10 Tips for an Advertising Campaign
1. Zone in on your Target Audience
Identify and focus on your niche market. Having too vague of a demographic or target area will be a waste of effort and be like selling meat in a vegetarian grocery.
2. Emphasize your Competitive Advantage
Sell the benefits of what you ahve to offer.
3. Establish a Brand
Build a consistent image and consumers will always recognize your company.
4. Re-invest
Keep in mind the old adage, "You have to spend money to make money." Always be money conscious when it comes to your business but never fool yourself that "word of mouth" will keep it alive. Just because you have a great product doesn't mean people know of it. ADVERTISE!
5. Use Appropriate Places to Advertise
Just because it is your favorite publication or TV show does not mean it's the right place to advertise. These places may not be reaching your audience. Know who they are and what they like.
6. Have a Budget but don't let it Run your Campaign
Remember that each business has its seasonal highs and lows. Speand on advertising during your peak times because it is usually your customers best time.
7. Diversify
Do not put all your eggs in one basket. Or, in this case, the best places to advertise aren't always based onow much they cost. Spreadyour advertising bucks around and think of it as an investment.
8. Don't try to be everyone's BestfriendA common flaw of many businesses is trying to appeal everyone. Focus on your market and be their everything. Otherwise, it can spell disaster.
9. Test before you Execute
Find out if other people understand your advertisement before you take it live. If they can't understand your message or get that "ah hah!" moment you to re-evalaute.
10. Monitor Performance
Ask your new clients how they found you. It is always advantageous to find out which advertisements are working annd which ones to stop investing in this way.
10 Rules on How to Evaluate your AD
1. Tell a Story. Too much Information is Smothering
If youre viewers are forced to interpret your message they're no longer interested. Try to create a situation they are used to and run with it. Information is trite and dull. You must be clear and precise.
2. Call to Action
Make sure there is a purpose behind your advertisement and not just simple entertaining. There's no point in running an ad if people don't understand what is expected of them.
3. Hit Home & Get Emotional
Memories become memories because they managed to captivate their audience. In order for people to remember and act on your ad they first must understand and learn the message. Scenes that are emotionally tying stand out and remain in people's minds.
i.e. Feed the Children
4. Easy Arguments
Use simple arguments that allow viewers to jump to conclusions. Theow easier it is for someone to understand the more likely they will remember your ad when it comes time.
5. Show & Stop Telling
Don't beat your consumer with all the great benefits of your product . Rather, Show them. "Seeing is Believing."
6. Relate to the Senses through Symbolic Language and Images
You want your audience to feel they need what you have o offer. Get the "Makes Sense" belief by sticking to the senses people experience life through. (See, hear, touch, taste, feel)
7. Match Expectations
People don't want to hear they are getting the best thing int he world and then get let down. Use audio and visual messages to help your audience process an accurate image.
8. Scenes & Impact
It takes an average of 9 seconds for a person to process and have a lasting affect from a scene. Be shrt and sweet but never too fast.
9. Let your Ad Speak for itself
Words can lead to confusion at times. Let your Ad do the talking through visual aids. "A picture is worth a thousand words."
10. Musical Themes
Think of horror movies and how their soundtracks make your blood boil. Music touches an emotional base and can signal the audience to pay attention.
How to Create a Marketing Plan
"Those who Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail."
~Benjamin Franklin
Introduction:
Having a plan for everything is essential for success. When referring to marketing it means life or death for a company. Just because you have the best widget in the world does not guarantee people will buy it. That is, how will they know to search for it if they don't even know it exists? A company;s core marketing plan needs to be clear, concise, and mention strategies that will be implemented.
What is a Marketing Plan?
Simply put, a marketing plan consists of stepping stones that provide structure in order to make an informed decision while strategically placing the company in an advantageous position. It is full of questions that must be taken into consideration for the best possible outcome. Meaning, the plan answers questions that were once unclear and puts the company on course to achieve company projections and business objectives.
Questions Answered
- What are your economic and business environments?
- What are your problems and potential problems?
- What are your projections?
- What objectives do you want to achieve?
- What is your product or service?
- What is the budget necessary?
- Who are your consumers?
- Why should they buy from you?
- How will you reach your customers?
- Who is responsible for what?
- When will action be taken?
- How will you evaluate your progress, results?
Structure:
Situation Analysis
Situation Analysis analyzes information for future opportunities and problems that are either current or in the possible future. In addition, it also critiques economic and business environments that your company is experiencing in preparation for building a marketing plan. The Situation Analysis also lays out a company's competition, strengths, weaknesses, threts, issues, distribution, consumer mindset, market, trends, evaluates the previous marketing plan, etc.
Marketing Plan
The marketing plan lists strategies and objectives for a given period. Deadlines are set while also laying out a step by step plan of what needs to be done, who is targeted, who will do what, how these goals will be achieved, tactics, research, evaluation, budget, etc.
Conclusion:
- Is your product marketable? Who will buy it and does it meet their needs? What is unique about it?
- Have a clear and specifc strategy in addition to an allocated budget.
- Collect research about your competitors, users, markets, and financial, and sales reports.
- What is your objective? Be realistic when setting goals and stick to them.
- Set a budget and break it down on how it will be spent to the penny.
- Determine who is responsible for what and when they need to be implemented.
- State the major points of your plan.