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Advertising is in many instances expensive,
time consuming and baffling. What begins as being a good idea and
something that "everyone does" ends in tears as the
invoice arrives but the added custom doesn’t. But there are some
simple guidelines that will help make your advertising work, with
minimum time and effort.
Why advertise?
Because everyone else does? Not a good enough
reason. Arm yourself with a reason to advertise and you are on the
right road to effective advertising. For example:
·
Make a special offer in a period when custom is
slack
·
Tell people about your refurbishment, your new
extension, or your new menu
·
Target a certain market that you know your product
or service will appeal to, for example older people or singles
·
Simply tell people where you are and what you are
selling.
Where should you advertise?
Once you have decided why you are advertising
it becomes much easier to focus on where you should be spending
your money.
There are some key guidelines:
·
Match your advertising medium to your desired market
·
Price-led advertising featuring a special rate or
offer should have an advertising medium that is only in
circulation for a suitable period
·
General awareness advertising may cost more; be sure
it in a publication that will stay around for a sustained period
to justify the higher cost.
Special offers:
These run for set periods, which means that
you should choose an advertising medium that will deliver your
message at the right time to the people you want to appeal to. The
local press is a good place to start, or perhaps posters in
transport centers such as a railway station, or in a shopping center.
The classified sections of the national press at the weekend may
offer a good opportunity to offer deals for early bookings over
traditional trough periods.
Where you are and what you are selling:
You’ll be able to invest your money in a
more long-term advertising medium with this message. Look at local
tourist board publications, or some of the national publications
produced in association with the your States Tourism Dept.. You
could link up with other tourism-related businesses in your area
and piggy-back on their publications. And don’t forget that
where there is a written word these days, there is also a Web
site.
Attracting specific markets:
Do your homework. Time spent finding the
right publication will mean you spend far less money and get
better results. Senior citizens travel on buses, use local shops
and read the local press. You may be able to find a council
publication that is sent to the area’s senior citizens. Or try
the local library. Do a little detective work and reap the
rewards.
Getting started on a decent advert:
Keep it:
- Simple. Remember, you should be putting out a single
message.
- Standard. Don’t reinvent the wheel every time you
place an advert. Have a set format and use it each time, with
simple variations.
- Sales-led. Remember that you are selling on every
spare millimeter of space.
What should a good ad include?
·
A headline that attracts the reader. Keep it short,
sharp and simple.
·
A line or two of text, which explains the offer or
your message. Don’t go over the top. Keep it straightforward.
·
Bullet points that set out the main benefits of your
product or service, the reasons that people should use you.
·
Your location – the address and any landmarks that
may help someone to find your business.
·
Your telephone number.
·
A call to action. This is your sign-off, which makes
the reader want to call or visit you.
·
An advertising reference. This is essential, as it
will help you track the business your advert has generated.
·
It’s not always necessary to feature prices, but
you may find it suits the market you are aiming at.
What should I do once the ad has been placed?
You need to make your team aware that the
advert is in place, what it is offering and what reference to ask
people for should they ring or visit you. By doing this you will
be able to track your ad's impact. Asking your customers how they
heard of you or how they found out about a special offer may seem
a little awkward but it will save you time and money. You’ll
soon know if the ad has worked. If you don’t ask, you’ll never
know. Keep a record of the ad’s impact in a diary with the date
you placed the ad, the business generated and how much it cost. If
it worked, call up and ask about a discount for a repeat advert.
Being ahead of the game:
Advertising opportunities often present
themselves with a very short lead time, which means you have to
rush to get a suitable ad together, or you end up having to leave
it to the publication to put your advert together for you. You can
get ahead of the game by preparing an ad template with the help of
a local high-street printer. This advert can be held on computer
disk for you as "artwork" (see below) so that you can
add a specific price, reference or make other changes quickly with
a call to the printers. They can then send the artwork to the
publication for you.
Getting the template ready:
- Contact three local printers. Ask them to quote for
preparing "digital artwork" for a standard size
advert. A6 is a size businesses often use.
- Provide your chosen printer with the information you
want to feature in the advert. You may also want to include
your logo and/or a photograph of your business. It would also
help to provide the printer with your thoughts on the style of
advert you are interested, for example "modern, clean and
contemporary" or "traditional and reassuring".
- Ask to see a "proof" (see below) of the
advert. Check it very carefully for correct spelling,
telephone numbers, prices, and make sure your photograph has
been used the right way round. Once you’ve checked it, ask a
colleague to check it again. Mistakes look unprofessional and
have a big negative impact on your advert.
- Check your changes to the advert. Once you are happy,
sign it off for the printer so he can either send it to the
publisher or keep it on disk for you to use at short notice.
Glossary:
Artwork: the term used to
describe the graphics used to make up your advert, usually
produced on a computer. This can also be termed "digital
artwork".
Proof: a draft copy of your advert before it is
completed. You should be able to make changes easily to this
draft.
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