Do The Advertising Agency You Hire Make These 17 Mistakes?

Mistake #1:

They believe the one picture beats thousand words nonsense.

(This is oversimplifying. Sometimes, the text-only letter-typed advertising beats fancy production videos completely. Especially if you are selling complex products or services such as insurances.)

Mistake #2:

They believe your prospects or customers don’t read over 140 words.

(If you want to attract only those who can't read over 140 words, I don't argue. But do you?)

Mistake #3:

They believe white and black advertising can’t beat full color advertising no matter what.

(The history of mail order tells you a simple postcard sometimes outpulls an expensive, full color catalog.)

Mistake #4:

They believe big corporations don’t have to sign anyone’s name in their advertising.

(Big corporation guys love getting rid of human-smell from their ads. But customers love it too?)

Mistake #5:

They believe you don’t have to know what your competitors are doing.

(How can you convince your prospects or customers they should choose your products or services among all other competitors without knowing what they are doing?)

Mistake #6:

They believe you don’t have to explain in your advertising why your prospects or customers now.

(If you don't add “time factor” in your ads, they put your offer on hold and forget about it in a hour. And they buy from your competitors who use “time factor”.)

Mistake #7:

They believe you don’t have to explain how your products or services can solve the serious, specific problems your prospects or customers are suffering from.

(Do you like using slogans, poems, clever remarks, philosophical preaches or songs in your ads? Surprisingly, your real prospects don't. They want solutions.)

Mistake #8:

They believe you don’t have to learn anything from the advertising history to create good advertisings.

(Do they know David Ogilvy, Eugene M. Schwartz, Vic Schwab, Claude Hopkins, Robert Collier, John Caples, Thomas Hall, E. Haldeman-Julius, or E. Joseph Cossman? If you don't know none of them but can't afford to read all books written by them... read at least The First Hundred Million: The Inside Secrets of the American Book-Buying Public by E. Haldeman-Julius or The Robert Collier Letter Book by Robert Collier. Even the best copywriter in the world can't sell garbage. But poor advertisings kill even the best products or services in the world. You will know what I mean soon.)

Mistake #9:

They believe you have to hide from your prospects or customers all the weaknesses of your products or services.

(Maybe you can in the short-term, but not in the long-term. If there is a way to take advantage of your weaknesses... you want to know how?)

Mistake #10:

They believe how to tell the price of your products or services don’t matter.

(If you think pricing is just labeling the price tag, you are deadly wrong. For example, If you have three products, the lowest price one, the middle price one, the highest price one, which one do you offer first?)

Mistake #11:

They believe when to tell the price of your products or services don’t matter.

(You can't generalize when to tell the price of your products or services. It depends on the situation. But how? Can you tell the price $10,000 to your prospects at the first paragraph of your sales letter? One of the best sales letters in the mail order history did it.)

Mistake #12:

They believe they don’t have to read any newspaper, magazine, books to create good advertising.

(If you want to attract only those who don't read any newspaper, magazine, or book... I don't argue. But do you? I don't recommend it.)

Mistake #13:

They believe the advertising which won the popularity contests in your board rooms, meeting rooms, or in your family get the best sales results.

(This is The Big Company Disease #1. Listen: the advertising which actually sells never wins the popularity contest in your board rooms, meeting rooms, or in your family. Because they are not like artworks. They are like editorials or letters.)

Mistake #14:

They believe they can create world-class advertisings without interviewing any of your employees or yourself.

(They want to interview Hollywood stars, K-pop idols, Youtube influencers to “credentialise” your products or services... but ignore your employees and you completely. But why? Who created the value in your products or services?)

Mistake #15:

They believe they can create world-class advertisings without studying the history of your company even if your company is over 100 years old.

(Young companies struggle to create ads because they have few stories worth telling. But if your company is over 100 years old? You must have too much stories to tell!)

Mistake #16:

They believe lowering the price of your products or services always leads sales increase.

(It's one of typical oversimplifications they love to commit. Ask them how to raise prices of your products or services without decreasing sales especially if you are in the jewelry industry. )

Mistake #17:

They don't use direct response ad at all.

(direct response ad: an advertisement to which a customer can reply to show interest in a product or service, by filling in a form, phoning a number, sending an email, etc.: by Cambridge Dictionary. You have to ask in every ads your prospects to do something which leads to sales eventually. Because you can't measure the result of non direct response ads.)

Gift #1:

KSL2024-258. A fisherman's daughter from Yoroido reveals the secret lives of Geishas!

✔If you are suffering from stupid "First impression is everything" nonsense, read this issue! I show you how to take advantage of your non-fancy first impression!

Gift #2:

KSL2024-259. How to create the great book-title which forces passers-by to stop walking, drop their smartphones, forget their appointments and buy your book immediately!

✔If the advertising agency you hire recommends you to give one-word titles to your emails, articles, or books… just wait! Read this issue immediately before it is too late.

Gift #3:

KSL2024-260. If you neglect these three simple precautions, phony "Psychological Experts" may rape you!

✔If you haven’t read Los Angeles Times’ article “Psychologists in ‘Feeling Therapy’ Lose Licenses” by Lois Timnick and enjoyu so-called what "Psychological Experts" post on SNS everyday… you are in danger. Read this issue immediately and check why!

