|
What Is the Most Effective Way to Advertise?
Written by Charlie Cook
Bob from Ottawa wrote to ask, What is the most effective way to advertise locally at a friendly price. Thinking of postcards...
Bob has an unusual business. He paints murals on the walls of childrens bedrooms. While his occupation is unique, his question about the best way to spend advertising dollars is not. I regularly get the same query from realtors, executive recruiters, and other service professionals and small business owners. Whether youve got $500 or $15,000 dollars allocated for advertising, how should you spend it to attract new clients and customers?
The fact is this is not the right question - or, at least, not the first one to ask. Most people spend more time deliberating on where to spend their marketing dollars than they do on the key elements of a successful advertising campaign. The result is that many people tell me, Ive tried advertising and it doesnt work.
Use the following steps to make advertising work for you and to build a campaign that generates more money than you spend.
1. Identify Your Advertising Goals What role does advertising play in your plans to grow your business?
Is your advertising part of a short-term marketing effort or one part of your long-term marketing strategy?
Do you want to generate leads?
Do you want to use your advertising as a catalyst to building long-term client relationships?
Do you want to generate one-time sales, for example, to move excess inventory?
2. Clarify Your Marketing Message Whether you are considering print, media (cable, TV or radio) or Internet advertising, the key to success is getting the attention of the people who want your products and services. If your marketing message doesnt grab your prospects attention, youve wasted a whole lot of money.
3. Prompt Action Once youve got your prospects attention you want them to take action. Depending on your marketing goals, you may be looking for a quick sale or to build your prospect list.
What is the action you want your ad to prompt?
Do you want people to visit your web site?
Do you want them to call you for an estimate or an appointment?
Do you want them to come to your store?
Do you want to get them to give you their contact information so you can market to them again and again?
So what advice did I give to Bob, the muralist? I told him to clarify his marketing message to parents before spending money on his next ad. A one-line explanation of the problem he solves will ensure that his ads are noticed. Then I showed Bob how to prompt prospects to take action by showing samples of his work and offering a free guide to decorating childrens bedrooms on his web site. All this described in one or two concise sentences in his ad.
Given Bobs business goals, marketing strategy, and budget, postcards were an excellent way to deliver his marketing message. With an effective marketing message and strategy they would help him grow his business.
Make your advertising an integral part of your marketing strategy. Use a brilliant marketing message in your advertising. Give your prospects an incentive to take action and youll attract many more clients and find yourself earning more.
2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and grow their businesses. Sign up for the Free Marketing Ideas eBook, 7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business, full of practical marketing tips.
ccook@marketingforsuccess.com
Additional Articles by Charlie Cook
5 Ways to Generate Leads with Your Web Site
8 Common Marketing Mistakes
Are You Ignoring These Marketing Principles
Are You Marketing to Your Potential
Are You Marketing With A Deaf Ear
Are Your Emails Gettting Through
Building Web Pages That Move People To Buy
Catch More Clients Using Strategic Networking
Creating Marketing Fireworks
Creating Sales Conversations
Explaining What You Do in 15 Seconds
Frugal Marketing
Get Business Now Play by the Marketing Rules
Getting Lucky with Systematic marketing
Getting Noticed by the Search Engines
GOT MEME How to Attract Your Clients and Customers Attention
How to Avoid the Marketing Blues with Your Offers
How To Generate Leads And Grow Your Business
How to Get the Right Clients and Avoid the Wrong Ones
How to Grab Attention with your Headlines
How to Keep Your Business Healthy
Is Your Marketing Full of Holes
Is Your Marketing Message Holding You Back
Is Your Marketing Strategy Killing Your Profits
Let Your Mistakes Improve Your Marketing And Your Profits
Marketing Smarter to Earn More
Moving Beyond Marketing Rituals to Increase Profits
Open the Door to More Business with Your Ideas
Overcoming Objections to Price
Overcoming Your Biggest Marketing Obstacle
Removing Obstacles to Sales
Shift to Full Power Marketing
The Key to Eliminating Objections and Increasing Sales
Use Product Research to Position Yourself as the Expert
Using Your Web Site to Grow Your Business
What Is Your Marketing Really Costing You
WHERE TO FOCUS YOUR MARKETING
Which Of These Words Attract Your Clients
Why Some Web Sites Sell and Others Dont
How To Measure Your Websites Perf0Rmance
Marketing Tricks or Treats
|
|
|
|
