Five Characteristics of Highly Successful Advertising


Have you ever spent a small fortune on advertising that generated disappointment rather than sales?

Many small business owners have been down the road of flat advertising results and are at a loss when it comes to developing new ideas to improve the response to their ads.

Whether you run ads in your local newspaper, your industry's top periodical or on-line, you need your investment in advertising to pay for itself, and then some, in order to justify its cost.

If your ads aren't generating the interest you want in your products and services they may be suffering from one of the five common mistakes small business owners and professional service providers make when developing and delivering their advertising.

Here is a list of five qualities common to successful small business advertising campaigns.

Zero in on Your Best Prospects

Many small business owners make the mistake of thinking bigger is better when they choose a medium in which to run their ads and opt to spend their advertising dollars to reach a larger but less focused market.

For example, if your company specializes in helping law firms reduce the cost of long, ongoing cases and you choose to run a series of full page ads in the New York Times instead of the New York Law Journal you will likely be disappointed by the response to your campaign. Despite reaching the considerably larger audience of the New York Times your would be missing the focused attention of the legal minded readership of the New York Law Journal.

Be sure to zero in on your market. You will increase the likelihood that the readers who see your ad will actually have a need for your service.

Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd

Unless your business sells a product or service that is completely unique and faces no competition your ads need to set your products or services apart from the crowd of your competitors.

If you are the owner of a pet supply company and your ads simply say, "We Sell Pet Supplies" they will be passed over along with every other bland advertisement for Fido's food.

On the other hand, your ads will stand out and attract much more attention to your shop if you state that you sell, "King Sized Bones and Bowls for the Royalty in Your Family."

By focusing your ads on the owners of large breed dogs you distinguish yourself from the crowd of pet shops that simply sell pet supplies and make it clear to the owners of large dogs that you sell what they need.

Be sure the copy of your ads has the effect of making what you offer unique. Your highly targeted prospects will reward you by noticing the difference in your ads and buying from you.

Demonstrate Value

Another property of a highly effective advertisement is that it demonstrates the value your products and services provide. By demonstrating value in your advertisements you give your prospects a clear idea of the benefits you provide and a clear reason to buy from you. Demonstrating value can also help you set yourself apart from you competitors.

How can you change your ads to demonstrate the value you provide? What special offers can you make to set yourself apart from the pack?

Focus on client problems

Consumers buy products and services because they fill a need or solve a problem. If your ad copy does not address your prospects' problems they will never know that you provide the solution they need.

If you are recovering from knee surgery and need to work with a physical therapist to regain your full range of motion, would you be more likely to choose a therapist who advertises his new and modern equipment or the one who advertises that she will have your knee working and feeling like new again in just three weeks?

Be sure to focus your ads on your clients' problems. You will win more business as more and more prospects come to see you as the solution to their problem.

Require Action

The final aspect of a highly effective ad is a call to action. If you've done your job up until this point, your prospect has read your ad. If your ad does not finish the job and inspire your prospect to contact you for more information or visit your store or your web site, it is not worth the money you spent to have it published.

Don't assume that your prospects know what they should do next. You need to tell them to be sure they know.

If you've gotten their attention, demonstrated your value and shown them that you are the solution to their problem, don't waste your good work by neglecting to instruct them to take the next step and contact you.

If all this seems like a lot to accomplish in one advertisement, you need not worry. A well-written marketing message will take care of most of the details of writing a highly effective ad.

Do you have a marketing message you can use to consistently deliver effective ads and position your business as the solution to your client's problems? You should.

The author, Jeremy Cohen, helps small business owners and professional service providers attract more clients, grow their business and be more successful with his marketingand web site enhancement coaching service and hismarketing guides. Get his free guide: Jumpstart Marketing: More Profits, Clients and Success at: http://www.bettermarketingresults.com/marketing-services/asp





Latest News:



Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news
Game news: 'GTA IV' hits 10 million, EA meets ESPN (AP via Yahoo! News)
Real news from the virtual world: News and notes on the PGA Tour's top 20 golfers (USA Today)
Get the latest news and notes on the top 20 golfers on the PGA Tour. These rankings are based 2006-07 PGA Tour results. UAL shares walloped by new posting of old news (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
A nearly 6-year-old news story on the 2002 bankruptcy filing of UAL Corp resurfaced on the Internet on Monday, clobbering the airline's shares briefly as some traders mistook the report as current and plausible news. Asyncast delivers custom news to hands-free mobile devices (CNET)
The company's Rocketron service allows users to set preferences for the kinds of news stories they want to hear, as well as filter controls for news they don't want. Young adults want less election news (UPI)
EVANSTON, Ill., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. young adults say there is too much election-related news on Internet news sites, a university study indicates. CNET News Daily Podcast: The new Zune plays its tune (CNET)
Microsoft lets "slip" Zune news one day before Apple's big shindig. Big ad group says Google-Yahoo is a bad idea. Who says real spies don't dig social networking? Game News: 'GTA IV' Hits 10 Million, EA Meets ESPN (CBS News)
Real news from the virtual world: ABC News gets first Palin interview (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
ABC News' Charles Gibson has snagged the first interview with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin since she was named the GOP's vice presidential pick on August 29. United Airlines hit by 5-year-old news (UPI)
CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- United Airline's stock value plunged Monday after a 5-year-old news story was posted on a Florida newspaper's Web site. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI)
Spears wins 3 MTV Video Music Awards ... 'Wrestler' wins Golden Lion in Venice ... Report: MSNBC shuffles election anchors ... Iconic Astroland park closes ... News from United Press International.

Site: news - Google News
Apple disappoints: No Jobs or big news at Macworld - Reuters

guardian.co.uk

Apple disappoints: No Jobs or big news at Macworld
Reuters - 7 hours ago
Apple shares slid 0.7 percent, lagging by far the Nasdaq's 1.7 percent gain, reflecting frustration over the lack of news from the trade conference that had ...
Video: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance AssociatedPress
Alternate Universe of Macworld News PC World
News from the Mac world New Zealand Herald
NetworkWorld.com - IT Business Edge
all 3,164 news articles
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News ... - CBS News

Times Online

A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News ...
CBS News, NY - 7 hours ago
President-elect Obama holds a news conference today in Washington, DC at 10:15am ET where, per the Wall Street Journal?s Jonathan Weisman, ...
Video: Schieffer On Obama Cabinet CBS
News roundup: Israel presses on in Gaza; Obama tries to reassure GOP USA Today
Hotspots: Breaking news from around the world Chicago Sun-Times
New York Daily News - The Associated Press
all 2,289 news articles
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House ... - ABC News

ABC News

Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House ...
ABC News - 3 hours ago
Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior White House Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers ...
Video: Senate Leaders Say Burris May Be Seated AssociatedPress
AP Top News at 11:24 am EST The Associated Press
National and international news briefs The Wenatchee World Online
KXMC - The Associated Press
all 8,495 news articles
News Analysis: How far to Gaza ceasefire? - Xinhua

TPMCafé

News Analysis: How far to Gaza ceasefire?
Xinhua, China - 8 hours ago
BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday announced a proposal for an immediate truce in ...
Video: Obama Comments on Violence in Gaza AssociatedPress
AP Top News at 10:08 am EST The Associated Press
Breaking News Gaza Attacks Resume After Halt Sky News
Monsters and Critics.com - The Media Line
all 26,689 news articles
FOX News Exclusive: Former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg - FOXNews

FOX News Exclusive: Former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg
FOXNews - 4 hours ago
This is a rush transcript from "Your World With Neil Cavuto," January 6, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. ...
Summary Of Wed News From International Consumer Electronics Show - CNNMoney.com

Canada.com

Summary Of Wed News From International Consumer Electronics Show
CNNMoney.com - 1 hour ago
More than 2700 consumer-technology exhibitors have gathered in Las Vegas this week to tout the latest consumer-electronics products. ...
Toshiba TVs surge ahead San Francisco Chronicle
CES-UPDATE 1-Toshiba to launch Cell chip-powered TV in 2009 Forbes
all 129 news articles
ABC News reduces its presence in Iraq, turns to BBC for daily reports - Los Angeles Times

ABC News reduces its presence in Iraq, turns to BBC for daily reports
Los Angeles Times, CA - 45 minutes ago
ABC News is scaling back its presence in Iraq and will rely on BBC News for daily coverage of developments there. ?By working more closely with the BBC, ...
paidContent.org - 'Tis The Year Of Sharing: ABC To Use BBC ... Washington Post
ABC, BBC in deal for Iraq coverage Hollywood Reporter
all 9 news articles
Health Buzz: Bird Flu Kills in China and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report

