Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

C.J. Hayden, MCC

You’ve heard it many times before: you need to sell benefits to your clients, not features. Whether you are writing copy, talking about what you do, or engaged in a sales presentation, it’s the benefits and results of the service you provide that you should emphasize, rather than its features or how it works. But it’s not always easy to get this right.

A feature is a fact, detail, or description about your services. A benefit is the positive result your client gets as a result of working with you. Read the rest of this entry »

By C.J. Hayden, MCC

All economic indicators say we are in a recession. Consumer and business spending is down; unemployment is up. It’s natural to wonder whether perhaps this is a bad time to be marketing your business.

Since I’ve been self-employed for almost two decades now, I’ve seen several economic cycles come and go. What I notice about these “down” periods is that people who frequently struggle to get clients typically think these are bad times to market. On the other hand, people who have been consistently successful at landing clients seem to believe that there is never a bad time to market. Personally, I’d vote to follow the lead of those who are succeeding. Read the rest of this entry »

by Vicki Lenz

Tracking Results – Ask or Don’t Ask?

Ask? This used to be my response, until I did further research on real-world results – as illustrated by a case in Corbett’s book. He cites the example of a new super lumber-type store. Customers were polled as they entered the store on grand opening weekend and asked, “What brought you in?” Roughly 50% said radio, 30% said TV, and 20% said newspaper. Guess what? The grand opening was advertised only on radio and in the newspaper. Yet 30% were very sure that they saw the ad on TV! “People don’t like not knowing what brought them in and they want to be helpful, so they’ll make things up,” says Corbett. Read the rest of this entry »

by Vicki Lenz

How do I know if my ad is working?

This is a loaded question! What do you want from your advertising? Advertising can produce different benefits, from direct response to awareness to education.

Be forewarned: there is no one right answer or formula, as advertising is not an exact science. However, I can at least share with you a brief synopsis of what the experts say, based on countless studies both scientific and otherwise. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever had the same reaction to an ad, whether in print, radio or television, that Dagwood had? If you watched television during the Super Bowl in recent years, I’ll bet you have. One of my favorites of all time were the series of ads for an Internet company called Outpost.com. Remember them? Probably not. Ever been to their Web site? Nah. But what great commercials!

You remember…the well-dressed older gentleman speaking to the camera in a soft voice while seated in a large chair next to a cozy fireplace. He was talking to us about a new kind of company Read the rest of this entry »

By STEVE MCKEE, BUSINESSWEEK.COM
Posted: 2009-05-18 08:44:29
Filed Under: Small Business, Marketing

Artville

Your ability to sustain a long-term advertising program shows customers that you’re a successful, reliable brand.

I recently purchased a new digital TV. Normally, Circuit City would have been on my list as one store in which to shop, but the struggles the company was facing (followed by its decision to declare bankruptcy) made me nervous. Read the rest of this entry »

by Diana Ratliff

So you’ve got a dynamic product. You’ve determined that there’s a definite need (or want) for it. And you know what you want to say in your advertising copy. Congratulations! (You’re way ahead of most of us!) But assuming you DO eventually get to that point … Read the rest of this entry »

by Susan Carter

Everyone is looking for the magic formula to improve the effectiveness of advertising. It’s tough out there. Competition is fierce. And, for the smaller company, a smaller budget can often be the demise of an effective campaign when Read the rest of this entry »

by Roy Williams
www.WizardOfAds.com

You’re a wounded soldier in unbearable pain during WWII, so the medics give you a shot of morphine. When your pain returns, they give you another shot. Morphine erases pain, so as long as the medics don’t run out of morphine, that’s the end of your problem, right? Read the rest of this entry »

by Ilise Benun

Advertising is an important part of any successful marketing campaign. However, it can be a daunting task. Here are three of the most frequently asked questions regarding advertising. The answers will help you create a better advertising strategy for your business. Read the rest of this entry »