Effective advertising not only yields positive returns, but the longer you do it, the better it works.
I’ve seen it happen again and again in my nearly four decades of working with local advertisers on local radio, in newspapers, online, and on TV.
And do you know what - it's something so simple that you might already be doing it.. the ONE simple principle you need to succeed in business is the very same one that will make your advertising successful: just keep showing up!
After working with hundreds of businesses over the last four decades - there is one thing that I have noticed - that always made the world difference - those that stayed open, they kept on advertising.
Sure they may have slowed down their intensity at times, and increased it at others, going from branding style ads to call to action ads when needed - but they always kept their message out there.
BUT - when they stopped marketing themselves - they stopped getting business in the door - all because they (or their accountant) saw that advertising was a cost, not an investment in getting people in their doors and buying their products or services...
So let's look at things that 'good advertising' can accomplish for you:
1. Advertising Allows You to Control Your Message.
Many businesses have found out the hard way that the world of social media can be very fickle, people can be petty and they can be down right venomous when they hide behind their keyboards and throw stones like trolls.
You have little to no control over what is said about you in online reviews and social media posts, or even in coffee-shop conversations for that matter. Responding to them might make you feel better, but online it makes you look even worse.
But you do have complete control over your advertising. And unlike in print media where your ad may compete with others on the same page for a reader’s attention, radio advertising provides an exclusive showcase for your message.
2. Mass Media = Mass Reach.
Everyone knows that word-of-mouth is powerful, but it’s also can be slow to provide any momentum.
Radio advertising multiplies your word-of-mouth messaging exponentially and instantaneously when done right.
Micro Media (such as social and other online forums) equals minor reach, because only a small percentage of the audience who are in that niche who access it and see it.
3. Radio + Your Website is a VERY powerful combination.
Use radio advertising to drive traffic to your website, where you can further engage customers at their convenience and on their schedule with a longer message, video content, photos and more. All of this will help to extend your message and hook people into the action that you want them to take.
4. Your Share of Voice = Trust When The Need Arises
Because advertising increases your familiarity with consumers and customers prefer to buy from people they know and like. Then what you want is to be the brand that people think about first and feel the best about when the need arises? How? Advertise!
5. Advertising = Staff Attraction
As a side benefit of advertising... it has been said that businesses that advertise regularly also tend to attract the best employees.
Job applicants prefer to apply for jobs at companies they know and like. (On a related note, radio advertising can also help fill job openings faster, with better-qualified applicants.)
These are just a few of the many things that good advertising can do for your business, if you keep on doing it.
What do you think? Let us know below.
