Recently, I was asked to give a presentation on how to write flyers and brochures for martial arts schools. I decided to boil it down to just 5 key points that would work on virtually all advertising and marketing materials for any business.
These keys are extremely adaptable and will help, not only brochures and flyers, but also newspaper ads, press releases, sales letters, postcards, business cards, radio, television, oral presentations, etc. You can easily apply these techniques to your current marketing efforts and watch your results improve dramatically.
Key #1: Headline
The headline is the “ad for the ad”. It’s what gets the reader’s attention and makes him or her not immediately throw the ad away. You could have literary gold written on your pamphlet or flyer, but if the headline does not grab the person’s attention, then they will not have the incentive to read the rest.
A great headline could mean the difference between a successful ad, brochure or flyer, and a piece of trash blowing in the wind.
So what makes a headline great? The answer is, “one that gets results”, but that’s after the fact. That’s where testing one headline against another comes in to play. Before then, however, it is best to create a headline that would hit home with your target audience; one that appeals to their selfish desires.
Before getting to specific examples, here’s a few other hints:
- Use eye-catching and intriguing adjectives like “Revolutionary”, “Breakthrough”, “Secret”, “Extraordinary”, etc. It’s OK to sensationalize because the purpose of the headline is just to get the person to keep reading.
- Remember the 2 most powerful words in advertising are “New” and “Free”; use liberally.
- Instructional phrases like “How to” and “Learn the” will also entice the reader.
- Numbers are powerful headline tools; especially odd numbers and numbers divisible by ten. 3, 5, 7, 10, 50, 100, 101, etc. Think of the numbers you’ve seen in other headlines and you’ll see the pattern.
I used a few of these tactics myself in creating the headline for this article.
Here’s a few real world examples where I’ve taken a standard headline for a martial arts class or event and then an example of where I have modified it.
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“Self Defense Class” becomes “How to Stop Any Attacker in Seconds”
“Kick Boxing” becomes “Lose Weight and Get in Shape in Just 3 Minutes at a Time” or “Revolutionary Workout Program Lets You Lose Weight and Get in Shape in Just 3 Minutes at a Time”
“Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA” can be restated “Learn the Fighting Secrets of Ultimate Fighting Champions”
“Kenpo Karate” might be “Now You Can Learn the Breakthrough Self-Defense System Studied by Bruce Lee, Jeff Speakman, and even Elvis Presley”.
Instead of “Tai Chi for Seniors”, try “The 7 Secret Health Benefits of Tai Chi That Will Keep You Young”
Generic: “NEW Classes Forming Now! Sign Up for First Month FREE!”
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Key #2: Picture
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” You’ve heard that phrase probably a thousand times. This is where you put it to use.
Including the right picture in your marketing materials can make a lot of points for you without saying a word. A simple silhouette picture of a person kicking in mid-air says that it’s a martial arts school that utilizes kicking.
If the silhouette guy has on boxing gloves, that says that you specifically teach kick boxing.
A picture of an instructor helping a child practice a kick shows that you specialize in teaching children a kicking martial art.
You get the idea.
Just remember to use a picture that is congruent with the message you are trying to get across. For instance, if you use an image of 2 people fighting in a cage, your ad probably should not be claiming that you specialize in children or Tai Chi.
Do Not Use Your Logo.
The most common mistake many businesses make with their marketing materials and advertising is to use their logo as the only picture. The problem is that most logos, especially martial arts logos, are usually symbolic designs that mean a lot to the school, but not to the “outside world”. Since it’s the “outside world” you’re trying to appeal to, it’s best to only use your logo as a secondary identifier, if at all.
Bottom Line: If there is room for a picture, use one that relates your message for you.
Key #3: Testimonials
Testimonials are worth their weight in gold!
They are like personal recommendations from family, friends, and neighbors telling your potential students how much other, “regular” people just like them enjoy you and your school.
People of authority and previous knowledge, like law enforcement professionals, other martial artists, and celebrities, also make for a great source of powerful testimonials.
I cannot stress enough how powerful and important testimonials can be in marketing. As a business owner, you should always be culling testimonials from your students, parents, peers, and the press.
You can put testimonials above the headline of your ad, within the copy, in a special section with other testimonials, next to the person’s smiling picture, even as the headline itself (“I am no longer scared to walk to my car after work!”).
Key #4: Sell Benefits; Not Features
Many businesses make a huge mistake with the body copy of their advertising and marketing: they talk about themselves and what they offer without relating it to their potential customers.
