Many small businesses don’t get the success they want from advertising due to a lack of resources. The results are often insignificant and lackluster because of unclear planning regarding the advertisement and where it will be placed. Whether the ads are put in a local newspaper or are printed in a famous periodical or posted on a website, the money invested should gain the desired outcome. There are some common mistakes small businesses and professional service providers make when designing and posting the advertisement, which lead to the failure of the advertisement.
The idea that “bigger is better” is believed by many. That’s exactly what some of the small firms think when they want to advertise their product. They think bigger and select a medium where they need to invest a lot of money, but do not reach the targeted market. For example, let’s consider a company that specializes in designing diet plans with the goal of helping out people who had disappointing results from their individual diet plans. If the company chooses to advertise a full page in the local paper instead of running an advertisement in a health magazine, then not many of the dieters will notice the advertisement. Since the diet plans were not advertised where the dieters were already looking, the advertisement doesn’t get the desired attention.
It is essential to come up with the best campaign that will increase the probability of the ad getting viewed and the right customers trying to buy the product or sign up for the service. Studies and research can be carried out on the market and the targeted audience can be narrowed down. It is often helpful to compile a list of newspapers, magazines and magazines that would appeal to the customers in mind; find out how many readers those newspapers and magazines have have and inquire how much it would cost to post an ad. Special deals are offered newspaper and magazine companies from time to time and can only be found by having a watchful eye.
It is estimated that everyday people are subjected to around three thousand commercials. That is a huge number and if someone desires to be noticed, he should certainly be different. Not only the services and product sold should be unique in the market, so should be the advertisement. For example, if a business selling mattresses says, “We sell mattresses”, it will not be a compelling or significant statement and will be passed off as any other mattress advertisement. But if they say, “Our mattresses are of the finest quality”, it will make the advertisement stand out in the crowd. Other catch lines are “Are you suffering from back pain? Then, you must try our mattresses! “, are more specific and will catch the attention of the people who are suffering from back pains since for a long time. The advertisement should also focus on the uniqueness of the product and how it is better compared to the competitors’ product.
Focusing on the problems of the customers and giving a solution for them is what a customer demands. A customer does not buy a product; he buys benefits in the form of a product. The real value of the product should be conveyed. A clear picture of benefits should be presented to the customer so he will be able to relate to the product. If the advertisement doesn’t specify the solution it can provide, the customers will never know of the solution available through purchasing the product. Many ads neglect to focus on the customers’ problem.
The last thing missing in most of the advertisement is motivation for the customers. If the advertiser has designed the advertisement and the customer has read the advertisement, all efforts and money invested will be wasted if he doesn’t get up and do something about it. It shouldn’t be assumed that the customer knows what to do; instead the advertisement should influence the mind of the customer and should tell him what to do. Presenting a call-to-action is the final job of the advertisement. It should direct the customer to call for information, or to visit the store or even to visit the online store. The message be confident and clear. An effective advertisement should not leave the customer wondering what to do next.