Your advertising has to be designed to indicate a different position than your competitors. To do this, create a unique ad concept. When your creative concept emerges, it gains a position in the consumer’s mind that no one else can replace. Creative ideas build businesses. So don’t just think outside the box. Throw the box in the trash.
Here’s a simple brainstorming technique that anyone can use. You can do this even if you don’t consider yourself creative. Creativity is about taking the current way of seeing things and turning it into something different. Anyone can do it if given a little training. All you have to do is spend a few minutes associating your “key point” with different words. So, BOOM! You have a creative idea.
First, think about your key point. This is the ONE thing you want your prospect to know after reading your ad. Your key point could be your offer, something particular about your service, your unique selling point, or any benefit you want the prospect to know about. Your entire ad is focused on the key point.
What to do if a creative idea does not flow freely from your brain? Don’t worry, even among creative people, this is rarely the case. You have to initiate creativity.
Start by writing down everything that comes to mind about your key point. Don’t leave any ideas out. Silly ideas are encouraged. The more off the wall, the better. In fact, start by getting your wildest ideas down on paper.
Write movies, songs, TV shows, cars, foods, and products that are associated with your key point. She writes down some stories that her clients have told her about the topic. Then think about the biggest benefit your customer could get from your key point. Write down all the ideas that come to your mind. There are no bad ideas at this point.
When you can’t think of any more ideas, review your list. Now is the time to power your ideas. Make them even more outrageous. You can always tone them down later. But for now, strange things occur to you.
Lastly, check the list again. Take your ideas to the opposite end of the spectrum. Choose some ideas to make extremely conservative. tone them down. This helps balance your crazy ideas.
That’s the basics. The more you practice it, the better you will get. Give it a try the next time you create an ad. You’ll get some great ideas.