As a copywriter, I’m always keeping an eye out for examples of both good and bad advertising. I particularly look at headlines.
Came across this example recently. It was a short classified style ad on Facebook.
The headline was “Low Testosterone?”. The body copy went on “New supplement increases sex drive, boosts energy levels and improves mood. Now available in Australia.” There was then a link to click for more details.
Now, the body copy is OK for this style of ad but the headline is a good example of what Clayton Makepeace terms the “fake benefit”. What he means is benefits that writers and marketers think are benefits of their product but that the consumer doesn’t really care about.
For example, a supplement might balance blood sugar levels. However, does anyone wake up in the middle of the night and say to themselves “Oh no! My blood sugar level is out of balance! I must do something!”
Er, no. They might be highly concerned about the effects of blood sugar levels (low energy, too much energy or whatever) but blood sugar levels being unbalanced isn’t what they’re concerned about.
Similarly in this case. Do guys wake up in the night and say “On no! My testosterone is too low!” Not really. They might well be concerned about low sex drive and low energy, however.
To be fair to the advertiser, some men will know that low testosterone is a problem that results in low sex drive and energy. These people presumably already know they need something to boost testosterone and the ad might be aimed at getting these people to switch supplements.
However, I’m guessing this isn’t the case. And the headline as it stands is narrowing the potential audience that will be reached.
So, always think through whether your advertising is hitting the “pain points” that your audience really is concerned about.