Advertising may or may not be a part of your marketing arsenal, but whether you believe advertising works for your business or not, there are certain times when you should consider using adverts as part of your marketing mix.

Traditionally, the main reasons to advertise are:

  1. To increase awareness of your business and the knowledge of your products or services
  2. To highlight why customers should buy from you rather than your competitors
  3. To create a favourable emotional reaction to your product or service
  4. To remind people to buy from you
  5. To stimulate impulse purchases

All well and good, but don’t forget that you must remain focused on getting a specific response.

The following are examples of when advertising would be a good choice…

  • When you have no other method of reaching your prospect
  • When your budget permits
  • When awareness of the existence of your company is essential before you approach your prospect directly
  • When you can reach the most prospects who can and will buy what you offer cost-effectively
  • When your prospects are reachable by one or more different media
  • When most of your competitors advertise
  • When most of your competitors don’t advertise
  • When your target prospects are the mass-market consumer
  • When you are increasing the range of products or services you offer
  • When you are moving into a new market

But there are also times when you shouldn’t advertise:

  • When advertising would be the only way to reach your prospects
  • When it is not cost effective
  • When you expect your advertising to bring in new customers by the bucket-load
  • When your advertising cannot compete with your competitor’s adverts
  • When your budget will not allow proper coverage or repetition
  • When there is no medium which reaches your prospects directly
  • When you cannot sum up the benefits of your product or services
  • When there is no way to sell your product or service without one-on-one contact
  • When you cannot afford to have the advert created properly

Part of the problem is that advertising is typically seen as an expense, rather than an investment. Generally speaking, that’s true – the majority of advertising IS ineffective, and ineffective advertising is a costly expense.

However, if your advert is created correctly, if it is focused on the prospect’s wants and needs rather than your own, then advertising IS an effective way to market your business – because it will more than pay for itself.

It is all too easy to fall into the same trap that many people do…

They simply look at what their competitors are doing and then do the same thing. Just because someone is spending money on an advert doesn’t mean it is working for them.

Don’t make the same mistake!

Now, onwards…

… to your success!

Jez