Advertising can be one of
fastest ways to market and grow your business or it can be one of
quickest ways to go out of business. With
right ad you can attract clients to your business and increase your profits. With
wrong ad you can spend your way into bankruptcy.To grow your business you need to attract
attention of your prospects, advertising can help you do so if used correctly. Unfortunately, many small businesses owners waste thousands of dollars on advertising efforts that only achieve minimal results.
If you want to get
most from
money you spend to promote your products and services, make sure to avoid these common mistakes.
Focusing on Your Products and Services If you want to get
attention of your prospects, speak to their needs and wants. Your prospects' primary concern isn't that you've been in business for 25 years; it is do you know
problem they want to solve. Use your ad to identify at least one common problem of your prospects and
benefit of using your product or service.
Having a Weak Marketing Message All to often you hear ads and it takes some thought to figure out what they are even promoting. Make sure your advertisement includes a 7-10 word description of whom you serve and
problems you solve so people who read or hear your ad know how you can help them.
Using
Wrong Words A word here, a phrase there can change your response rate by hundreds of percent. When you spend money on advertising, first test a number of versions of your copy to identify
one that works best. Just by revising her ad copy so it was client and problem centered, I helped one small business owner achieve her best month in sales ever.
Missing Motivation Most ads miss
mark in moving prospects to action. If you want to prompt prospects to visit your web site or your store or to contact you, include an offer that motivates them to do so.