Most Ads Fail at Getting Clients

Let’s be honest: most ads don’t do their job.

Some ads are funny. Some ads are cinematic (whatever that means). Some ads are memorable.

But here’s the bottom line: if they don’t generate clients, what’s the point?

In this article, I’ll show you how to write an ad that not only grabs attention but also converts — getting clients, generating leads, and selling products.

Let’s dive in:

What NOT to Do When Writing Ads

Let’s start with a basic principle.

If I wanted to convince you to buy something — anything — would I:
• Dress up like a clown to make you laugh first?
• Bring in a cute puppy or kitten to help make the sale?
• Play loud, blaring music with epic visual effects and cinematography?
• Be vague about what I’m trying to sell you?

If you answered no to all of these, we’re off to a good start.

Because that’s exactly what you shouldn’t do when trying to get someone to buy something.

The First Step to Writing a Winning Advertisement

So what should we do instead?

We need to think of our ad as a salesman (or saleswoman — whatever works for you). But for simplicity, I’ll refer to them as a salesman in this example.

Let’s say you’ve found a great prospect for your product or service and you’re sending a salesman over. What do you want them to say? What would they ask? What kind of arguments would they use to get the prospect to take action?

Let’s use an example: selling chiropractic care.

First, we ask the question: “Who is the ideal prospect for this?”

Let’s say we decide that someone with back pain is a good fit.

Now, we send our hypothetical salesman to this hypothetical prospect. What does he say?

How about… …

“Hi, does your back hurt?”

Beating the Blank Page Problem When Writing Ads

Starting to write anything can be intimidating — especially when faced with a blank page. That empty space challenges you to fill it with something impactful.

This is why we keep things simple. Start by asking the prospect if they’re a good fit for your service. Here are a few examples:
• “Are you a business owner looking to attract more clients?”
• “Does your back hurt?”
• “Looking to lose weight in the next few weeks?”
• “Want to improve your golf swing?”
• “Interested in easily attracting more women?”

We start with simple questions because simplicity works. It cuts to the heart of the matter — and that’s what you want to do.

In a world full of noise and distractions, you need to cut through the clutter. The simplest approach is often the most effective — straight to the point, no fluff.