Written by Karin Petrin, Northern Region Microenterprise Specialist
You spend significant time and money trying to grab your customers’ attention. You put ads in newspapers, on social media, and on television to be seen or heard above a continuous barrage of advertisements. So what makes a successful advertising campaign?
Here are some pointers:
- Clearly identify your customer. Who are you trying to reach?
- Know the purpose and intent of your message. Is it an ad for a sale or special event? Do you want current or future customers to know who and where you are or how best to reach you? Do you want to showcase your products/services?
- Where will your message be best heard by your customer? Make sure the audience you are trying to reach reads the newspaper, watches the television station, or listens to the radio station where you are thinking of placing your ad. Media outlets know their subscribers, so check around before you commit to one.
- Customers are looking for a solution. They need to buy something, replace something, have something fixed, or be entertained. Present your solution to their problem.
- Be clear and use a call-to-action like “Call for more information” or “Order yours today.” Most people need to hear your message several times before they realize they heard it.
- Use the WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) not WWD (What we do) perspective. Customers are seeking to meet their interests/needs, not yours.
- Stick with your image. A cheesy, sloppy, or even flashy ad could send the wrong signal to your customer giving them an unintended perception of your business. Be consistent. It is easier for customers to identify you if they see the same logo, color schemes, and fonts in your marketing materials.
- Use a code to track the ad or poll customers about how they found your business. This information is critical to help you know which ads worked and which did not.
- Ads should be crafted with these questions in mind:
- Who? (customer)
- What? (your message)
- When? (event date or deadline)
- Where? (details for contact)
- Why? (solution)
- How? (call-to-action)
Check out designschool.canva.com or boredpanda.com for great examples to use for when considering how to best market your business.
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