Your Market is Waiting - Are You Ready?
It may sound harsh, but it"s true: Businesses that fail to advertise - very often fail completely.
Advertising is a necessary investment for any business - new or seasoned. Unfortunately, many business owners neglect advertising for a variety of reasons, including cost and lack of advertising savvy. This is something that just shouldn't happen.
If any business is to do well, people absolutely have to know that it exists. That means getting your name out and planting it in the mind of the consumer. You"ll need to explore lots of avenues to increase your exposure, including:
word-of-mouth,
radio,
television,
business publications,
bulletin boards,
classified ads,
billboards,
press releases,
articles,
newspapers,
magazines,
direct mail,
seminars and
advertising specialties.
And don"t forget the Internet.
If your business caters to a high-end market, you"ll have to pay close attention to the company image you project. The people you want to reach are used to buying products and services that meet certain standards. Your advertising will have to indicate that your business meets or exceeds those standards, or consumers won"t consider using you.
A recent UCLA study showed that 85% of decisions are made with the eyes. Because a large part of your advertising will appear in print, you can"t cut corners when you create your advertising campaign. A poorly designed ad shouts, "We"re amateurs. Feel free to take a chance with us, but don"t expect much." Potential customers will see a shoddy ad as a red flag indicating a substandard business, even if that"s not the case. You need professional ads with top-notch photography to compete in today"s global marketplace. If your budget is small, start small and build up over time. But always, always create professional-looking advertising.
And don"t expect instant results. Like farmers who plant and willingly wait for their crops to grow, you must be patient. An attorney client, who advertised for a couple of years without results, revamped his current ad and reported recently that he"s already earned his money back. He says he"s overwhelmed with phone calls that are turning into business for his law firm. Patience.
So... consider exactly what services you will perform, how you want to be perceived, and then create advertising that tells your story convincingly and professionally.
In order to reach the people you need to know, take charge of your image today and you"re likely to see a better bottom line tomorrow.
Jacqueline Benjamin-Thomas is the co-publisher of People You Need to Know, a premiere business spotlight publication. She is also the co-author of Grow Through It & Lead, an inspirational book on getting through tough times. Jacqueline invites you to visit her business website at http://www.sparkplugpeople.com and discover some of the top professionals you need to know in metro
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
UK Internet ad spend up 21 percent, overall market down - Reuters
Reuters UK Internet ad spend up 21 percent, overall market down Reuters - By Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - Spending on Internet advertising in Britain grew 21 percent in the first half of 2008, propping up the total ad market ...Inwindow Outdoor Vaults into Shopping Malls, Will Transform Space ... - Earthtimes (press release)
Daily Beast Don't Need No Stinking Advertising For Now - Wired News
Wired News Daily Beast Don't Need No Stinking Advertising For Now Wired News - By Meghan Keane October 06, 2008 10:41:08 AMCategories: Advertising Tina Brown has found one way around the struggle for winning ad dollars in the middle ... paidContent.org - Tina Brown's Daily Beast Starts With A Growl ... Another scoop for Tina Brown as she swaps print for the web Tina Brown and The Beast