Ask an Expert: Better perfect your pitch in sour economy
— -- Q: Everyone says we are supposed to keep advertising. OK, but what really works? I have no budget for mistakes. — Steve
A: What works in advertising? Well, ask yourself this question: What works for you? Begin to notice what sorts of ads catch your fancy. Open the newspaper, or a magazine or the Yellow Pages, listen and watch ads on TV, online, and on the radio and to notice which ads stick out, and then ask yourself why.
Usually it is a combination of the following:
It targets the right market:Great ads begin when you know exactly to whom it is you are targeting. Once you know that, your job is much easier, and conversely, if you don't know exactly to whom it is you are advertising, you are wasting your money.
Too many small businesses, especially early in their life-cycle, try and appeal to everyone. A few expensive lessons later and they learn that they just have to reach a few, key, select people – their niche, their market.
So begin by figuring out for whom it is, exactly, that you are creating this advertisement: Their age range, sex, income-level, what they want from you, and so on. Once you know your market, choosing the right medium is much easier.
Benefits, benefits, benefits:Think about those times when you are looking to buy a certain model car. All of a sudden, you begin to see that car everywhere, right? The reason for that is psychological: The brain filters a lot of information every day, but when you focus on something new, whether it is a car or whatever, it's a signal to the brain that the information need not be filtered out anymore. The benefit of the new thing is allowed to seep through.
That's how good advertising works too. You may never notice an ad, even if that ad typically runs again and again. .. until you have a need for what the ad is selling. So it is incumbent upon you to stress the benefits of what you are selling.
People remember benefits.
It's been tested:It is always smart to test an ad first to see if it works, and then tweak it as necessary, and then roll it out once you know it's a winner. Testing can improve
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