Disciplined Creativity Brings Far Better Results Than “Runaway Creativity”
Is unleashed Creativity always a positive for your website and ads? No, say many top professional copywriters and brand strategists.
Do you want your ads to win awards, or do you want more sales?
"Hey, who's the creative guy around here?" Question a lot of creative guys (and gals) about the work they did for you and you'll probably hear a reply similar to this. They are basically telling you that they're blessed with creative talent (probably true). AND that used sufficiently and given free rein, those talents can sell anything to anyone (most definitely false).
Some, thankfully not all, “Creatives” go apoplectic when it is suggested that they stifle their creativity so it fits within the confines and goals of a marketing formula. They cannot accept that the successful professional copywriters and artists who came before them worked with a formula. Sometimes the formula was overtly stated, sometimes the discipline came from an innate sense of what works.
Formulas? We don't need no stinking Formulas!
(apologies to The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre)
For too many these days "what works" takes a backseat to "What will win me an award"? Try to persuade them of the good sense of your position in favor of controlling creativity and they'll fight you hammer and tong no matter how many truths you tell them. Perhaps they can't "handle the truth".
Well, here are some truths. I bet that you, as serious marketing strategists, can handle it. Who knows, you might even agree with me.
We need marketing and copywriting techniques rooted in website formulas (like Radical WebPower) proven to boost conversions. There are, for instance, an infinite number of ways you can arrange words and images on a page. Some make it easy to read and understand your branding message, while others place obstacles in the way of the readers, making them lose the desire to continue...thus a lost opportunity.
Here now, the truths.
- Marketing is more science than art.
- Working within a sound website formula optimizes winning marketing far more often than relying on unfettered creativity and gut feelings.i
- Very creative people gravitate to marketing and Advertising.
- Often, creative people aren't very disciplined.
- Undisciplined creativity can leave your marketing "...sliding on the slippery surface of irrelevant brilliance." (Frank Ogilvy)
- Rather than being the driver of success, creativity often gets in the way of the marketing message, limiting success.
- How creative you can be is often directly related to the amount of money you have to spend.
These seven statements point out the need for having a marketing formula you can go by. As a madman copywriter, I consider myself to be a creative person. I choose, however, to control my creativity so there's a greater chance of it being effective. A formula (or method, or system) is simply a guide used to make sure your marketing piece includes all the elements that will work to make it successful. To address this, I spent 16 months researching, writing, and testing Radical WebPower, a 10-piece, multi-media Course that brings proven concepts and techniques to website creation. And a whole lot more conversions and sales. Find out more about it visit Write Like A Madman University.
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