Advertising Campaigns That Get Results

"Advertising doesn't work." I hear it from my clients all the time. One client was about to file for bankruptcy because she wasn't getting a good response to her radio ads, and the cost was killing her. But she knew her target market was listening; she knew she needed to get her name out there to generate more business. What should she do?

Owners of small businesses and professionals like yourself realize that to take your business to the next level, you need to get your products and services in front of a larger audience. You want to generate more leads, get more prospects to contact you and buy from you. Advertising is essential but how do you get more out of your advertising dollars?

Have you been disappointed by your advertising campaigns?

I felt the same way about my family's VCR. I paid good money for it (though probably not nearly as much as most people pay for advertising) and as far as I was concerned I could never get it to work the way I wanted it to. I spent way too much time fiddling with it and I still couldn't get it to record a TV show or a movie reliably when I was away. After a while I stopped trying to use its record function.

Sound familiar?

Compared to programming a VCR, creating a successful advertising campaign is simple. Note the operative word here is "successful". It's easy to put together an advertising campaign, but creating one that helps you make more than you spend should be the objective. The following seven elements are what separate a successful advertising campaign from one that just costs you money.

Elements of A Successful Advertising Campaign

1. Choose the media that will reach your target market. It sounds obvious, but make sure your target audience will see and/or hear your ad. Select a publication or radio or cable station that your target audience reads or tunes to. If you're advertising on the web, your keyword selection is critical here.

2. Write ad copy that your prospects will want to read. Your prospects' primary interest is in what your product or service will do for them, not what it actually is. Which would you be more likely to read, a headline that reads, "Accounting Services" or one that reads, "How to Avoid Overpaying Your Taxes"?

3. Have others establish your credibility. If space allows, include testimonials in your ad verifying the outstanding results your products and services generate.

4. Motivate prospects to contact you Include a limited-time offer or something for free - a report, appraisal or bonus product - to prompt your prospects to take action.

5. Tell prospects what you want them to do and how to do it. This is your "call to action". Tell them to call you, visit your web site, send you an email, fill in the reply card, etc.

6. Follow up your offer with the information prospects need to make a purchase. Too many people make the mistake at this point in the sales process of launching into a s.ales pitch. Whether your prospect is on the phone with you or is visiting your web site, help them clarify the problem or concern they have and detail the solution you provide. Then remind them what action you want them to take.

7. Continue to educate your prospects and clients. Stay in touch with likely prospects by contacting them at least every month. Get the conversation going by discussing a common problem. Give your prospects a quick tip they can use and, of course, mention the solutions you provide.

A successful advertising campaign will include all seven of the above elements, not just one or two. When you put all these elements in place, your advertising will generate more leads and sales and you'll see a good return on your advertising dollars.

By the way, the client who came to me on the verge of bankruptcy is now back on solid financial ground. Once she understood how to write her advertising copy and manage her advertising campaigns, her radio advertising started to bring in a steady stream of new business.