Gift #4:

KSL2024-261. Could you report your father to the police for beating you with the belt?

✔If you are suffering from Domestic Violence or the memories… read this issue! You know what? Even the richest in the world suffer from Domestic Violence too. You can't buy the peace in your family.

Gift #5:

KSL2024-262. How to prioritize books in your shelf!

✔Do you have too many books in your shelf and don't know from which book to start? You buy and buy books after books, don't read through any of them, and get tired of yourself? In that case, read this issue!

Gift #6:

KSL2024-263. The danger of having too much money!

✔Do you think money can solve all your problems? Don't you know money “create” all kinds of ridiculous problems in your family? If you want to know the ugly truth of having too much money… read this issue!

Gift #7:

KSL2024-264. How to attract those who you DESPISE!

✔Choose what to say carefully. Otherwise, you lose your families, friends, and ideal customers. If you don't want to attract those you despise, read this issue!

Gift #8:

KSL2024-265. Don't use this black-magic line unless you are absolutely sure you are doing ethical things!

✔If you look closely at various advertisements, you can find this black-magic line everywhere. (Especially in diet markets). Because this line is REALLY effective. If you want to know what line I mean… read this issue!

Gift #9:

KSL2024-266. If you must cut costs, your first move should be fixing ads! Just write sincere, simple sales letters!

✔If you have really excellent products or services, you can create excellent ads with one smartphone only. You don't need fancy CGs, fancy movies, fancy music. Not at all.

Just write a simple sales letter.

If you want to know how to cut your business costs significantly without cruel layoffs… read this issue!

Gift #10:

KSL2024-267. Having competitors is not necessarily a bad thing. Because if there are many UNSATISFIED customers in the industry... it's your business chances!

✔If you want to know how to snatch the unsatisfied customers from competitors, read this issue!

Gift #11:

KSL2024-268. Don't stick to the Low Margins, High Volume strategy for no apparent reason! You can set the price first!

✔If you want to know how to create high-margin products or services… read this issue!

Gift #12:

KSL2024-269. The short, middle-aged Kyoto University Dropout from Kyoto reveals… how to sweeten your products or services with minimum costs!

✔If you want to know add high perceived value to your products or services without spending extra money… read this issue!

Gift #13:

KSL2024-270. If you want to earn trust from your prospects or clients, don't bother them with your clever remarks, poems, jokes, slogans…just give them solutions to their problems!

✔Have you ever doubted cute slogans, funny jingles, ridiculous videos really sell your products or services? You are right. If you want to know how to bond with your prospects or customers in a profitable, and ETHICAL way… read this issue!

Gift #14:

KSL2024-271. How to minimize customer harassment AND enhance customer loyalty of your clients, AND raise the price of your products or services…at the same time!

✔If you are one of dentists suffering from too much clients and reservations and no-show… never miss this issue!

Gift #15:

KSL2024-272. If you limit new customers by what they can... you can create strong sense of belonging in your customers' community!

✔Those who successfully limit customers don’t judge people only by money. If you want to know how to create strong sense of belonging in your customers' community… read this issue!

Gift #16:

KSL2024-273. How to take advantage of your weaknesses!

✔No one is perfect. If you want to know how to boost your believability with your weaknesses… read this issue!

Gift #17:

KSL2024-274. The contrast between your great strength and forgivable weakness makes you attractive!

✔You don't have to be perfect. And you can't be perfect anyway. But there are unforgivable weaknesses if you want to be the go-to guy in the industry. If you want to know the difference between forgivable weaknesses and unforgivable weaknesses… read this issue!

Gift #18:

KSL2024-275. How to run away from monster customers legally!

✔If your employee are suffering from extreme customer harassment and the turnover rate is too high… read this issue!

Gift #19:

KSL2024-276. How and when to say the price of your products or services!

✔If you are afraid of telling your customers the price of your products or services… you must read this issue!

Gift #20:

KSL2024-276. How and when to say the price of your products or services!

✔If you are afraid of telling your customers the price of your products or services… you must read this issue!

Gift #21:

KSL2024-277. If you want to create a story from your products or services, the first step is to decide on which problem you focus!

✔If you are REALLY proud of your products or services… I can show you how to create stories from them! (Hint: Where there is no problem, there is no story to tell.)

Gift #22:

KSL2024-278. For every problem you solved, there's a story to tell!

✔If you use special materials to produce your products…never pass up this issue! You can cut your advertising cost significantly!

Gift #23:

KSL2024-279. If you don’t look like fashion models, ballerinas, figure skaters, Hollywood stars, or K-Pop idols... it’s your advantage in the special context!

✔Do you think being not young, not thin, or not rich makes it impossible for you to get popular? It's oversimplification. If you want to know why almost “perfect” guys (young, beautiful, and rich) are not so popular… read this issue!

Gift #24:

KSL2024-280. How to create world-class sales letters with the ultimate marketing secret, “The Dual-Story-System”!

✔If your company have honorable histories and don’t engage in shameless activities like child labor, slavery, poaching, ingredients fraud… you can’t miss this issue!

To give you the soundest secrets accumulated by mail-order legends such as David Ogilvy, Claude Hopkins, Robert Collier, Thomas Hall, Eugene M. Schwartz, Vic Schwab, John Caples, E. Haldeman-Julius, E. Joseph Cossman and more... much more.