B Direct is celebrating its 20^th (!) year as an independent, creative marketing agency.

Wow.

We like digging our hands into data. We like coming up with innovative production strategies. We like getting to know our clients — and their customers — on deep, personal levels. We like so many parts of what we do.

But, we love creative.

For us, creative is king. (Or queen, if you prefer). But, we admit it; the best creative in the world won’t move the needle without a killer offer.

An offer is typically any free (or discounted) product, service, or content given to an audience member in exchange for them answering your call-to-action. For example, your objective may be to build a list of prospects. All you need is their contact information. Sounds pretty simple right? Think again. You have to make it worth their while — and that means making them an offer. (Hopefully, with apologies to The Godfather, one that they can’t refuse.)

Offers are only effective if your audience views the “reward” as valuable enough to share the information or perform the specific task you require to earn said reward. So how do you know if your offers will be effective? We’re glad you asked.

As with every step of planning, building, and implementing a campaign, the offers you make need to start with a clear picture of the people you’re targeting.

You’ll need to know as much about your audience as they are willing to share with you. The offer should be tailor-made for the specific niche and for that specific niche only. What are their wants, desires, and intentions? How will your product or service help them?

And remember, not all audiences are the same — for instance some age groups, such as younger Gen Zs and Millennials, are more willing to share personal information than older generations.

Once you have an idea of what your audience wants, consider what kind of offer they would like to receive. For example, useful information, a free demo, discount, or exclusive promotional merchandise. Then, when you have an idea in mind of what that offer is going to look like, you can go back in and decide how you will (creatively) present it. The message , like the offer itself, should be clear and easily understood your audience. It should be attractive if not downright irresistible, and it should make sense coming from you and somehow related to your product or service.

Whatever you choose for your offers, keep your marketing goals in mind — whether that’s getting their permission to continue to converse, setting up a trial, or actually closing a purchase. Your goals should be quantifiable, so it’s easy to look back and guage what’s working and what’s not.

Next: “Quantity or Quality. The Answer’s in the Offer.”