Advertising: Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket Seldom Works

Today, it takes 13+ touch points to generate solid leads compared to years prior to social media where 5-7 would have worked. Be where your customers are. 

Everywhere one looks today they are being bombarded with advertising. Some good. Some bad. We once counted the signs on one street between our home and our the grocery store. It was astronomical in numbers. Then, there are the newspaper ads, the radio ads, the social media ads and posts, not to mention the flyers in the mail, in the stores we visit, on the vehicles we pass on the road. 

Your message needs to be seen where your customers are and touch them in various locations. 

• How does one consume all this information? 
• Do people even see the advertising with all of this coming at them? 
• How do you stand out in the overwhelming mass of information available to consumers today?

All great advertising questions. Consider

Need or Want

We firmly believe advertisements and information will be subconsciously absorbed by consumers when they relate to products, services or information that is of interest to them now. 

Take Anita for example. She is looking to renovate her kitchen in the spring. Ads that pertain to kitchen cabinets, appliances, flooring, countertops, colours, paint and ideas will make their way through the clutter. When it comes time to start the purchase process, those ads and businesses she saw in the previous months will make their way to the forefront for further investigation.  

And if we look at Joe - he is looking for a unique dining experience to take his wife out for Valentine's Day. Suddenly he is paying attention to restaurant billboards, ads in the paper, radio and on social media, listening to comments and reading reviews.  In this case, the need or want is more imminent so Joe is actively seeking information and will make a decision much sooner than Anita. 

In both cases, because there is a need and/or a want your ads will make it through the clutter. If there is no need or want all you can hope for is that you are planting a seed for future considerations - and that is if your advertisement is seen. 

Interest to the consumer

As in the question above, people will see the ads if it is of interest to them now. Think of it this way: Think back to the last vehicle you purchased for example. The day you actually make the purchase, suddenly you notice every other vehicle on the road that is the same as the one you just purchased. Prior to buying that vehicle - cars on the road were cars on the road... 

The same idea applies with advertising when consumers are looking to buy. They see what they want to see. 

Have a conversation

To stand out in the masses, your advertising must answer the questions and concerns of your potential buyers. While price is important, other factors play into a decision such as

• your reputation
• the reputation of the product or service 
• does the product or service solve a specific problem
• does your product or service solve a specific problem better than your competitors'
• guarantee / warranty
• is your product or service immediately available

The above factors play an important role in the buyer's decision making. Address these in your ads. Stop interrupting and start having a conversation. Speak to your buyer in a manner to compel a conversation with you. 

Repetition and Touch Points

So now, we go back to where we started -- touch points! 

If you think one ad in the local paper is going to make your phones ring or make people run through the door. You're wrong. 

REPETITION! REPETITION! REPETITION! 

Know your customers. Be where they are: Social Media, Print (newspaper, magazines, flyers), Online news and information sites, Radio even local TV.

Consider your audience. Is it specific or should you consider reaching the masses. And how do you do this cost-effectively while reaching the various channels your customers use. 

Be consistent. Use different channels to offer the same message. 

When it comes to advertising, putting all your eggs in one basket seldom works.

Be strategic in where and when you place your ads.  Advertising for St. Patrick's day in October isn't going to work.... 

Yes, we know it is unlikely someone would advertise in October for St. Patrick's Day - it makes the point!

What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form ~David Ogilvy

Give us a call to discuss your current advertising. We have solutions for online, radio and print. 

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