy.