Advertising may look easy to those without experience which causes many small business owners to “DIY”, or, do it yourself. That may seem to save money however, in the long run it may damage your professionalism and even your opportunity to grow to your full potential.
That said, here are some handy tips along with the mistakes to avoid if you decide to go it alone:
PRINT – NEWPAPER/FLYERS/MAGAZINES/MAILERS
Yes, print is on the decline but in many cases can be a good resource, particularly if you are located in a retirement location like Florida. Seniors continue to read newspapers and cut out ads and coupons. Print may prove to be a valid form of advertising for you if you want to reach at 65+ demographic.
So many small advertisers attempt to use every area of “white space” and that is a huge mistake. Attention span is short and with this medium, less is more. Too much copy will look cramped causing the reader to skip over the ad.
Make it interesting with a catchy title. Try a clever play on words.
Don’t use a generic picture; take one in high resolution that shows your best feature. Smartphones can be a convenient way to avoid the expense of a high-end photography session. And the most important tip: do NOT use other people’s photography unless you’re prepared for a lawsuit.
How does your logo look? Do you have it in a high-resolution format? If not, it may appear grainy in the final product which will make your brand appear unprofessional.
If you are a brick-and-mortar location, your address is important. Having a map takes up precious copy space so avoid this and instead rely on the fact that people will Google you if you’ve listed the location. Website and phone are also vital for a local business. Large well-known business? Take a look at some of the best.
BROADCAST AND CABLE TELEVISION
This is one area where you should never attempt to do-it-yourself. Find a professional videographer within your budget. They will assist you with a storyboard, music bed, announcer, and location. Many TV stations have their own production facility. Television remains the most believable, trusted medium for many reasons that we’ll define in a future blog.
Many owners like to read their own script. This will save money on an announcer, HOWEVER if you don’t have a professional tone and inflection, it will be a failure and sound homemade. Copy should sound as if you are speaking directly to the viewer. Avoid cliché copy like “in business since”, “we care”, “but wait there’s more”, “hurry, limited”, etc. because they are overused and not believable.
Television ads are intrusive; that sounds bad however it’s a great thing for an advertiser because the viewer is already positioned in front of their TV and up pops your ad! Take advantage of placement. On cable, frequency is critical so you will need only a few targeted channels (most popular now are ESPN, news channels, HGTV, Food) with at least 3 ads per day on each network. Don’t buy so many channels that you don’t achieve frequency on one channel. Cable is affordable and can be targeted in the area of your location. Broadcast reaches a larger audience and is therefore, more expensive. If you have multiple locations, this may be your solution.
Make sure you have a good rep to guide you through the particulars and help you buy networks based on your customer profile. Both broadcast and cable salespeople can provide you with research to help navigate the best solution. The most important metric is “reach and frequency” … in other words, how many ads do you need to buy to reach your customer. Your rep can provide a formula for achieving this.
Creatively, television has the advantage of motion AND inviting an emotional response. Sometimes words aren’t needed and a mood can be created with just music.
Finally, leave your ego at home. Just because you own the business doesn’t mean you have to be (or should be) the spokesperson. Be objective and listen to the pros to achieve your best resulting commercial.
RADIO
There is no visual with radio so your copy/script MUST be compelling. If you are a small business and new to advertising, your script should include your name several times to allow the listener a chance to remember you. A music bed to accompany your script will give your message a lift.
Typically, local radio stations will help you write your script and give you a couple options. Once approved they will provide an announcer or you can choose a local recognizable station DJ for an additional fee.
Don’t rush the script because too many words won’t sound natural or memorable. If you’re new, opt for :60 second positions to allow time for your message without rushing.
There are multiple formats for branding your business on radio. Get more info: https://theempire.com/guide-radio-advertising
DIGITAL/ONLINE/OTT (Over-The-Top)
With so many choices in the digital world of advertising, it can be like navigating a foreign country without a map or smartphone. From simple leaderboards on a website, to YouTube, to Facebook/Instagram, to geo-targeting, OTT (streaming stand-alone) and so much more, you really need a skilled pro. The arena of digital advertising continues to grow and with each new product, it gets more confusing. Some TV and radio stations maintain their own digital team to guide you through the process.
First and foremost, define your target. What is their age? Their psychographic buying habits? What do they watch, read, listen to? You have so many options to reach your customer and with digital, you will be able to track your customer. Yes, it reminds you of “big brother” however it works remarkably well.
Make sure you have a compelling reason for your target to respond whether it’s call or click through a redirect to your website or some other response defined by you.
Digital is a creative playground. Don’t merely think of static, stand-alone ads. There are many options like video and forced viewing. The six main types of digital ads are: Display, Social Media, Native, Search, Video, and email marketing so use them together or alone depending on your strategy and goals.
DON’T DO THIS!
- Don’t assume you as the biz owner know more than the professionals.
- Starting without a budget is dangerous. Ad/marketing budget should be 10% of your gross. Don’t be cheap and skimp. You need to spend money to make money.
- Be sure to create a comprehensive ad without a campaign strategy. Think ahead. Can you develop your concept with a continuing theme?
- Don’t just advertise. BRAND. Create your footprint. Branding, not advertising, is what keeps you top of mind.
- Making claims you can’t substantiate can hurt your reputation. (highest quality, lowest price, friendliest, etc.)
- Don’t choose a medium without considering your target and use more than one medium.
- Be patient, results are not immediate.
- Don’t run one ad once in any medium. Frequency is critical to achieve recognition and retention.
- Your website contributes to your reach so don’t ignore it. It’s your credibility and your authoritative voice. Keep it fresh and make changes as needed.
- Don’t run the same ad too often for too long … that creates viewer/user ad exhaustion. It may have been a great message five years ago, but you don’t want people to groan every time they see it. Give it an update every once in a while.
Want more help? I have 30+ years of experience. If I can’t help you, chances are that I know someone great who can!
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