| |
| |
|
Advertising Information |
|
|
|
Do Your Radio Ads Work?
Most small businesses don't have a high powered advertising agency to produce selling radio commercials for them and end up with something akin to a high school play, or with the business owner reading tired copy. The radio salesperson knows that by suggesting the owner be the star, visions of Dave from Wendys or that guy with the talking dog who says "roll that beautiful bean footage" come to mind. Worse, most businesses don't have a plan to coordinate all advertising to the same message. The newspaper ad says one thing, yellow pages another and the radio commercial is off in its own world. The radio ad person should know all about your campaign and image before leaving with the order. You should be promised a "proof" of your radio ad before it goes on the air. There should be at least two commercials, better four, selling the benefits. Remember Tom Bodett and Motel 6? A great campaign. It was just Tom delivering solid copy about the benefits of staying at the motel (and a little twinkle music in the background). It won awards, put them on the map and raised occupancy rates and profits. The company was gobbled up by the Accor chain (one of the biggest in the world) who have the smarts to continue the same campaign. What does he say at the end of every commercial? Radio done right works! Maybe you can't get the local station to come up with Tom Bodett quality but there is nothing wrong with solid copy pitching benefits, benefits benefits. Answer the question WIIFM (Whats In It For Me). You don't have to be cute, use lame humor, two voices or loud music to do that. BIG Mike's Tips for Better Radio Ads » Buy more than one station (ones that target your customers, not ones you like) » Buy 24 or more ads per week on one and 24 ads the following week on the other, alternate for four weeks, take four weeks off and do it again. » Rotate two to four commercials, all with the same overall theme and opening and closing lines and change the meat in the middle (they call 'em donuts) » Don't let the radio person talk you into being the star. Remember, its not about you. There is no need to spend a bundle to have 3 friends say "I heard you on the radio" or "I saw your mug on the billboard". That's not advertising. » Don't let some drama school dropout cook up a slice of life commercial by dragging the receptionist into the studio to play a part. They never sell. Pick a plan and stick with it. Tell 'em to trade the cutsey stuff for real substance. Coordinate your radio with your other advertising and you can benefit from the power of electronic word of mouth, radio. For more about advertising get my article "Cable Ads 5 Bucks" Send a blank eMail to the MailTo:CableAds@BigIdeasGroup.com ©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, http://BIGIdeasGroup.com Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" Newsletter MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Write More Powerful Brochures, Leaflets, And Catalogues Probably the most interesting thing about brochures and leaflets is that they're seldom read in what we've come to know as the right order - as you would read a book. Rather in the same way that many people read magazines in dentists' waiting rooms, they will flick through brochures and leaflets and stop to take a longer look at bits that grab their attention. Do You Really Need a Brochure? Traditional brochures typically tell the story of your company, i.e. How to Use the 3 Most Common Direct Marketing Measurements to Increase Your Profits! John Wanamaker, a 19th century entrepreneur, once famously made the statement, "I know that half of my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half."Fortunately for today's marketers, there are scientific ways to determine which half is wasted, and which half is not, through the use of common direct marketing measurements. Prove It! - Give Your Marketing and Advertising More Credibility Your marketing and advertising won't be effective if your potential customers don't believe the claims you make. So how can you prove your that you can do what you say you can?Tone it down. The Secrets of High Money Classified Ads When used effectively, classified ads can be one of the quickest and most inexpensive ways to increase your sales. A well written classified ad can generate thousands in sales, yet could cost you pennies to write and run. Advertising Copy: What's Really Important? You labor long and hard trying to create the perfect advertising piece but only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned. Take Advantage of Your Foes Let's take an example that is easy to check: I am French. Among the readers who reacted while reading that, an half felt their painful stomach ulcers starting up again while the others remembered their burning desire for visiting France. The Importance of Your Business Card What are you trying to say with you business card?We have talked about collecting other people's business cards and also about how they are often tough to differentiate from one another. These are things you should avoid for your own business card. How To Make A Fortune With FREE Advertising! How To Gain FREE Advertising That Will Make You Rich!Okay-Just What Exactly Is "Free Advertising"???Before I get into the specifics of actually HOW to get free advertising - it's important for you to completely understand exactly what free advertising is."Free Advertising" is any mention, listing or "blurb" about your product in a magazine, newsletter, book, manual, directory