For instance, a karate school may spend a good deal of ad space talking about how they teach the original version of a certain system from a particular disciple of the founder. This may cause the reader to inquire, “And?”, which really translates to: “What does this mean to me?”.
When it comes to body copy (and all marketing, for that matter), I like to keep the “first date” principle in mind. On a first date, men tend to talk about their good points to impress and sell themselves to their dates. However, doing so may produce the opposite effect, since the women see this as bragging. The same rule applies to advertising.
In radio, we said that “Everyone’s favorite radio station is WIIFM: ‘What’s In It For Me’”, and we would base our commercials and sales materials around that idea.
With this in mind, instead of “bragging” about your business or school in the marketing materials, you should be informing readers how you and your services can help make their lives better or help solve their problems.
Take each feature of your school that you were going to promote and rephrase it to where it would benefit the reader. One easy way to do this is state the feature and then add the addendum, “what that means is…”.
For instance, a “feature” of a martial arts school would be “Yang Style Tai Chi”; the correlating benefit may be “Low-Impact Solution for Health and Longevity” or “Perfect Exercise for Any Age or Skill Level” or “Helps Improve Your Balance, Health, and Muscle-Tone without Putting Undue Stress on Your Body”.
Remember: The point of your marketing materials or advertising is NOT to convince them to join; it is to convince them to call or come by so you can sell them in person.
With the earlier karate school example, instead of going into the minutia of the style at this point, save it for the student handbook. Instead, take each feature and find the benefit for the potential student. Standard martial arts benefits usually include: weight loss, stress relief, self-esteem, self-defense, discipline, health, confidence, and new skill.
Try to find some benefits unique to your style, school, or instructor to set you apart from the rest of the other martial schools, as well as fitness gyms, yoga schools, sports teams, and every other activity that could take up their time… even television.
Make every sentence, every paragraph, every phrase as appealing as possible to your target audience. It’s about them, their needs, their wants, and their desires; not yours.
Key #5: Subheads and Bullet Points
People have too much going on in their lives to concentrate on every single word you write. They need bullet points to give them the gist; to summarize.
So, if you have room in your brochure or ad, throw in a few appetizing bullet points. Treat them like tiny headlines of their own and make them enticing, as if all the person will read is the headline and the bullet points to get an idea of what you offer (because they just might be).
Here’s some bullet point examples for the benefits of an adult martial arts class other than self defense:
- Dramatic, Healthy Weight Loss
- Increased Self-Confidence
- Higher Self-Esteem
- Reduced Stress Leading to Improved Relationships
- The Setting and Obtaining of Goals
- Acquiring New Skills
- Enhanced Coordination and Physical Conditioning
- Improved Health and Well-Being
- Less Fear
Here’s some selling bullet points utilizing the power word “Free”:
- “Free Introductory Lesson”
- “Free Uniform with Tuition”
- “Free 30 Days of Training”
- “Free Fitness Evaluation”
- “Pay for 5 Months and Get the 6th Month Free!”
- “Free ‘Getting Started’ DVD –a $39.95 Value!”
- “Free ‘Curriculum Workbook’ –a $20 Value!”
- “Free Gym Membership for Every Official Student! (Value: $40 a Month!)
As for Subheads, a subheading is a headline under the main headline and within the body of the copy. Not only should a subheading be enticing like the heading, but it should also tell the story on their own.
In other words, your reader should only have to read the headline and the subheads to absorb the message you are trying to convey.
After all, if the headline does its job, the reader will at least skim the rest of the copy and their eyes will naturally be attracted to the subheads and bullet points next. If one of the subheads or bullets catches their attention, then they may read more of the copy. So, make them count.
Here’s a few online examples of how some websites have utilized headlines, subheads, bullet points and the other marketing keys to promote their business or retail items. Some are just regular websites and some are practically online sales letters.
These are just examples for informational marketing purposes, not an endorsement of any of the products or services being sold.
- http://texaskravmaga.com/
- http://www.fortunatokarate.com/
- http://www.puppy-n-dog-secrets.com/
- http://www.brandonveradvd.com/
- http://self-defense-videos.com/
- http://carsite-marketing.com/
- http://thegrapplinggameplan.com/
Utilizing these 5 Keys, you should be able to improve and add a whole new level to your marketing and advertising efforts for your school or business.
Good Luck!
©Copyright 2008 -Larry D. Escher
