| |
| |
|
Advertising Information |
|
|
|
Advertising Primer for Fast Learners
Advertising, when done well is a very effective way to increase your customer base and ultimately grow your bottom line. Many businesses have no idea how to advertise; they do a little bit here and a little bit there and end up saying that advertising doesn't work. Advertising, like everything else in business, requires a systematic, consistent approach. Even when you are getting results, tweaking a good message can make it a great message. Fundamentals of good advertising: 1. Use a great title?not a cute title but one that grabs attention and communicates what the purpose of the ad is. If you start the ad with the name of your business, you will discourage a large portion of prospective customers from reading your ad because if they don't know what you do they will often assume you are not speaking to them. 2. Test titles and messages on an on-going basis and measure the response, small adjustments in the ad can increase response by 100% or much more. 3. Take the response you got from an ad and divide the cost by the response to see if it was worthwhile. An ad that doesn't elicit a response is too expensive no matter how little you spent on the advertising. Give it time don't just advertise once. 4. Don't advertise everywhere. Initially choose one medium and one company for your advertising and stick with it. Once you have figured out what works add another medium or company to the mix. 5. Before you place your ad, look at the characteristics of the audience and consider if it matches your target market. Don't make the mistake of assuming everyone is your target market because they are not. Even if your product has a broad appeal when you consider all factors of who buys you will be able to identify demographic or specialized interest groups that will provide a better return on your advertising investment. 6. Don't always blame the medium for your lack of result. Once you have identified the unique characteristics of your market it's incumbent on you to speak to that market using phrases, and communication styles that they relate to. If the publication, radio station, TV station etc. has thousands or hundreds of thousands in their audience and no one responds after a few weeks of advertising, take a good look at what you are advertising and more importantly how you are communicating the information. 7. When you have developed an ad that is working, test small changes to see if you can boost the ad response even more. Make one change at a time to ensure you can identify what the strongest pluses of the ad are. 8. Have you ever heard someone say that they turned their money over to a money manager of some sort and before they knew it, they had lost thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars? You wouldn't do anything that foolish would you? Well then why would you turn full control of your advertising dollars to a media sales person for them decide what to advertise and how to communicate it in an ad? Most media reps have your best interest at heart?they want you to get results because it will make their next sale to you that much easier but the ultimate beneficiary of successful advertising is you and you had better be involved. Ask your rep to educate you about their medium and give you some information on their audience. Take the time to read it. Advertising is not an expense; it's an investment and requires attention to ensure success. 9. If a prospect reads your ad, is there something in the ad that says what you expect them to do? Do you ask them to call and give an accurate phone number or do you want them to come into your store and you give them the address. I don't know how many times I have seen ads that left off the address or the phone number has a wrong digit or isn't there at all. If they need to make an appointment, clearly articulate that in the ad. 10. When someone responds to your advertising, make it easy for him or her to do what you expect. If they have to keep playing telephone tag to try to connect with you then it's going to reduce the effectiveness of your advertising dramatically. Nancy Fraser is the President of Nota Bene Consulting. She has been helping clients improve their advertising results and grow their businesses for over 20 years. Free advertising and marketing information in Notable News http://www.notable-marketing.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Advertising - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Media Savvy - Treat Them As You Would Your Best Customer The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills for effective managers. The capability of telling a story that inspires, motivates and informs is an essential part of this process. Internet Advertising: How To Use The Golden Rule To Enrich Yourself. What is the golden rule of internet advertising?Give, so you may receive.It is as simple as that. 16 Ways to Make Your Business Cards Unforgettable Every time you hear someone say "May I have one of your business cards?" you should get excited. I know I do. Attention-Grabbing Fixes that Make Your Yellow Page Ad Leap Off the Page Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory Users A Yellow Page directory presents a difficult challenge for advertisers. All the competitors are packed together, within the space of a few pages. What Happened? Troubleshooting Poor Response from Ad Campaigns Too many small business owners today run ad campaigns that get little to no results, and they have no idea why. When you have the knowledge to troubleshoot the poor responses, you also have the knowledge to make the needed changes so that - next time - your sales improve! Let's take a look at the breakdown of an ad campaign, and how to determine what went wrong. The ONLY Type Of Advertising People LOVE!! Can it be???Is there advertising that people actually love?You bet there is! And you are already very aware of it. The type of advertising I'm referring to is promotional items, also known as advertising specialties. Free Internet Advertising: 6 Proven Ways To Prevent Your Competitors From Stealing Your Customers It is getting harder daily to generate traffic.And when you succeed in getting new customers, you should do all that is possible to avoid losing them to your competitors. Good Design Makes Good Sense Organized your pencils and pens lately? Sorted your clothes into a logical system in your drawers? Then you already understand the basic elements of good design: it's practical, it's systematic, and it makes life easier.In the same way, marketing materials that use good design make business easier for your customers. How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters! "The more things change, the more they stay the same". That saying couldn't be more true, especially when it comes to writing ads and sales letters. Advertising For The Long Haul and Not the Short Term Gains New Age Media Concepts issues its first article of many that will focus on the advertising and marketing industry. "If a young man tells his date she's intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he's saying the right things to the right person and that's marketing. The Benefits of Specific Advertising The great Claude Hopkins (Author of Scientific Advertising) once said, "Platitudes and generalities roll off the human understanding like water from a duck. They leave no impression whatever. Super Secret Tip For Using PPC Search Engine Advertising Successfully It's not about traffic; it's about generating leads. That's right. Should Your Small Business Hire an Advertising Agency? So, you own a small business, sales are down and you've come to the conclusion you need to start advertising. Questions: Where do I advertise, how much do I spend and do I need the help of an advertising agency?The answer to this question is really very simple. Secrets to Profitable Mail Order Products The most profitable mail order products are simple 3-to-5 page informational reports such as this one. Once you've got your act together, these 3-page reports can be produced for $10 per hundred or less, and sold for at least $200 per hundred. Advertising Headlines and How to Write Them 1. Attract prospects with your headline Use your headline as a flag to attract readers who are interested in your product. 6 Must-Have Elements of a Powerful Brochure Most brochures that businesses put out today end up doing little to impact the sales of that business. By applying the 6 must-have elements listed below you will transform you brochure from trash can lining into a powerful sales tool. Offline Advertising Secrets: Using Offline Advertising to Get the Most from Your Name Squeeze Page Many people online are not using one of the best advertising methods around. I'm talking about offline print advertising. Top 9 Reasons To Advertise Advertising is not for every company. But some require it because their market is big and constantly changing and evolving. Marketing Tips For Small Business - Advertising That Works, Part I Have you ever seen an ad on television that was beautiful, slick, and stylish but didn't fit the product? How about a magazine ad that, though gorgeously photographed, didn't make it clear what was being sold? Or have you heard a catchy radio ad that neglected to give contact information? If you pay attention, you'll notice these money-wasting advertisements in all types of media.If a corporation puts out a bad advertisement, the marketing department will have the resources and budget to make a mid-course correction (sometimes). The Secrets of High Money Classified Ads When used effectively, classified ads can be one of the quickest and most inexpensive ways to increase your sales. A well written classified ad can generate thousands in sales, yet could cost you pennies to write and run.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
