Let’s Talk About Advertising!
Folks, when was the last time you did any advertising for your business? You do know that advertising is a key element to selling your goods and services, right? I know that a lot of people often shy away from advertising because they don’t feel creative enough to come up with something “professional” or “memorable”. But that’s not an excuse that I’m willing to let you live with!
Advertising comes in all sorts of different forms:
- Media – Radio, TV, Podcasts
- Print – Newspapers, Magazines
- Direct – Letters, Brochures, Flyers
- Online – Sponsorships, Google Ads, Web Sites
- Word of Mouth – The most powerful of all!
And advertising also serves many different purposes:
- Building brand awareness
- Influencing the buyer’s decision making process (buy this, not that)
- New product introductions
But no matter the form or purpose of your ad, you need to ensure that it is creative and memorable so that it makes a lasting and positive impression on your target audience. Let’s not forget that advertising is not just about pushing a product on someone. It’s also about establishing your brand identity firmly in people’s minds, so that when they are ready to buy they think of you first.
For example, have you seen the “Trunk Monkey” commercials? Well after you do, and especially if you were local, I guarantee you will remember which car company brought them to you. How much money do you think they earned for their investment in those ads? Here is a compilation:
Tell me this, what is going to get you into the dealership? Some loud-mouthed, obnoxious narrator telling you about their “low, low, crazy prices”, or a Trunk Monkey? I’m guessing it’s the Trunk Monkey every time.
So, how did they come up with this? They probably hired an ad agency and gave the creative people there free reign to propose anything they wanted. I’ve worked with a few agencies, and generally speaking when you find a good one you are not likely to be disappointed. They are in that business for a reason… they have some genuinely excellent people! So don’t let a lack of trust prevent you from interviewing agencies and getting bids on a project. They know they’ll need to earn your repeat business, and they want something new for their portfolio.
Don’t have the budget for an agency? That’s Ok. Assemble a team and do some brainstorming to see what you can come up with on a shoestring budget.
The key to creative brainstorming is to start your session with no restrictions. You need a lot of different ideas and opinions, so gather your team and ask them to think creatively. Sit around a whiteboard and just start filling it with notes from everyone’s ideas. Remind everyone to share every idea, because you never know who’s going to light the fuse that sets off that magical spark within the group.
And finally when you get a good idea, that almost everyone seems to love, don’t let it die. Take action! Advertising doesn’t need to be perfect to work. It just has to touch it’s intended audience.
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And what about some of the rediculous advertisments we are seeing on social networks now days that include your profile information and some whacky pictures? These ads are producing for people. There is a low barrier of entry to this type of advertising and you may be able to test the waters with some of your ideas before approaching more traditional media.