etc. Advertising Your Holistic Business The most basic answer is the same answer as to the question, how does advertising work? Advertising works through repetition, and Holistic Hometown offers you that repetition.What all successful companies know is that advertising it a process. Creating a Winning Logo Creating a logo to get you noticed.When you're branding a company with a name, a colour scheme and a logo the logo is often not given enough care and attention. Radio Advertising - Is it for Your Business? - More Small Business Power Tools If you're a typical small business, you've probably been approached by at least several different radio station sales representatives. In most cases, he or she comes armed with all the latest rating information demonstrating, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that his or her station is number one among just the kind of people who would buy your products or services. Which is Better Digital or Offset Printing? As technology continues to improve, the quality of digital prints also improves. Technology advancements have also made it easier for more and more businesses to enter the printing industry. Do Your Business Cards Say Who You REALLY Are? Here are a couple of tips for creating an eye catching card: Use some color - not too much - just enough to grab someone's attention and make them want to read the card.Use a font that's easy to readDon't fill the whole card with type - it looks crowded and people don't read it allConsider using a fold-over card - I have found these to be extremely effective for a number of reasons:a) If a handful of business cards are dropped on a desk only the fold over cards stand up above the restb) The fold over card is still unique - not many people use themc) I use mine as a mini brochure - inside it tells about my qualifications, services I offer and skills I have, the front has my name, phone #'s, email address, URL and postal addressAnother popular addition is your photo - this makes you seem more approachable and friendly (if your business is one where you deal directly with the public I suggest you consider adding a photo)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------How to make sure your cards are really working for you? Have a goal to give away AT LEAST 5 CARDS A DAY to build your network:Leave one with a tip for a waitressWhen you "check in" at the doctor or dentist reception desk don't spell your name - give your cardCarry them in your pocket when you walk the dog and hand one out to people you stop and chat withMake sure all your children's friends parents know what you do and have your cardAsk someone else for their card and give them yours (you can build your mailing list and get some exposure at the same time)Enclose your card with each bill you payEach time you buy something (even at the drugstore) leave your card and say something simple like "I design Internet websites if you have any questions about how you can make money on the Internet please call me"Put the cards on community bulletin boardsWhen you attend trade shows drop your card in EVERY box - yes you will get put on lots of mailing lists, but you'll also receive some business too - you'd be surprisedGive a card to the gas station attendant, grocery store clerk, video store worker, hostess at a restaurant when you give your name for a seat reservationIf you overhear a conversation about your industry say "I'm sorry but I couldn't help overhear part of your conversation if you ever need more information on the topic, here's my card"Offer to speak at your school's career day and give each student a card - they do have parents who may need what you have to offerLeave some cards with your stationery store manager - very often they get requests from small business people for different kinds of help - if you leave your cards you'll be first on the list to be calledIf you ever go anywhere there is entertainment leave your card with the entertainer - and tell them how much you've enjoyed their performanceWhile some of the ideas above may seem "silly" you won't know until you try if they'll work for you - and all of the people listed above may not want what you're offering BUT they all have family, friends and co-workers who just might. Crazy Ads? Maybe Youre Just Out of The Demo! My father called me to complain, again. He's 82 and he's angry. Classified Ads That Get Results Classified ads do not have the big market appeal that a full color display ad has, but they are still one of the most economical ways to get your business into the public eye. And, because classifieds do not demand expensive eye-catching designs or ingenious wording that you often see in direct-mail campaigns, they are a perfect marketing avenue for even new entrepreneurs. Electronic Reader Board Electronic reader boards are the most efficient way to convey the information. Therefore these nowadays are widely accepted all over the world. How To Write Ads That Get Response Your print ads should do more than just get noticed. Their job is to bring you business, and if all they do is lay around and attract attention, they're no different from the lazy employee who does nothing all day but look busy. Top 9 Reasons To Advertise Advertising is not for every company. But some require it because their market is big and constantly changing and evolving. 16 Ways to Make Your Business Cards Unforgettable Every time you hear someone say "May I have one of your business cards?" you should get excited. I know I do.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
