Making the investment in advertising, building and maintain a Web site and developing collateral, like brochures, are worthy investments. Professional design of these marketing elements is important. But great marketing pieces all start with the right message.
We’re inundated by thousands of messages per day. Your ads have to stand out to get noticed. So, make your messages compelling, and to the point. Don’t let the words in your ads die of mediocrity, but at the same time, don’t get too cute. If you don’t provide clarity to the reader, viewer or listener of your ad, then you’re simply throwing your money out. Make sure your ads clearly convey who you are and what you offer.
Your advertising copy should be relevant. Always remind yourself who your target audience is for the ad. Larger companies, often times do extensive research with focus groups to get feedback on their ads prior to running them. For most companies without mega-million advertising budgets, it’s important to ensure that your advertisement development process keeps the end user in mind that you want to attract. That means avoiding the use of insider industry terms and always putting your ads to a relevancy test.
One of the biggest mistakes made by companies when developing ads is not having a strong call to action — or even one at all. Yes, there’s always a place for general branding ads. But most small companies have to make every advertising dollar count — and make the phone ring. Make sure your advertising messaging tells the audience what the next step is, like call you or go to your Web site. Beyond those basic elements, consider also a call to action that creates more immediacy to your ad, like limited time discounts and special incentives. These offers should not be hidden in small print, but prominent and easy to find.
Great ads don’t start with a picture or music. They start with the right messaging. Make your ads compelling to get your company attention, and ensure that they are relevant to your desired audiences. All ads, unless you have money to burn, should have a call to action, and when possible, a reason for the potential customer to call sooner rather than later.
Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a Hudson Valley advertising and public relations agency. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 294-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at www.advertisingandpr.com.
