Getting the most bang for your ad bucks
Stick with what works, but introduce variations to keep customers' interest.
Cathy Eldridge, Co-Owner Style & Inspiration Zionsville, Pa.
Our firm designs high-end residential interiors. We advertise in an upscale real-estate magazine and wonder whether it is better to run the same ad repeatedly so customers recognize it, or to rotate various ads. We want to grow the business.
By Anne Fisher, Fortune Small Business contributor
Dear Cathy: "If an ad gets results, there's no reason to change it," says Jeremy Knauff, CEO of Wildfire Marketing in Tampa. "Business owners often tire of their own advertising because they see it all the time."
A longstanding ad industry rule of thumb holds that consumers, who are constantly bombarded with advertisers' messages, must see an ad at least seven times before it has any impact, says Knauff.
To step up your ad campaign without altering your current formula too much, Knauff suggests simultaneously running the same ad in a different publication and experimenting with variations there: "If your ad now shows a modern interior, try a more traditional one, or change just the headline." Then, to gauge which gets the best response, include a different phone number or URL (directing consumers to another page on your website) in each one.
"By tracking how many calls or page views you get from each individual ad, you can easily see where to spend more and where to reduce," he says. "Big companies do this all the time, but small-business owners usually don't think of it – a shame, because any cost is minimal, and you receive extremely valuable information."
Patience is a virtue, Knauff adds. He says the biggest mistake most entrepreneurs make is to run an ad and then give up after seeing no immediate results. A far better strategy: "Figure out what you can consistently afford over a period of three to six months – whether it's print, radio, direct mail, or some combination – and then get your message out there consistently over time, so it has a chance to sink in.
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From Michael Reid, Atlanta, GA Hi Cathy. have you ever thought about using postcards to advertise also?
• Make Announcements
• Thank Customers for Their Support
• Follow-up with Prospects
• Send Traffic to your Website
• Offer Specials or Discounts
• Mail them out to your strongest prospects
• Distribute them to places where people frequently go to like restaurants, salons, etc.
• Distribute your business cards to everyone you meet, at network meetings etc.
From Julia eCompetitors, New York, NY, www.ecompetitors.com Cathy, you may continue to advertize at the same real-estate magazine, but, in my view, you must more often change the picture and style of your add. It may attract more costumers and people will pay more attention on your add.
From AG, Dallas TX Your core message should certainly stay consistent, as should the look, feel, and voice you give your brand. But the way in which you convey that message? You should keep that fresh.
Look at the commercials for iPod. Just a simple silhouette of someone dancing. The core message (iPod is crazy fun) never changes. The overall style and sensibility never changes. But the way it's conveyed (the songs that are featured, the background colors, the happy dancing consumer) changes all the time. That keeps it fresh, and helps you make a deeper connection. You can apply the same logic to most any campaign.
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Where online advertising is concerned, it is always a good idea to take advantage of multiple ad variations, negative keywords, and especially analytics to filter out unwanted (out of area and competitive) prospects and track your ads and conversion rates to be as cost effective as possible. Jerry H.HotDigital