| When is Advertising Your Business Vital?  I have heard many people in business complain about not having enough business. They say, “Things are slow”, “We have had to cut back” and “Advertising is expensive." -
- One of the biggest mistakes people make during hard times is cutting back on advertising and promotion. Marketing your business should be your first priority and the last thing you cut back on. In fact, when things slow down, you should actually put more into promotion and advertising. This will inevitably give you an edge on your competition because you will be the business that everyone is seeing instead of your competitor. If you think customers will simply look for you, you are sadly mistaken. People are too busy these days to invest time looking around. They are more likely to take the easy route and deal with whoever is in front of them at the time they need something.
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- My experience has also shown that just because you did a great job for a customer, it doesn’t mean they will always come back to you. Loyalty only extends as far as memory will allow. You need to constantly remind your customers that you are still here, you’re still in business and that you are the preferred business to supply the type of products and services they need.
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- One of the reasons small business owners don’t advertise is because they haven’t had good results in the past. It helps if you know ‘how to advertise’. Here are a few tips that have helped TMS Promotional Wear and Products and our clients over the years.
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- Who you talking to, Dude?
- Many business owners do not understand their target market. Advertising aimlessly is a waste of your resources and just as bad as not advertising at all. You need to know who you are advertising to and what will peak their interest in you and your product. In my experience, there is no one ad that will appeal to every type of personality.
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- We are all selling to a specific target group, like teenage girls, or business owners between 40 and 55 years old. You may have smaller sub-groups within your target market, but you really only have a limited type of person who will buy your product of service. Your advertising needs to speak to those people in a language they understand. Your advertising also has to be placed in their path. For example, why would you spend hundreds of dollars promoting hockey sticks with a newspaper ad buried in the classifieds section? An ad like this belongs in the sports section where your target audience will see it, or better yet, in the local hockey players magazines and newsletters.
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- Direct mail or email is a great way to advertise to your target market. Get people to fill out a quick survey with their mailing address, email, and other contact info. Include a few products of interest for them to choose from and keep that information in a filing system or database to make it quicker and easier to contact them when you have sales or specials. After all, these people are actually already interested. This will focus your advertising like a laser beam.
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- Can I tell what you’re all about in 30 seconds?
- Small business owners tend to send a lot of mixed messages in their advertising. You need to be consistent with the message you are sending to people so that they don’t get confused. This means you need to choose a logo that will be easy to recognize in a snap, and rememberŠsimple is best.
- Create a slogan that will tell your customers what you stand for. Some of the largest companies in the world have memorable slogans. Nike uses “Just Do It” while McDonald’s uses “I’m Lovin’ It”.
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- Spend some time and create a mission statement for you and your employees that will give you direction. If you make the best darn sausage on a bun, then be sure your message relays that! If you give the best customer service in town, then be sure you can back it up with written policies that employees can follow. You’ve got to stand for something in order to be trusted by the customer. Give them a reason to spend their hard-earned money with you instead of your competition.
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- Most importantly, be noticeable. Create headlines that turn heads. Develop ads that give your ideal customer a reason to stop and take the time to read it. Give them a reason, or two or three to pick up the phone or visit your site.
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- Price is everything, right?
- Consumers will not be lured in by price. Most people are smarter than that and they want to be treated with respect. Being the cheapest guy in town will not make you the best. “The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the cheapness of a sweet price is forgotten”. If someone is doing something for less than you are and you are barely making money on it, then they are cutting corners somewhere. Don’t fall victim to cutting corners just to get a job, because your reputation is much more important than getting every customer who walks in your door. Don’t be afraid to say, “I’m sorry, I can’t do it for that price.” There is nothing wrong with giving people a deal, but just don’t put yourself out of business by trying to provide your product or service cheaper than everyone else. Profit is not a dirty word. It is the reason you are in business. You will not survive unless you make profit. Credit doesn’t last forever, believe me.
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- People are bombarded by advertising everywhere they go. Most of us are so used to it by now we are oblivious to it. The key to getting people to pay attention is to be different and stand out in a crowd. Try outselling your competition by offering more value rather than a lower price.
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- What matters most?
- Never misrepresent something to a customer to close a deal. Believe in the products and services you provide and be genuinely thankful to your customers. Be yourself! People see through a façade and you will come across as untrustworthy. No matter what medium of advertising you choose, word of mouth can ultimately make or break you. You can have the most professional design or the slickest ad, but if you don’t stand behind your products or if you provide poor service, that’s what you’ll become known for.
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- Some marketing products that work...
- An ideal way to do this is to give gifts and promotional products to your clients. These items must be personalized with your business name so your customers remember who it came from and offer maximum exposure for minimum cost. These gifts will be around a lot longer than an ad in a newspaper or magazine. People love to get giftsŠit shows you appreciate them.
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- Studies have shown that customers who receive promotional products are 18% more likely to respond than if you used a discount coupon. A study by Baylor University proved that customers who received a promotional product were also more likely to provide referral leads than those who did not.
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- Giving jackets to your staff and other logo’d apparel is another way to attract a lot more attention than an ad in a newspaper. Uniforms for employees make you look professional to your customers. Street clothes are just not acceptable. Customers are sure to proudly advertise you if you give them logo’d apparel. They become a walking, talking billboard for you.
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- Magnets, pens and mugs are other important items that can be given away to advertise for you. There are literally thousands of products that can be used to advertise your business, from inexpensive key chains to high end products, so be sure to create a budget that includes promotional items.
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- My advice is: Put together a plan and a realistic budget for your advertising, focus on your target market and say something that matters to them. Make sure your plan requires that you advertise more when business is usually slow. You will notice a big difference in your bottom line.
Dan Burke is a promotional industry professional dedicated to the business success of his clients. To find some great new promotional products or more resources visit http://www.TMSpromotions.ca or contact him by email at : dan@tmspromotions.ca Reprint Info: This article is freely available for reprint provided the copyright notice and resource box at the end of the article is left intact. If you are using this article in a website or eBook, please make sure that the link to www.TMSpromotions.ca is live or clickable.
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