| |
| |
|
Advertising Information - YourOnlineClassifieds.com - Home |
|
|
|
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). Often the thousands of dollars a small business puts into an advertising promotion are the bulk of the marketing budget for the entire year (usually). There's no money, time or resources for a do-over if the ad doesn't bring in customers. Small business people simply can't afford to spend money on expensive ads that don't work. Preparing an effective ad is harder than it looks, but even the smallest business can produce an ad that works if some simple rules are followed. Following are four tips you can use to create a great ad for your business, regardless of your budget, marketing experience, or the media used: 1. State the Product or Service Clearly Make it absolutely clear what product or service you are selling. Keep it simple and honest. Instead of advertising "meticulously crafted, threaded fastening accessories" just say, "best steel wing nuts." Don't make it hard for the customer to pinpoint what you're selling and don't overdo the flowery descriptions. 2. Use a Call-For-Action Phrase Forgetting the call-for-action is the biggest mistake I see in small business advertising. A call-for-action is a short sentence telling the customer how to get the product or service, such as "call us for a free sample," "order online at www.mywebsite.com," "get Product X at these fine retailers." The call-for-action is important because it reinforces the customer's decision to buy and gives specific instructions. Without a call-for-action, a certain number of customers will change their minds almost instantly, as their attention is drawn elsewhere. Others will ignore the ad unless you make it clear you want their business by telling them exactly how to spend their money. 3. Check for Correct, Complete Contact Information You must include a phone number, address, and/or website (preferably all three). Triple check to make sure the information is correct. This sounds obvious but consider this real-life case: A plumbing company in my hometown advertised 24-hour service but only put the number of the main office in their telephone directory ad. The office was only open 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. That was little use to someone with a leaking hot water heater at 2:00 a.m. The plumbing company also had a website where, with some digging, a desperate homeowner could ferret out the 24-hour service number?but what customer is going to spend time hunting the number down when he's up to his ankles in standing water? 4. Sell the Benefits I often see ads that try to sell the customer on the features of a product or service rather than the benefits to the customer. What's the difference? Features describe the product or service; benefits tell the customer how those features will help him or her. Let's take a common product like bread. Say you're selling a special kind of nutrition-packed wheat bread (it was granny's secret recipe). You could list some of the features of this wonderful bread in your ads: Contains 3 times the usual vitamin D and calcium Extra potassium Uses only rolled oats (That all sounds very healthy, but I don't know how eating more of those things will do me any good. Besides, I like my usual brand of wheat bread. I pass by your delicious, nutritious wheat bread and buy the same supermarket bread I've eaten since I was a kid.) Now let's state those features as customer benefits: Builds strong bones and teeth Helps control high blood pressure Lowers cholesterol (I didn't know I could lower my blood pressure by eating a different brand of bread. That's sure sounds easier and tastier than taking supplements. I pick up a loaf, and some of your whole-grain dinner rolls, too.) Translating the features of wheat bread into benefits isn't that difficult. What if you have a very complicated product or service? Drilling down to the benefits can still be done quite easily. When I get stuck writing up a benefits sheet, I filter everything through this phrase: "What's in it for me?" These four marketing tips are a great place to start when preparing your advertisement. See Marketing Tips For Small Business - Advertising That Works, Part II, for more tips and insider tricks. Segarin Monk is a marketing specialist promoting social betterment programs for governments and non-profit organizations. He believes in high-integrity, pass-it-on, pay-it-forward marketing. See more articles from this author at: http://marketingyogi.blogspot.com/
