So what’s your problem? (Or a 10-minute makeover on how to make your listing copy more attention getting, more interesting, and most of all, more effective.)

by Richard Riccelli

Marketing Provocateur

Author website

A fundamental difference between general advertising (image, awareness, brand-building ads–the stuff Century 21 and ReMax does nationally) and direct response advertising (the targeted, measurable results-driven stuff YOU and frontliners like the Bergs–and welcome Kris! what a good get Greg–do locally) is that the former tries to change the way customers think over time and the latter works to change the way customers act right now.

Since direct response advertising can measure results,** it creates opportunities to test and account for the value and effectiveness of things. Like headlines.*** Copy. Pictures. Or even blog posts.

Which is what I am doing now.

I want to see why BloodhoundBlog Post 703 is drawing so few responses (okay, none right now). Is it because it’s just boring and uninteresting to readers? Or perhaps all it needs is a much better headline to get you to take a look and benefit from all its great advice on how to write compelling listings copy. I want to test the supposition “You can lead a real estate agent to a blog, but you can’t make him think.”****

Vote with your mouse.

Charmed, I’m sure.

or

A 10-minute makeover on how to make your listing copy more attention getting, more interesting, and most of all, more effective.

__________

** When should you use general advertising and when should you use direct response advertising? Well, first determine who’s paying for it. Then decide.

*** For those of you who care to get under the hood of your marketing, John Caples was the godfather of Tested Advertising Methods. It’s a classic text. (Okay, it’s really, really old, and “They’ll laugh when you order it at Amazon, but OH! when you begin to put his ideas to work…”)

**** Just kidding. Greg urged me, originally, to use the “makeover how-to” headline. I resisted. I even thought of titling this post “You lookin’ at me?” but I checked and the actual line is “You talking to me?” So I guess the real supposition I’m testing is “You can give a guru good advice, but you can’t account for his ego.”

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