Should You Advertise?

Many people ask us, “Should I advertise?” and our unequivocal answer is, “Yes.”

Before people undertake the action of purchasing they must have intent to buy and before that they must comprehend and desire what’s being offered and before that they must be aware of the option you offer. But for awareness to be achieved customers must first be exposed, which is where advertising comes in.

All businesses, though, are faced with limitations, primarily of budget and time. So, rather than throw money at the wind, be smart about your advertising activities. Here are a handful of thoughts on how to achieve that:

1 - Before launching into any campaign, clarify what you want to accomplish. Are you looking to increase your brand awareness, maintain your current market share or just simply sell more? Understanding and defining the goal will help you identify the correct message and channel to reach out to customers. It will also serve as the basis for determining how to measure the success of your campaign.

2 - The best campaigns are based on a thorough understanding of the customer and their purchasing behaviors. Know them and then speak to them on their terms about their needs.

3 - The lion’s share of your campaign planning should be focused on your message. Advertising icon David Oglivy said, “What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it.” If your message is too confusing, too complicated, too boring or flat out just doesn’t say anything relevant to your brand, even the most eye-catching creative or best ad placement in the world won’t achieve the results you're looking for.

4 - Since you can’t realistically advertise everywhere, advertise where it counts most. Sure high readership, listenership, viewership, clicks and whatnot matter, but don’t just look at the total counts. Figure out how many of that total count are likely to be your customers and then compare cost based on those figures.

5 - Be consistent with your image. It will help your brand gain momentum and recognition, saving you time and money over the long haul.

~Sarah, Emogen marketer