Every adwords marketer eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns. They just can’t think of any more keywords, ad copy, or landing page changes to improve click thru and conversion.
Here’s a different way to break through your wall … try to do the OPPOSITE.
Seriously … spend an hour writing the WORST POSSIBLE ADWORDS ADS you can think of for your market in each ad group. Ask yourself “if I really wanted to totally destroy my business and/or immediately tank my click through and conversion, how would I write these ads?”
Of course, you won’t publish them. But giving yourself the freedom to do this will dramatically open your thinking to new avenues and benefits you hadn’t thought of.
The worst possible ads you write will contain, of necessity, the primary objections in the market … once you’ve identified these, it’s EASY to turn them around into positives.
But again, the key is to totally give yourself to the mindset. When you’re writing BAD ppc ads, write REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD ppc ads! And enjoy the process.
Here’s an example of an ad I’d like to beat, for my classic old “guinea pig” book:
All About Guinea Pigs
Everything You Must Know About
Pet Guinea Pigs In One Place!
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
Now, to really beat this I’d give myself permission to do the opposite.
And I REALLY have to go to the extreme … write things which guinea pig lovers would hate me for indefinitely, things which no self respecting parent would ever click on, things which would get me banned from Google and get PETA to organize a protest on my front lawn. (For legal reasons, let me be very clear that I am NOT recommending anyone DO anything in these ads, publish them anywhere, or even necessarily read them! They’re for illustration of the exercise only)
Delicious Guinea Pigs
101 Ways To Cook Your Child’s
Pet While They Sleep (Free)
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
Guinea Pig Baseball
Amazing New Game Builds
Child’s Confidence – No Balls!
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
Piggy Poo Machine
Get Your Guinea Pig To
Poo In Your Mom’s Room
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
Do you see the direction I’m going in? If I were doing the full exercise, I wouldn’t stop here … I’d force myself to write AT LEAST 10 REALLY, REALLY BAD PPC ADS. But since I want to illustrate how these can be turned around to GOOD ideas, let me stop here and show you.
Take the first ad … did you experience a kind of “evil smile” when you read it? That’s because you’re tapping into what every parent feels, but none are willing to admit to themselves. I’ve spoken to parents who’ve gotten their children guinea pigs without educating their kids about care … then wondered what they got THEMSELVES into. (Smelly, messy rooms, forgotten feedings, etc). Many parents secretly want to get rid of their children’s piggies.
How could we leverage that? How about something like …
Keep Your Guinea Pig
7 Secrets To Raising Lovable,
Sweet Smelling Piggies Now!
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
Now, let’s look at the next one:
Guinea Pig Baseball
Amazing New Game Builds
Child’s Confidence – No Balls!
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
Here we’ve tapped into the same socially undesirable emotion (parents
wanting to UNDO the guinea pig at home) , but combined it with something the parents actually wanted for their children … a nurturing experience to help their child build confidence. Let’s write an ad that appeals to the second:
Confident Kids Love Pigs
Your Child Will Learn Loving
Responsibility (Guinea Pig Info)
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
OK, … get the point? Let’s do the last one:
Piggy Poo Machine
Get Your Guinea Pig To
Poo In Your Mom’s Room
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
Becomes …
No More Poo Machine
Perfect Guinea Pig Potty
Training In 7 Days or Less
www.GuineaPigSecrets.com
The point is, when you want great ideas, you sometimes have to really give yourself permission to generate the WORST.
Hope that helps,
Dr. G 
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
This can be the very solution to the marketer eho has reached the very core of a bad campaign…Mr.Livingston you led me to believe that this PPC game can be a fun process after all ,but mind you I would never put those ads live..heheh
Well anyhow if your wondering how you can get inside the mind of your viewers..you got me!!
Next time I find myself infront of a miserable campaign I’m gonna let the juices flow and continue making lemonade out of lemons.
Cheers!@@!
Your Friend-Gabriel
That’s a great spin to writing adwords ads. Not that the keywords are all taken care of as well.
As always Glenn…
you are a true genius in marketing! I’ve never heard this anywhere before and it truly makes sense. YOu are the Einstein of PPC.
Hi Glen, A funny thing about reading your ads: I was visualizing a Guinea Pig. Not on purpose, the little fur balls just materialized. Strange… And interesting
“If they can see it, they can believe it.” Thanks
I l-o-v-e-d the bad ads!
James Mangosteen Dean
I love that
It’s like giving yourself permission to have fun with your ads again. Was gonna post a few here, but figured I’d better keep my horrid copywriting to myself.
Liane
LOL Glenn.
Entertaining and educational.
I think one modification could be to use the very bad ads to get the clicks; I’m sure they’ll get alot; and place the “good ads” on the landing page.
Though I’ll probably still not try this with the “cooking guinea pigs” one
Mr. G!
So simple…..it’s all about lateral thinking, stepping into someone’s shoes, painting a picture…..I love yours and Mrs. G’s tidbits.
It’s even more difficult to jump into a buyers mind with this mighty economical downturn. I’m stuck on a house builder’s campaign and can’t get past “cheap”………. and he reports that’s all his prospects are asking for, as much as possible for the least amount.
You’re very generous and many thanks.
Kind regards,
Mrs G.
I love this Glenn! It really made me laugh.
It’s a great process you’ve get here:
1. be deliberately “evil”
2. adapt into something wholesome
It’s kind of like the Buddhist “turning poison into medicine” approach, and making use of the “pulling towards/pushing away” sides of the coin that different people respond to.
Great article!
This had me laughing out loud so hard, that I could barely get the words out when I tried to read it to my husband!
LOL, I laughed and laughed. I love that. Maybe because I grew up with Guinea Pigs. Great concept.
Cheers
Tania