Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing
Top 5 Advertising Tips
Tamra Martin, President, Simple Advertising Solutions
Okay, advertising isn’t your favorite topic. You groan when you hear an advertising rep wants to speak with you. You know that whatever they’re selling will be “#1 and your business can’t survive without it.” The same thing you hear from every advertising rep!
Over the years I’ve heard advertising referred to as the “necessary evil” – that advertising either doesn’t work, or that half of your advertising works but you don’t know which half. Yes, advertising is necessary, but it doesn’t have to be evil. And it’s not rocket science, but if planned and executed properly, advertising can be an effective tool to accelerate your business to success!
Whether you’re just starting out or it’s time for an advertising audit, here are my top 5 advertising tips:
1. Plan, Plan, Plan! Your advertising plan is as important as your business plan! Know your budget and your goals before you start buying advertising! Ask yourself; are your goals reasonable expectations for your budget? If you don’t know how much your budget should be, check your trade magazines. It will be based on a % of your revenue. Create your 12 month plan with the dollar amount allocated for each month and then break it down into where the dollars will be invested.
2. Don’t spread your budget too thin! It’s tempting to sample the different Medias. But if you don’t have the dollars to advertise effectively on each of the mediums, then none of your advertising will be effective. You will see more immediate and long term results if you pick one medium and “own it” until you can afford to branch into multi media. Which media? It depends on the consumers that you are trying to reach. Ask your current customers about their preferences. Customers who love your business will WANT to see you succeed and will be happy to share!
3. Don’t be afraid to be creative! The content, sound and feel of your ads can make or break your advertising success. Don’t use local DJs…they voice lots of ads and your ad will blend with the rest of them. Hire a professional, or use your own voice, but be consistent. It won’t take long for consumers to hear the voice and know it’s your ad.
4. Don’t over SALE! Your SALEs will become less effective because your customers know that another is on the way. Create an image! Advertise that image and you will win the ultimate prize of “top of mind awareness”. The real key to success is when the consumer can recall your business name.
5. Patience is the key! Imagine pushing a car. It takes extra effort to get the car to start rolling, but once it starts the car gains momentum and becomes easier. Advertising works the same, so give it time to gain momentum.
Advertising can seem a bit overwhelming; don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’re an expert in your business and there are advertising experts in your town. Feel free to visit my web site at www.simpleadvertisingsolutions.com for more advertising tips and points to consider when choosing an Ad Agency. Wishing you all the success you can dream!
Tamra Martin is located in Roseburg, Oregon where she’s married with 2 children and the owner of Simple Advertising Solutions, which she started in 2005. She has been in the advertising industry since 1995, and her goal is to be a resource for smaller businesses. She wants every business to be able to have the advantage of professional help! Her slogan is “Finally, advertising made simple!” and that’s what she strives to do everyday.
www.simpleadvertisingsolutions.com
Posted on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Marketing, Small Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
