Advertising Advice
|
Advertising Advice | |
|
|
| • Site Map • Site Home Related Sites >Traffic-Reach - Unlimited Quality Traffic - On Demand • SmartAuctioning.com • Forward Productions SitesMap • Join Our Links Directory! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
I Don't Want to be DifferentTo succeed in today's crowded marketplace where most of the products and advertising look exactly the same, a small business owner must stand out, shouting above the din with a message so clear and compelling that prospects stop and take notice. It's a matter of business survival. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs quickly retreat to the supposed security of sameness, soon to be lost in a sea of anonymity and a tidal wave of frustration. In effect, albeit at a subconscious level, they are saying , "I don't want to be different". In back room offices and store fronts everywhere, salespeople are telling business owners they should do this or that kind of ad because it worked so great for their competitor. The owners nod and sign on. It's already proven to be a winner, right? WRONG! Change the name, background color and a font style and you've got sameness. Put those ads in the yellow pages, a coupon magazine or a TV commercial cluster and you've got advertising death. Want proof? Get the latest statistics on small business failures. To make your advertising work, follow the principle if your competition is doing it, don't. Go where they aren't and win the battle without a fight. Resist the urge to get a listing in the phone book because that's where everyone else is. A coupon direct mailer that features 6 or 7 of your competitors is a poor choice too. Look for new opportunities in direct mail and email campaigns. Look at direct response ideas. In short, try to find the biggest number of clients you can find in one spot. Fish in a barrel, not the ocean. When you've chosen different channels to attract your customers, make sure you overcome the "so-what" factor in your copywriting. An ad for a heating and air conditioning company that says it has certified technicians that will fix your problem quickly is a so-what line. No one is looking for uncertified slackers that will get around to the problem whenever. A moving company that mentions superior insurance coverage makes you think they'll probably break something. Be creative and write copy that will compel prospects to take action. Consumers are bombarded by thousands of ad messages every day. There is so much overload they tune everything out. To get their attention, look within your business and find all that you do differently and decide which of those elements your customers most want. Decide how to word it best. And where to position it. Decide you really do want to be different. You have to. Your business depends on it. Brian Grinonneau is the general manager of McMann and Tate advertising, an agency that works with small business owners helping them stand out from the crowd.
Help keep Advertising Advice available by donating any amount.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News | | | | RELATED ARTICLES Top Design and Marketing Tips from a Branding Expert We wanted to share some general tips relating to your graphic design that we've come up with over the past year: Always include an address on your business card, even if you are operating a small business out of your home - it greatly increases your credibility and makes you look much more established! If you're concerned about privacy, a Post Office box is a great way to go. When signing up for a Post Office box, consider using a "Mailboxes" store instead of the Post Office - you'll get a street address instead of the typical "PO BOX. Latino Television Programs Fill a Void in Hispanic Advertising; While Advertisers Look to Attract Advertisers that are beginning to focus on the young Hispanic market have been given a gift in the form of Latino television programming. Now mind you it's not your typical Latino television programming that you would find on Univsion, this programming is geared towards the large and most overlooked demographic, U. The Online Equivalent of an Effective Newspaper Advertisement is FREE Ask anybody who has been in business for a long enough and they will tell you how newspaper advertisements have for decades helped to build countless small businesses. The advantages of a newspaper advertisement are many, but what has attracted small business entrepreneurs for decades is the speed at which a struggling entrepreneur (short of funds as many starting small businesses always are, and looking for customers fast) is able to get a very quick response. Top Jingle Companies: What to Look For, What to Expect The internet offers you the opportunity to seek out jingle companies and listen to their jingle samples online. Your success depends upon a thorough evaluation of as many companies as possible. Media Savvy - How To Manage Your Time To Gain The Best Media Coverage Did you know generating positive media coverage is four times more effective than advertising? Getting exposure in the media is far-reaching, utterly credible and free. As an added bonus you may well attract an audience that you never anticipated. Should You Advertise on TV? When people discover my background in advertising, the questions flow. One of the most frequent questions is "Should I advertise on TV? "I can't answer that questions until I ask a number of questions first. Heard A Good Radio Ad Lately? Neither Have We To many ad agencies, radio is considered advertising's ugly stepchild. It's not sexy like television and is treated as a necessary evil with little effort put into it. How To Create Instantly Compelling Ads Every Time Use This Quick 3-Question Evaluation Process, So You Can Be Sure Your Message Will Sell! EVALUATION #1: "Well, I Would Hope So!" When you make a claim, don't think about it in terms of words coming out of your mouth. Think of it in terms of words entering your prospect's ears. Too Much Build-Up: Over-Zealous Ad Copy Can Break The Sale How many times has this happened to you? A friend recommends a film that just came out: "You've GOT to see this movie! It's SO (funny, scary, suspenseful, etc.). Radio and Television Ads: Clever Vs. Annoying Ever heard or seen a radio or television commercial that you really liked and actually looked forward to hearing or seeing again only to be assaulted by another one so annoying it made you want to heave your radio or television out the window? What makes one commercial so enjoyable while others seem to be so abysmal? It's all in the ability to make the listener or viewer remember the ad in a creative, clever way and I'm about to give you some advice on how to do just that so read on! One of the most successful ways of creating clever ads is to add humor. Unfortunately that's not an easy thing to do as you have probably heard or seen many commercials try and fail. Trade Writing - For Cash! Often considered as "plain Jane's" of the print world, trade magazines prove that there is more to a market than just a pretty face. Trade magazines are written for a specialized audience and typically focus on one specific area or industry. 50 Surefire Business Card Tips Business cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards: Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Not Another Calendar! - Choose Advertising Specialties That Sell As I was searching through a kitchen drawer the other day, I found dozens of pens, pencils, letter openers, sticky-note pads, oversized paper clips, rulers, dental floss, calendars, magnets, whatsits and thing-a-ma-bobs, each with the name of a business on the front. In looking through my "collection" I discovered some things I love and use and others that I can't imagine why I picked them up. Commercial: Consumer - Discounts - Misleading Advertising Marketing is an important tool for attracting customers. It is commonplace to see banners announcing bargains of "70% off the retail price. Become a Storyteller Not an Advertiser and Watch Your Traffic Increase When you read the newspaper, do you read advertisements as closely as you read news stories? Do you believe advertising as readily as you believe news stories? I don't and neither do most people I know. Because we have advertising shoved at us from every angle we tend to ignore it, but we pay attention to news or public interest stories. How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters! "The more things change, the more they stay the same". That saying couldn't be more true, especially when it comes to writing ads and sales letters. Advertising: 10 Powerful Secrets To Help You Sell Your Ad Space Like Crazy If you want to sell more ad spaces, you must read and use the secrets I am revealing here: 1. Give your customers a discount when they spend over a certain dollar amount for ad space. Worn Out Brochure Design Is Keeping Small Business Owners Down I got another one of those calls the other day.. How Well Do Postcards Work? The humble little postcard has been getting a lot of attention in the marketing world. Along with this heightened interest comes some very good questions, such as. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Site Map • Site Home Related Sites >Traffic-Reach - Unlimited Quality Traffic - On Demand • SmartAuctioning.com • Forward Productions SitesMap • Join Our Links Directory! |
|
|
| © 2006 Forward Productions |