MORE RESOURCES: |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Online Advertising: 10 High Impact Psychological Triggers To Super-Charge Your Ad If you knew these 10 high impact insider's hidden psychological triggers and plug them into your Ad and website content,you can empower them and ignite a tornado of sales at your website.Read, understand and use them and burst open the floodgate of sales. Customer-Involving Signage and Selling Here's some easy ways to create signage that will attract, not annoy customers (and local government agencies that regulate signage):1. Since movement always attracts attention, any banner, sign set of a pole that might move with the wind or electrically-turned sign will stand out from the static messages around it. Electronic Reader Board Electronic reader boards are the most efficient way to convey the information. Therefore these nowadays are widely accepted all over the world. 10 Tips For Writing A Profit Producing Ad 1. You can get ad copy ideas by studying similar product's advertising material. Why Radio Advertising Could Be The Best Thing You Ever Did For Your Business In the marketing world, radio has earned the reputation of being the odd step-cousin. You know the one. The SKINNY on Radio Advertising From meager beginnings in 1920, radio has grownwith us to be a major player in advertising. Theradio industry says they get about 8 percent ofall advertising bucks. How To Write More Powerful Brochures, Leaflets, And Catalogues Probably the most interesting thing about brochures and leaflets is that they're seldom read in what we've come to know as the right order - as you would read a book. Rather in the same way that many people read magazines in dentists' waiting rooms, they will flick through brochures and leaflets and stop to take a longer look at bits that grab their attention. The Man With The Grasshopper Mind The title of this article also happens to be one of the "20 Greatest Headlines Ever Written."Did you know, just changing the headline has been known to dramatically improve the effectiveness of an ad or sales letter by up to 1700 percent? Yes, headlines are that powerful--and that important!However, over the last few years, I've noticed a proliferation of badly written--or just plain weak headlines--both online and off!Particularly disturbing is the copycat syndrome. Cable Ads 5 Bucks! Cable has grown from 13 houses connected togetherin 1948 to coverage of nearly 70% of allhouseholds in the U.S. 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. Which is Better Digital or Offset Printing? As technology continues to improve, the quality of digital prints also improves. Technology advancements have also made it easier for more and more businesses to enter the printing industry. Media Savvy - Media Skills For Rural Women The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills for effective leaders. The capability of telling a story that inspires, motivates and informs is an essential part of this process. Dont Put All Your Eggs in The Same Basket Solution: You can protect yourself by partnering with other lead sources because it is unlikely that they will all have a problem or technical issue at the same time.Other alternative: It doesn't hurt either to use a few marketing tools to generate leads for your business. How To Write Ads That Get Response Your print ads should do more than just get noticed. Their job is to bring you business, and if all they do is lay around and attract attention, they're no different from the lazy employee who does nothing all day but look busy. Marketing Advertising, While Advertising Your Market! Today in the Business world whether online or off, it seems that everyone is vying for position, yet few are able to leap to the forefront of their competition.On the Internet there are thousands of programs and Business Opportunities being created every month or so it seems! Everyone is trying to find his or her niche in the Business world. Predictions for 2010 2005 puts us at the mid-point of the first decade of the new millenium. What will things look like at the end of the 1st decade of the new millenium in the world of advertising? I thought I'd project where the ad industry is headed and what 2010 (or sooner) might look like. 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. Can I Write and Print My Own Business Brochures and Business Cards? If you have a computer and a printer, preferably one that can print in color, then you can make your own brochures and business cards that are very professional-looking! Be sure to use good quality paper (that is available at any office supplies store like Office Depot or Staples) for anything that you are going to hand out or send to potential customers and clients.Writing Text for Your Brochure and Business CardThe very best thing to do is to get a few examples of business brochures and business cards, preferably from the same type of business as the business you are starting. Understanding The Basics Of Advertising I get the L.A. How to Make a Fortune from Unique Resistance-free Advertising One of the most powerful offers you can use in your advertising is the word Free.But, you may well ask? how can I make a profit giving my products and services away without charging for them?Which is the exact reason why you need to understand the 'LVC Formula' which stands for the Lifetime Value of a Client!Here's how it works.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
youronlineclassifieds.com - home | site map
üClick Here to Earn - an ongoing, monthly residual income - a very SUBSTANTIAL monthly income - even if you don't have a website! |
| © 2006 |
