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For Advertisers: 21 Ways to Fail in Advertising
Are you thinking about starting an advertising campaign? Our expert account representatives have years of experience helping businesses to be as successful as possible with their advertising. To help you in your planning stages, we compiled a list of the major advertising offenses we’ve seen over the years that can throw your campaign off track:
#1 – Don’t write a marketing or business advertising plan
Please think about this. Marketing is probably your company’s only source of income. In turn, your marketing plan is probably the most important document you have.
#2 – Make the wrong offer of advertise the wrong merchandise
Your customer’s opinion is the only that one that ultimately counts. Your offer should match their needs and wants. Ask for their opinion, and tailor your offer to their desires. Feature well-known, branded products in your business advertising that are in high demand. This will bring in the customers.
#3 – Don’t advertise with correct frequency
You will waste more money in business advertising by running ads too infrequently than by funning them too often. Don’t try to save money by reducing advertising frequency. You must stay in contact with your customers.
#4 – Don’t advertise the benefits your customers want
Everything must be relevant to your customers. Always talk customer benefits, not product features. For example: “Saves three hours” is a feature. “Three hours to spend with your kids” is a benefit. “Three hours to pay your bills” is not exactly the benefit your customers want. Ask them what they want. Talk to them about the benefits they want with your business advertising, not about the features that you have.
#5 – Set unrealistic expectations for your ads
Consistent, long-term advertising builds a clientele. Running a few ads will not bury you in new customers. You need patience and determination. As a general rule, look for your advertising to impact your business after six months. This is reality. Business advertising is an investment, not a miracle.
#6 – Advertise to a non-existent market
A little research can go a long way in determining the actual demand for your products or services. If there is no demand, advertising cannot create it. Business advertising can make people aware of solutions to their problems, but people will not buy solutions for problems they don’t have, no matter how much you advertise.
#7 – Think of advertising and selling as unimportant or undignified
You probably wouldn’t be reading this if you thought selling was unimportant, but let’s say it anyway: all of the business advertising in the world won’t help you if you don’t close the sale. You must sell, you must be good at it, and you must respect it.
#8 – Miss your target audience
This is targeting and media selection and planning. A vital question is where do your clients get their information? What do they read? What do they find believable and influential? It could be the newspaper, or the mail, or their friends. Match what your customers tell you with the demographic information your media company provides.
#9 – Design bad advertisements
Your ad represents your company to the customer. It is all they have to judge you by. Your ad is the first, and maybe the las impression you make. It’s simple: poorly designed ads make you look bad. Professionally designed ads make you look…professional.
#10 – Advertise merchandise that you don’t have enough of
Your advertising expenditure will be wasted if you don’t have the products people came in for. And, you get unhappy customers.
#11 – Write bad copy
Avoid copy that is too obscure, witty, technical, or fully of jargon. Don’t hide your benefits in your copy. Write copy that sells, and ask for the sale. Remember that professional copy writers get paid for a reason.
#12 – Select the wrong media
It is true that the media IS the message. In addition to your ad, the form of media you choose also represents your company. It should be a good fit. your choice of media should make you look professional. [This does not mean to go and buy television time.] You want to match your advertising to your clients. Where do your customers go to get information? Don’t guess — ask them.
#13 – Don’t copy your competitors’ business advertising
As a general rule, you need to match your competitors’ level of business advertising as a percentage of gross sales in order to maintain your current level of business. If you want your business to grow, you need to advertise more than, or more effectively than, your competitors. If you are up against much larger competitors, you will need to spend proportionately more than they do to grow your sales.
#14 – Feature yourself in your ads
In general, this is a bad idea. Seldom is the owner of a company the most effective advertising spokesperson for that company. Advertising is about getting the best results possible. This is also a consideration when you choose the name of your company. Your name should reflect the business you are in. Saying “Johnson & Sons” says nothing about what it is you do. Stick to “Johnson’s Construction Company,” or better, “Dream Home Construction.”
#15 – Fail to close the sale after your business advertisement brings in prospects
The job of an advertisement is to get a potential customer to call you or to walk in the door. It is the job of your staff and customer service representatives, and you, to close the deal.
#16 – Advertise to new prospects and not to your existing customers
Marketing experts claim that is costs five to eight times the amount of money to get a new customer than it does to keep an existing customer. And, it takes at least three exposures to your business advertising just to get a new customer to notice you. Your existing customers already know and trust you. They are your best, first prospects. Direct your business advertising to them first.
#17 – Don’t do any advertising or promotions at all
Business advertising is expensive, and it can be scary. The truth is that some advertising doesn’t work. However, if you’re careful, and you advertise in the most professional way you can, the odds are with you. If you don’t advertise at all, the odds of financial success are a million to one. You could give away your services, and your reputation will grow like wildfire. But if you want to earn a profit in a competitive marketplace, you need to advertise.
#18 – Look for a business advertising miracle with a one-shot advertising program
Business advertising is a long-term process of building recognition and trust with the public. Miracles rarely happen, and one-shot ads are just a waste of money. Expect to stick with an advertising program for at least six months just to measure the initial impact.
#19 – Change your business advertising too frequently
You and everyone around you and close to the business will get tired of your ads. But only the customer counts. It takes a long, long time for your customers to get tired of your ads. Many companies never change their business advertising. Create professional advertisements that really work, and then stick to them until they no longer generate the sales response you want. Don’t change the ads that are working.
#20 – Slow down or stop your business advertising when the economy slows down
The Golden Rule of business advertising, if there is such a thing: Stay in touch with your customers. If you are inconsistent, they won’t trust you. If they can’t find you, they will go to your competitor. And, if they forget who you are, you have to start all over again.
#21 – Don’t tell the truth
The Federal Trade Commission monitors business advertising in the United States. If ads are misleading or untruthful, penalties can be very severe. Please read this: http://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus35-advertising-faqs-guide-small-business for more information.
