Navigating Advertising Avenues

By Ryan M. Hoback, Motivated Entrepreneur Incubation & Consulting

So we are sitting at a large round table with a mess of scribbled notes, thoughts, ideas,
and we are not sure where to go next. We are ready to develop a plan or at least a rough
scheme and move forward. So what is the message we are trying to get across to our
target customer base? What is our advertising attraction?

We need to first sit down and discuss what our budget for this particular project or
department will be. Once we develop a budget for the plan, we can start to develop a
message around the mediums that will be using to deliver it through. There are numerous
forms of advertising media we can use, such as;

(Direct Mail, Public Relations Promotions, Display Advertising, Directories,
Brochures/Flyers, Door to Door Leaflets, Transit Ads, Internet, T.V. Radio, Cinema,
Exhibitions, Trade Shows)

Once we have decided the types of advertising we will use, we need to look at what type
of customer would we like our ad to solicit. There are two modes that our customers
shopping habits can be classified as, transactional and relational. Transactional customers
focus on today’s transaction and they fear paying more than they should have. They are
very research oriented and they enjoy comparing and negotiating. At the same time these
costumers are great for word-of-mouth advertising. Relational customers think of today
as a beginning to all the transactions to follow. Their fears are of not of making the right
choice; they do not enjoy negotiation and competition. These customers consider their
time to be crucial and they become great return customers when they are satisfied with
something.

Remember it is all about getting noticed, we need to create ads that resonate on the minds
and hearts of our viewing audience. We need to focus on where people are going to first
see our product/service to make an immediate lasting impact. To help promote impact in
our ads we concentrate on methods create memorable responses. Our ads need to contain
a benefit to the viewer, and a strong visual vocal point. Good usage of colors and contrast
can enhance their memory of the ad.

Developing a repetitive campaign with a high-frequency of viewings is also beneficial to
the customer creating a mental relationship with our product/service. The law of “3” has
long applied to visual and audio advertising. That is, if a target customer can read your
message 3 times in a short period of time, or hear your ad 3 times, it will increase the
chances of them remembering the product. When developing slogans, phrases, or any
words that we will use in ads we need to use evocative words. Words that evoke a
reaction from the viewer, remove them from their current thoughts, and place them on
your message. This type of product association can be long lasting, and can create word
of mouth advertising such as, “Hey, did you see that ad?”

The most important part of developing an advertising campaign is to be consistent. If the
product/service can be recognized in numerous areas of placement through a consistent
message delivery, it will become a part of the consumers buying habits. Advertising can be very trial and error area, however crucial to any business. If we research, plan, and
implement all the fundamentals mentioned, then our advertising mix will turn out just
right.

Ryan Hoback is Founder and President of Motivated Entrepreneur. They help
entrepreneurs achieve success by helping them start and grow their businesses.