Advertising Consistency
Every business owner has had it
happen. They dreamed that advertising in a certain
publication will net them dozens of clients in the first
month. Maybe the salesman even promised it. Then they wake up to the fact a couple of days or a
week later that they have once again, NOT hit the advertising
jackpot.
Advertising simply doesn't work
that way and if it did, most small businesses could not afford to
do it. Any ad space that will make your phone ring off the
hook is worth phenomenal dollars upfront because the demand for
the space goes up and therefore, so does the cost.
There are many ways that your advertising
message can be delivered, all of which will be through some ad
medium such as a newspaper, the Internet, television, radio, or
direct mail. All of these advertising
mediums may be effective if used properly and consistently over
time. However, no advertising method is worth the investment
if you
just shotgun it or try it a short time.
Here's why:
Even amongst consumers that want your services, 98% will not bother to call you the first time they
see your ad. Maybe they are short on time or they are just
looking around. Often, consumers will simply procrastinate
and just not make the call. They will make a mental note of
where they saw the advertisement and come back an hour, a day, a
week or even months later. If your ad has disappeared,
you've just lost a client.
While your
advertising could get you a phone call or two right away, your
biggest success will be advertising to the person that doesn't have a
need yet, but will need it in the near future. Most home
services are not subscribed to on a whim, but is considered and
talked about for some time. Often, the adult caregiver children knows these services will be required and is
putting them off until something happens or they just run out of
steam.
So when the consumer sees your
advertising, they may not be ready to call you
yet, but they do start to listen and pay attention. In the
consumer's mind, it is part of the process for making a
decision that will need to be made a month or 6 months from
now.
This is particularly true in
advertising for home services where the cost is high and where
there is an emotional consideration in making the
decision. This is the time that they start to learn
who the potential service providers are. If they don't see
or hear your name now, you stand less chance of getting the call
when they do need service.
Along with accumulating
information on potential services providers, the consumer starts paying
attention to where they find they see and hear the advertising. You will often see people bookmark certain sites or
at least make a mental note over where they heard an ad.
When the times comes to take action, they are then going to
their resources that they have been accumulating, not starting the
process.
Advertising consistency is the
key to higher performance. A single ad may get you that
lucky immediate need client. But if you measure your success on
whether you got that initial shot, then chances are that you will
have lost about 98% of your advertising
potential.
Advertising is a long-term
commitment and one that should only be entered into when you are
ready to stick with it for awhile. Not every ad spot is
worth your time, so use some common sense in doing so. But
once you make that decision, don't give up on it easily.
