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If you are new to advertising, or if you're using
media or publications you haven't tried before, it's
important to assign your ads to outside specialists
rather than try to create them yourself. These
specialists may be the creative group at an
advertising agency, a freelance writer and designer,
or the ad department of the newspaper, magazine, TV
channel or radio station where you plan to
advertise. Such people are experienced in
translating information about a product or service,
target market, U.S.P. and advertising goals into
advertising that suits each medium and conveys an
effective image and sales message. Moreover, it's
extremely helpful to work with and learn from
specialists for several years before you consider
doing advertising in-house. Whether you work with
specialists or create advertising on your own, here
are six guidelines to follow in developing an ad
program:
1. Do your homework. Start compiling your own ad
file. Collect ads you like, to give you ideas, as
well as ads run by your competitors, so you can
monitor what they're doing. Read books on
advertising, including anthologies of the best ads
of the year, how-to's by advertising greats.
2. "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." The old rule
about selling products based on the benefits and
excitement they provide has proved true time and
time again. So focus on your U.S.P. -- and on those
intangibles that motivate human behavior and
generate sale s. This rule does not apply to Yellow
Pages ads, which do sell steak, but it remains the
essence of all other advertising you do.
3. Stick to your own image and personality. Stay
with the basics of who you are. Make sure that the
personality and image projected in all your
advertising ring true.
4. Work as a team with your ad rep or ad agency. The
best advertising results from a synergy of your
expertise in your business and your ad specialists'
expertise in advertising. Carefully explain your
product, market and goals, and let the ad people go
from there to develop their ideas. Advertising is a
give-and-take process, and both sides need to
communicate and work together, without dictating,
until the outcome feels right.
5. Give each advertising medium you choose a fair
test. Advertising rarely brings sales overnight. Run
your ad at least five times -- or at least two
months in weekly publications -- to test out the
market properly. Often, consumers need to get used
to seeing your ad before they'll act on it. Results
take time.
6. Don't overlook current customers. Nobody sells
you better than a satisfied customer. So in your
efforts to gain sales from new prospects, remember
that you can build sales equally well through the
customer referrals and repeat purchases of existing
clientele. Maintain a mailing list and, at your
earliest opportunity, start producing sale notices,
newsletters, catalogues, or other goodwill and
sales-generating materials for the customers you
already have. Some of these items lend themselves to
a direct mail campaign targeted at new prospects as
well.
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