Your advertising has a job: to get your prospect’s attention, tell them about how you can help them, and make an offer that gets a response. We call that the “GTO” formula.
There’s something that Madison Avenue calls Interrupt Marketing that’s similar, but doesn’t quite work as well unless you have a $20 Million Dollar ad budget!
Interrupt Marketing Usually Misses the point
We’ve all seen interrupt marketing. It’s a cuddly puppy that’s supposed to show us how soft a fabric softener will make our clothes. It’s Tiger Woods driving a Buick (I guess that’s to show that we can “drive” just like him). And it’s the big “FREE” headline that makes you think you can get something for free…until you read the fine print. Madison Avenue loves interrupt marketing.
The problem with Interrupt Marketing
Interrupt Marketing uses these images or words because we can’t resist them. We’re drawn to them like a magnet. But when we see a puppy (which my kids would love to have), and then read about fabric softener (which neither my kids or I care about!) we turn the page, or click the remote. They “made you look” at the ad, but when we realized that it was nothing that we cared about, their interrupt marketing failed.
Interrupt advertising can work, with GTO.
Interrupt advertising can work. We don’t use cuddly puppies, or Tiger Woods. Informer Messages on hold interrupt with the “Hot Buttons” (the problems your customers have, the challenges they have, or what they want most) that made them call you. If you’re a plumber, your customer’s hot button might be a leaky pipe or remodeling a powder room. If you’re a pediatrician your caller’s hot button might be Flu Shots or “Walk in hours.” If you’re an insurance agent, your customer’s hot buttons might be understanding medical insurance or homeowner’s policies. When interrupt advertising actually uses your customers “hot buttons” it works.
Using Interrupt Advertising with your Messages on hold.
We’ve all heard messages on hold that are boring and aren’t interesting. Most of the short messages start with the name of the company, the word “we,” or an apology for keeping you on hold. Informer Messages on hold are different. Your Informer Messages on hold will use interrupt marketing the way it was supposed to be used, starting every message with a “hot button” issue that your customer will be interested in, to get your caller’s attention, help them understand how you can help, and get them to ask you about it. Interrupt advertising works, if you let it. Call for a free 15-minute strategy session and lets see how it can work for you.