Get the most out of your marketing spending
Recent economic activity (or inactivity) has forced companies, large and small, to evaluate how they do business. Marketing and advertising, like all parts of the business, will see spending cuts. However, smart companies know that marketing and advertising are investments in the future of the company. It is now more important than ever to maintain a presence in the marketplace.
Your clients and prospective clients are also cutting their spending. Your marketing is a way to let them know you are still around. Your clients need to know they should do business with you.
There isn’t a quick solution to creating great marketing and advertising. However, the process and questions contained in this article are the basis of some of the best advertising in the world. It’s this information that designers and advertising professionals use as their road map when working on your ad or brochure or web site.
There are ways to get more out of your marketing dollars. It takes a little work on your part, but doing the research and answering these questions is an important part of getting the most out of your marketing and advertising spend.
1) What do you want your marketing to achieve?
Determine the short term goals and the long term goals of your marketing. Decide if and how they support your sales efforts. It is also important to measure your success and make adjustments where necessary. Research your competition to find out what they are doing as well.
As an ad (or brochure or web site) is developed, having a clear objective will make the decision making process easier.
2) Who is your audience?
The more precise and detailed the information you can collect about your perfect client(s), the better. You need to have a good idea of the age, gender, marital status, and income bracket of your target audience. Then, go beyond this to include demographics and psycho graphics. Be sure to explain how the audience currently thinks or feels about the product category, your brand or service, as well as how they currently behave. What unifies the audience in terms of attitudes, lifestyles and beliefs? Where do they go for information? How do they make purchase decisions? What should be avoided?
The best way to find out is to ask your current customers. Your sales force can also provide insight. If possible, you could research the competition’s clientele. Once you understand your audience, you can make a more informed decision about how to spend you marketing dollars. You will know where your customers get information and what motivates them to buy. You will know what they respond to. Your decisions on where to market will be determined by knowing your target audience.
We are in the information age where we are inundated with more information than we can use. An ad (or other marketing piece) has 1-2 seconds to get someone’s attention and 3-7 seconds to convince them. A rule of thumb I use is ‘images arrest and copy persuades’. Understanding your audience will give you a better idea of what images will arrest their attention and what tag line will resonate with them.
3) Why you?
Once you have your audience’s attention, let them know why they should be interested in what you have to sell. Make sure your ad (or postcard or brochure or web site) is simple and clear, focusing on one, maybe two, major points. By knowing your audience, you will know what’s important to them and what they respond to.
There may be many reasons why you are the best. However, in order to be effective, decide the most persuasive or most important thing you can say to achieve the goal. Use no more than a few simple sentences. Avoid generalities. Tell your audience the unique benefits they will receive by taking advantage of your initiative.
4) Where do they go next?
Make sure you tell your audience where to go with this new and exciting information. Tell them what to do next. Your company’s logo and a very clear next step—referred to as a call to action—should be very prominent. This is where your marketing fits in with your sales efforts. Keep it simple.
5) How do you say it?
Marketing research has told us that emotions influence decision making more than any other factor. Use adjectives to convey the essence of your message. What tone and mood is appropriate and effective with your audience?
An important part of your ad (or brochure or web site) is its emotive quality. How do you want your audience to feel while looking at your ad? Do you want to convey a fun and light-hearted feeling or a modern and cutting edge one? Is stability and trust more appropriate for your audience? Perhaps understanding and compassion is how you want your message received.
In conclusion, once you have the answers to these questions, you will get more from your marketing dollars. With spending cuts on all sides, from businesses to consumers, you need to ensure that your message captures your client’s attention and persuades them to act. Whether you handle your marketing yourself or hire a professional, you will have a better chance that your ad (or web site, or brochure) will stand out, be on target, and get the response you want.
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