Small Medium Business Advertising tips

Small & medium business

Guide to more successful advertising



Advertising is just one aspect

Marketing and advertising are sometimes seen as one and the same. But advertising is only one part of your marketing communication options within your marketing mix, make sure that you look at all aspects.

Advertising can be used for many purposes:

• Introduce a new product or service,

• Reach a new group of potential customers,

• Reinforce your position in the market and/or

• Build your brand.

But it is not always the best thing to do!



Marketing Mix

Does it all fit in?

Target Market

Place• Retail• Wholesale• Mail order• Internet• Direct sales• Multi-channel

PriceStrategies:• Skimming• Penetration• Cost-plus• Loss leader

Promotion• Special offers• Advertising• Endorsements• User trials• Direct Mail• Leaflets / posters• Competitions• PR

Product• Value• Design• Technology• Usefulness• Convenience• Quality • Packaging• Branding

People• Employees• Management• Customer service

Does my promotion medium reach my target audience?

Does my advertising fit in with my pricing strategy?

Does my pricing fit in with my brand/image?

Etc. Etc.



Is advertising the right thing for you?

You can use different advertising platforms, such as online advertising, ads in newspaper, outdoor posters, etc.

But as a small business you should carefully decide on what you want to achieve before you make any decisions.

For lead generation, for example, a well-planned and targeted direct marketing campaign and proper follow-up will bring better results.

If you want to raise awareness, however, advertising can be very powerful.

Also keep in mind that your objectives match your budget.



Your objectives

In order to get the most out of your advertising budget you must define your objectives. You need to define what you want to get out of it and determine what means of communication you can use best to reach a specific target audience during a specific period of time.

You MUST set your objectives using the SMART formula: Sensible, Measurable, Achievable,Realistic, and Time Specific.



Know your target audience

Before you do any advertising (or in fact before you do ANY Marketing) you should know your target audience.

• Who are your ideal clients?

• What are their demographics, interests, hobbies, main concerns?

• What do they need? And more importantly what do they want?

The more you can define your audience the easier it will be to find the right medium and design ads that get noticed by them.



Advertising message factors

When developing the message you must take into consideration several factors including:

Target audienceWho are my ideal clients and what is important to them and has impact?

Type of media and sizeAn advert in a newspaper or magazine requires a different approach then an online banner advert or poster. Each medium has a different purpose and also has different pro’s & con’s. The size also restricts the amount of information.

Objectives Your objectives determine the message. A product launch message is different from a direct sales message.



Advertising message structure

Most advertising messages share common components within the message including:

The AppealThis refers to the underlying idea that captures the attention.

Value PropositionThe advertising message often contains a reason for customers to be interested in the product which often means the ad will emphasize the benefits obtained from using the product.

Slogan This will help to position the product/service in a customer’s mind and distinguish it from competitors’ offerings.



Important issues when creating your advert• Really inform readers about a your (new) product/service Features AND benefits

• Persuade your audience that your product service is the best value. Not just advertising the price!

• Remind people of your selling points as a supplier Service, quality, expertise, etc.

• Don’t clutter your adverts – keep it simple

• Professional design makes a real difference

• Use good quality images, they speak a 1000 words!



Advertising budget

Setting your budget – and sticking to it – is vital. Your advertising is designed to have an impact on the demand for your product/service. Your budget decision should be influenced by the following factors:

• Stage in product life cycle – new products/services need larger budgets

• Market share – gaining market share requires more than maintaining

• Competition activity – an important factor in how much advertising is required

• Campaign or stand alone – combined efforts work better but cost more



Advertising success

Again, remember that advertising is only one part in your marketing mix. Only if your ad campaign is planned properly, focussed on a target group and fits well into your schedule of other activities (such as sales promotions, direct marketing and PR) can it help raise awareness and increase sales.

It is not recommended to use advertising as your only promotional activity.



Evaluate• Make sure you measure response

• Always make an effort to find out how clients found you

• Include a response mechanism that you can monitor – promotion code/voucher

• Evaluate and use the outcome to improve the next campaign

Important

However, the above will not take into account all the people who saw your ad but didn’t react right away.

They may still be influenced by it, the next time they come across your website, see a brochure or need a service you offer!



Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Advertising is not rocket science but if you get stuck get some help!

We give assistance to many small and medium businesses.

From idea, planning and execution to success. StopGapMarketing is an all-rounder and delivers marketing and sales solutions for tangible short-term results and significant long-term benefits.

We help you to sell more.



StopGapMarketing Six Crosses, Listowel, Co. Kerry

+353 (0)68 40846 / +353 (0)87 6554339

Email [email protected]