Advertising Campaign: Getting Off To The Right Start
I was out representing Life Publications giving businesses an opportunity to create an effective advertising campaign. I was amazed how many so-called business owners did not have a clue as to doing an effective advertising campaign. I asked a question to one owner about who his target demographic was? His answer was anyone who like to eat pizza as this is a Pizza Restaurant. If you don’t know your target demographic you are going to spend a lot of unneccessary dollars on an advertising campaign that may not give you a return on your investment. When you do your strategic plan define your audience for example women aged 25-54, earning $80,000 annually, living in the 33071 zip code. This gives you a chance to ask the advertising rep who wants you business the right question to see if the publication is a fit for you. As an advertiser you will want to do your research so you spend your money in the right places. Making sure you know what you want and what the advertising vehicle represents will assist in making smart business decisions in the advertising budget.
- An example of reaching your local audience with an effective advertising campaign
Advertising Campaign: Making The Right Choice
When approached by an ad representative think of the questions to ask so you can make the right choice.
1: Are you direct mailed or picked up. A mailed piece may or may not make it to the house as consumers are inundated with advertising in their mail box. A pick up publication may sit on the stands and not be taken. The best type is a publication that combines mailing and pick up. This is the case with Life Publications and you can find more about them at www.lifepubs.com
2: What is the cost per reach this is easily calculated you take the cost of the ad and divide it by the amount of readers.
3: What is the target audience? This is important because if you are looking for 25-54 year olds and they target teens it isn’t a publication for you. If they reach seniors and you want families then they aren’t for you.
4: Where is it distributed? If your target is Boca and the publication hits Plantation then you may not want to use them.
5: Do they have an on-line component? This is important as more people read on-line then ever before
6: Do they have any added value. For example Life Publications has a site www.lifeluxuries4less.com where consumers can purchase vouchers for a discounted rate and each time a voucher is sold the merchant receives 50%. This helps your advertising campaign as it creates the image that you are of service and value.
Advertising Campaign: Creating The Image
A few important things to remember in your advertising campaign is to make sure it is relevant, entertaining, and resonating. Use up to date graphics and logos that express your core values of your business and that are easily identifiable as your logo. Use photos that will draw interest and create a strong call to action. Look at the ad above it is for a very popular event in Coconut Creek, FL and saves the consumer money.
When designing the ad have a headline that grabs your audience, use an offer that is appealing, at the bottom include your business name, phone, address and web site. A well formatted ad will draw attention and bring a return on the advertising investment. Some of the best ads I have seen are those that use a well recognized logo, the example below is a local store ad in Coral Springs.
The only thing missing from this ad is a strong call to action. A tag Line like Purchase Your Converse Gear Here $5 off any purchase of $25 or more. When designing you ads make sure they appeal to your target audience.
As you design your advertising campaign and choose to place print ads make sure you capture your target audience.
The Smurfs are easily recognizable and draw attention does your advertising campaign? contact me at rd1299@aol.com to discuss an affordable and effective advertising campaign. Are you maximizing your message.
