By Amanda Bala
Every business must advertise them self somehow. However, simply making the decision to advertise does not mean that you are doing the best you can for your business. Too many times, business owners will put time and money into an advertising campaign, not really understanding what message they are putting out there or should be putting out there. And more often than not, that message is getting lost and not helping them at all.
So, what can be done to make sure you are getting the most out of your advertising dollar? It is simple… know exactly what your message will garner the best results! That being said, how do you do this?
When you are advertising, avoid piecing your campaign together. A bit of advertising here, a bit of advertising there… that can work, but only if you make sure that all of those pieces somehow can fit together. If you are just putting a mish mash of ads out there that do not carry the same message, potential customers are not going to remember you. It takes the average person 7-12 times seeing or hearing a message for it to stay in their mind.
Also, be careful that do not make the ads all about your company. It is truly about the customer. You need to show how your company can benefit them. Obviously, your company name and services need to be prominent in the ads, but you want to show your clients how you are going to improve their lives, not just showcase your company.
When you do decide where to advertise, be sure to keep it simple. You can get creative, but don’t make it so creative that your message gets lost. You can make the ads fun but more importantly, keep the message consistent throughout. One company that does a fabulous job of this is Geico. Over the past few years, they have run several different advertising campaigns. However, the one aspect that stays the same is their message. It is to the point now where most people cannot hear the name Geico with out thinking that if they give them 15 minutes, they will save us 15% on car insurance. You can easily do the same thing with your campaign on a smaller level. Keep the glitz to a minimum and keep your message forefront.
In the end, advertising always helps grow your business. However, advertising in and of itself isn’t enough. Be sure you know what your message is and stay true to it!