Advertising

Only do it if it works!

Advertising can be a great tool if it’s done properly. If you create the right ad and put it in the right media, you can leave it running on autopilot and watch it bring in new business.

It can be used to build and maintain awareness for sales and events, to promote new products and services and to find new customers, employees or suppliers.

Because it is paid for, it can lack credibility and is seen as less objective than, say, an editorial piece or PR. But, as part of a portfolio of marketing activities, it can be very effective.

However – and this is a BIG however! – a lot of advertising simply does not work! The reason being, many companies feel obliged to use this method of promotion but don’t think it through.

Follow these simple guidelines and you can make it work for you:

1. Don’t feel you have to
   Media salespeople count on the fact that most businesses feel they ought to advertise. They are often well trained and succeed in cementing this view by telling you about what your competitors are doing. But don’t forget – just because they are doing it, doesn’t mean that it is working for them!
2. Distinguish between brand and product advertising
   The former promotes your company image with the objective of raising awareness amongst your target audience. Companies like Coca-Cola do this type. As do car manufacturers, beer producers, and other large companies.

   The latter promotes a specific product or service with the objective of selling more. It will be enticing some kind of response – whether it be a sale, or a request for further information.

   While in a perfect world, you would do a bit of both, in reality, as a small business with limited resources, , you will probably get more results if you focus your efforts on promoting your product.

3. Write good advertising copy
   Start with a great headline – this is first thing a person reads.

   If it is bad, it will also be the last thing they read! If it is good – they will read on.

   Make the body copy appealing to your target audience.

Click here for more tips on writing copy.
4. Negotiate!
   There is always room for negotiation when it comes to buying space. And this especially true as the deadline approaches. Remember the media seller’s targets – they have space that has to be filled.

   There will always be other opportunities to advertise so they need you more than you need them! Keeping this in mind will put you in a strong position to get the best deal.

   You can also negotiate on position…

5. Get the timing and position right
   Think about what is best for the product or service you are promoting, and consider the publication you are considering. The bigger and better positioned your ad is, the more it will get noticed. You may not be given the choice, but if you are, remember
   
   • Right hand pages get seen more than left hand pages.
   • More of your target will see it if it is placed within a section or near a feature that specifically relates to them.

6. Be prepared
   If you have chosen wisely, once your ad has been published – the enquiries will come flooding in! If they don’t, you know you need to review your strategy – whether it’s the copy, the publication, the timing (or all three!).

   But if they do – you must be prepared. Prepared to deliver your product or service to whoever requests it. Or deliver further information – whether this is in the form of brochures, price lists, flyers or specific information.

7. Measure
   The key is to test and measure any form of promotion. You need to know
   
   • The cost of the advertisement (remember to include the cost of production as well as the actual placing of the ad.)
   • How many people responded to the advert
   • How many were consequently converted into a sale
   • What the value of that sale was
   
   It is not always easy to do this with 100% accuracy, but you should make sure you have some mechanism in place. For example - include a reference number in the advertisement and ask readers to quote this when they contact you. Make sure the reference relates to the type of advert, the publication and even the placing and timing of it.

   Not everybody will quote it, but you can always ask where a person heard about you. This information should then be tracked against the life of an enquiry.

Just as with any other form of marketing, advertising will always fare better if is part of a much wider strategy including various promotional methods such as PR, internet marketing, direct mail, etc.