2005 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals, small business owners and marketing professionals attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Strategy eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:08:09 GMT Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer - Yakima Herald-Republic Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer Yakima Herald-Republic - 1 hour ago by Ross Courtney PROSSER - Cody Jansen sloshes through a pasture, his rubber boots squishing in muddy puddles as he goes. He dips a ladle into a tiny pool and looks closely. Rockland resisted West Nile virus query Lower Hudson Journal news Aerial survey being conducted to find mosquito breeding grounds San Jose Mercury News San Francisco Chronicle - Shelbyville News - Atlanta Journal Constitution - dBTechno all 362 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:47:33 GMT Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report eFluxMedia Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News U.S. News & World Report - Sep 5, 2008 The Food and Drug Administration has asked the manufacturers of Humira, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Remicade—which belong to a class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor alpha blockers (TNF-alpha blockers)—to strengthen the warning for risk of fungal ... FDA urges more caution over TNF blocker infections Reuters Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection New York Times WebMD - eFluxMedia - Scientific American all 622 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:23:08 GMT Tim Tebow leads Florida past Miami - Los Angeles Times OnlineSportsHandicapping.com Tim Tebow leads Florida past Miami Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago * at No. 5 Florida 26, Miami 3: Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes for the Gators (2-0), who ended a six-game losing streak against the Hurricanes with their first win in the on-again, off-again series since 1985. Tebow's maturity key to Gators' win over Canes - College Football ESPN Marve's debut gives Miami (Fla.) reason for hope SportingNews.com Orlando Sentinel - Seattle Post Intelligencer - CNN International - Independent Florida Alligator all 590 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:58:47 GMT 'Wrestler' wins Golden Lion - Hollywood Reporter Hollywood Reporter 'Wrestler' wins Golden Lion Hollywood Reporter - 2 hours ago By Eric J. Lyman ROME - Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," which set the Venice Lido abuzz after its world premiere Friday, won the festival's top prize Saturday. Video: Mickey Rourke Pinned in 'The Wrestler' AssociatedPress Will victory at the Venice Film Festival help 'The Wrestler' in ... Los Angeles Times Variety - Reuters - Monsters and Critics.com - Washington Post all 445 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:36:04 GMT Sarah Palin may have women flocking - to Barack Obama - New York Daily News Times Online Sarah Palin may have women flocking - to Barack Obama New York Daily News - 13 hours ago BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and MICHAEL McAULIFF WASHINGTON - If John McCain wanted to poach the women's vote from Barack Obama, he shouldn't have tapped a running mate who dubbed herself a "pit bull with lipstick. Sarah Palin's appeal to working-class women may be limited Los Angeles Times A feminist's argument for McCain's VP San Francisco Chronicle Boston Globe - Newsweek - The Associated Press - Richmond Times Dispatch all 1,109 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:10:33 GMT Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future - CNET News Seattle Times Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future CNET News - 8 hours ago Which is why Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency responsible for the otherworldly new Microsoft TV spot featuring the clowning Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, is already happy. Microsoft's Renewed Vista Strategy PC World Journals week in review: news from One Microsoft Way Ars Technica InformationWeek - New York Times - MacMod - CRN all 522 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:01:52 GMT 'Home: A Novel' by Marilynne Robinson - Los Angeles Times Washington Post 'Home: A Novel' by Marilynne Robinson Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago Drawing on the characters of prize-winning novel 'Gilead,' Marilynne Robinson revisits an Iowa town. By Emily Barton UNLIKE novels that delight in plot twists and structural play, Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Gilead" is seemingly ... Back at home, troubled siblings look for refuge Boston Globe Their Father's House Washington Post The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Austin American-Statesman - News & Observer all 7 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:04:58 GMT Automatic Blogging RSS Parser

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Walking Talking Advertisements

So you've made a sale. Great!Now what? You're not just... Read More

Good News Travels Fast

This newsletter is full of opportunities staring you in the... Read More

How to Write a Fundraising Thank-you Letter for Example (Includes a Free Sample)

Thank-you letters are one of the most important letters that... Read More

Marketing Strategy 101: 10 Marketing Strategies I Learnt From My Oral Surgeon

This is how the conversation went on my follow-up visit... Read More

Who Is Your Market and Where Are They?

An important part of planning your business is to know... Read More

Radio Advertising Works With These Tips!

Advertising on the radio can be an effective lead generation... Read More

Use a Guarantee In Your Headline To Increase Trust

Sometimes you can use a guarantee effectively in your headline.... Read More

What the Heck is a Campaign and Why Do I Need to Do One?

Many people ask me, "What is a postcard campaign, exactly?"... Read More

Promotional Freebies

What's a promotional freebie? A promotional freebie is something you... Read More

Marketing to Hispanics/Latinos

A powerful consumer market with annual spending power exceeding $350... Read More

B2B Marketing Tips - Create an Interactive Online Experience for Clients

Business to business communications on the web are as stale... Read More

Loan Officer Marketing ? How Branding Shapes Your Prospects Perceptions

Social scientists have proven that people experience what they come... Read More

Your 30 Second Commercial

This tip is so simple, that many people we've talked... Read More

Is It Time To Kill Your Marketing Program?

Ouch . . . sounds pretty drastic I know, but... Read More

Private Practice Marketing: 3 More Secrets I Wish I Knew When I First Started Out

Secret #4 - Get very comfortable asking for paymentOne of... Read More

Postcards: Awareness Tool or Selling Tool?

Are postcards better for building awareness or for selling?In my... Read More

Marketing Your Franchise Online

Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online?... Read More

13 Lessons in Marketing, Super Bowl Style

Each year, the Super Bowl provides marketers opportunity to study... Read More

4 Steps To Increase Your Job Sign Marketing

It's no secret that using a job site sign can... Read More

Receiving a Brochure Printing Quote

Brochures are a great way to get your message across.... Read More

Tracking Your Way to the Top!

I often wonder how people without a plan know where... Read More

Has the Free Report Had Its Day?

For years now we have been inundated with offers of... Read More

How To Use The Og In All Of Us To Make More Money

5000 B.C. -- somewhere near a cave in MontanaOg the... Read More

Market Yourself as the Expert

As a small business how do you compete with the... Read More

Testing Your Way To Prosperity

I have always enjoyed talking to a Realtor friend of... Read More