Touch Points

New Business Advertising Mistakes Part 5

5. Not having a strategy for advertising.

You should know exactly why you are advertising, what the core value of your business is and how to communicate it. If you allow an advertising rep to convince you that some goofy, wacky, far-out ad is the way to attract the attention of the consumer, then your ad campaign will never truly reflect your business unless you truly are goofy, wacky and far-out. Plan your ad strategy with the attention to detail that you used when you planned your business.

Hi, It's been a while

I've been posting for a while on Canadian Small Business. I invite you to check it out. It's written by the Wizard of Ads partners from all over the world and shares some fascinating information that may make an impact on you and possibly your business.

Cheers

Steve

More New business Advertising mistakes

Congratulations! You’ve just opened your new business. Now, get ready to make a blunder of some sort. Believe me, you are going to make some bone-headed decisions in the next little while that you will look back on in the years to come and say, "What was I thinking?" We all do it. It’s inevitable. Get over it.

One way to navigate through this numbskull period is to find a wise person who has made those mistakes. A business mentor. With their help you may lessen the chances of major miscues and hopefully avoid those career ending blunders.

Here is number 4 in the series of the Twelve Most Common Advertising Mistakes Made by New Businesses Everywhere. Use these thought-starters to hold a mirror to your decisions and be smarter about your business.

4. Expecting instant results.

Think of your company’s advertising as a farmer thinks of a seed. You plant it in the minds of your potential customers and like a farmer, nurture it and allow it to grow. Farmers do not expect seeds to germinate and grow to a mature crop instantly, why would you with your advertising? The deeper the commitment to allow the advertising seed to grow, the better you will fare in the long run. Advertising takes a long time to grow, give yourself time to reap the harvest.

CAN YOU FOG A MIRROR OR ARE YOU JUST DEAD WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTISING? Part 3

3. Not fully utilizing your available signage.

Your easiest and cheapest form of advertising will almost always be your signage. Nothing stimulates the purchasing power of the shopping public more than windows covered with a big sign saying “Opening Soon.” Capitalize on your location and the traffic (pedestrian and vehicular) with a sign or signs that stand out from the rest of the business signs around you. Don’t allow a graphic designer to create just another sign that fits in with all the rest; be bold, creative, different - but above all, make sure you do it right. The number of new businesses that skimp on signage is legend. A cheap, ill-conceived sign tells the world you really aren’t ready to play on the same turf as your competitors. Who intuitively knows that? Your potential customers. And guess who won’t shop your store because of it? Those same potential customers. They write you off without even giving you a chance.

Waiting For Your Cat To Bark

  Bryan and Jeff Eisenberg’s "Waiting For Your Cat To Bark" has just topped the Wall Street Journal’s Business Book section and is #3 in their non-fiction category. These are some pretty impressive achievements, but the really fantastic part is not the achievements of these two. It’s the information in this book.

The educated consumer today has far more control today over what they respond to when we’re talking marketing. If you think your customers are ignoring your marketing, then get this book.

Here’s a link to an article from this week’s WSJ: Article Buying and Selling in a Finicky World by Brian Steinberg. The text of the article follows...

CAN YOU FOG A MIRROR OR ARE YOU JUST DEAD WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTISING? Part 2

2. Not making any room in your budget for advertising.

“I’ll advertise when I get more established and get some money coming in.” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that. What usually happens is the money NEVER comes in and the business is always behind, so they never get to any promotion until they advertise their closing-out sale. One prime form of advertising is your location. Sometimes, an outstanding geographic location of your shop doesn’t even need much more advertising than eye-popping signage. However the less appealing your business’s location, the more you need to spend on alternate forms of advertising. Budget for it.

CAN YOU FOG A MIRROR OR ARE YOU JUST DEAD WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTISING?

When you came in to work today, did you die when you had to make a decision on your advertising? If you didn’t recoil into a fetal position and your brain’s neurons actually fired up, on what did you base your decision? Gut feel?

Here is the first of the twelve most common advertising mistakes made by new businesses everywhere. I hope you don’t find yourself making these when you are launching your business and I especially hope you’re not making them if you’re one of the old dogs. I don’t meant to belittle your decision-making, but I see it every day and it causes me to wither away a little bit every time.

1. Expecting to open the...

A Break From Winter Blues

In many parts of the country, the long cold stretch between the winter holidays and spring can really get people down. That's when it's time for a quick, fun morale booster. But what to do?

Service Starter #1 - Motivation is Going to the Dogs

Our editors suggest that you look to reps' daily activities and interests for timely and fun activities.

For example, many of us already participate in Super Bowl Pools, March Madness Basketball Pools, and World Series Pools, but there's more. Douglas Publications recently had a pool for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Because the names of the contestants in this event aren't well known, all the staff did was pick the winning breed in each category and a Best in Show winner. Correct category picks were worth 10 points apiece and the Best in Show winner was worth 25 points.

Opportunities abound for pools, from sporting events, to reality TV shows, to when the roadway construction project in front of your office will finally be finished, to how many inches of snow you'll get this winter. The key is to keep the pool relevant and have fun no matter what you choose.

Service Starter #2 - More Motivation Ideas...

Leave No Stone Unturned

• Michele Miller's Bio

Column by my Wizard of Ads partner Michele Miller from Inc.com

“I’ve done everything possible to create good relationships with my clients,” a physician announced with just a hint of smugness during one of my recent seminars. “I’ve decorated my office with marble pillars and resort-style furniture. I’ve painted the rooms soothing colors and have a Japanese fountain in the waiting room to calm the nerves. There is a variety of magazines on the coffee table that appeal to different personalities. I even have a cappuccino corner where patients can make themselves a beverage. I’ve covered all the bases. You can’t possibly add anything -- there’s nothing left.”

I let his statement hang like Air Jordan for a few ticks of the clock, then arched an eyebrow and asked, “How long do your patients have to sit in the waiting room before they’re escorted in to see you?”

It was like hitting him with a two-by-four....

It's Christmas!

It's Christmas in Canada and we've had a wonderful time with friends and family. Have a wonderful holiday wherever you are.

See you in the New Year!!!

Steve