Health Buzz: Bird Flu Kills in China and Other Health News
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 5 hours ago
US News Health Editor Bernadine Healy, MD, wrote a magazine cover story about her own fight with brain cancer. Also, here is what you need to know about ...
The News adds editorial staff to buyouts - Bizjournals.com

The News adds editorial staff to buyouts
Bizjournals.com, NC - 3 hours ago
Citing weak economic conditions, The Buffalo News has offered a new round of buyout options to more than 300 employees, including those covered by its ...
STOCKS NEWS US-Energy index set to break 8-day winning streak - Forbes

STOCKS NEWS US-Energy index set to break 8-day winning streak
Forbes, NY - 3 hours ago
The S&P energy index was off nearly 4 percent as US front-month crude tumbled more than 9 percent to $43.88 a barrel. Exxon Mobil was 500 index, ...

MORE RESOURCES:
Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for advertising
Ad-averse Mobile Users Will Pay to Avoid Advertising (Cellular-News.com)

Mobile providers looking to boost their revenues through content downloads and advertising are in for a rough ride, according to a new study by market researchers TNS. A Web advertising dark horse goes on the offensive (Market Watch)

While its rivals have been fetching multibillion-dollar acquisition offers from the likes of Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., online-advertising firm ValueClick Inc. has been busy digging its way out of a legal mess. Intergi's Video Game & Entertainment Advertising Network Has Largest Potential Reach in U.S. According to Newest ... (Centre Daily Times)

Intergi (www.intergi.com), a leading video game and entertainment site representation company and advertising network, today announced that it now has a total potential advertising reach of 52.4 million unique visitors in the United States, topping other targeted ad networks - including bellwethers such as Advertising.com Games and Yahoo! Games. Based on the latest data from the August 2008 ... Largest ever advertising billboard at London Bridge Station (London SE1)

A huge advertising billboard has been unveiled at London Bridge Station to promote the NSPCC and brighten up hoardings on the concourse. Online Brokerage Sites See Increased Visitors With Ramped up Online Advertising Efforts (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)

comScore, Inc. , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a study of the online trading and brokerage industry showing strong visitor growth to online brokerage sites coinciding with heavy online advertising efforts by several of the key brokerages. Advertising spend in Qatar crawls (MENAFN)

Advertising spend in Qatar crawls Intergi's Video Game & Entertainment Advertising Network Has Largest Potential Reach in U.S. According to Newest ... (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.----Intergi , a leading video game and entertainment site representation company and advertising network, today announced that it now has a total potential advertising reach of 52.4 million unique visitors in the United States, topping other targeted ad networks - including bellwethers such as Advertising.com Games and Yahoo! GCC advertising expenditure rises by 23.6% (MENAFN)

GCC advertising expenditure rises by 23.6% NeoMedia and Format Dynamics Join Forces to Integrate Innovations in Online & Offline Advertising (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance)

NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. (OTC.BB: NEOM), and Format Dynamics, Inc., today announced a strategic alliance designed to accelerate innovation in both online and offline advertising. Bald Is Beautiful (Advertising Space) (CBS News)

New Zealand's national airline is offering to pay bald travelers to use their heads - literally - in a new advertising campaign. Site: advertising - Google News
search advertising, - CNET News

search advertising,
CNET News, CA - 25 minutes ago
"While the market opportunity for video advertising remains well-defined, smaller businesses are more concerned than ever about how to most cost-effectively ...
US court upholds LA ban on billboards - Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Business Journal

US court upholds LA ban on billboards
Los Angeles Times, CA - 11 hours ago
The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a lower-court ruling, saying the city's 2002 prohibition of outdoor advertising does not violate a sign ...
Not So Fast: Court Upholds LA Billboard Ban MediaPost Publications
Big Billboard Ruling Upholds City Ban A federal court ruling ... NBC Los Angeles
Laurence Tribe Tangles with Los Angeles -- and Loses! LA Weekly
Curbed - San Jose Mercury News
all 36 news articles
France thinks about quashing advertising of cellphones to kids - Los Angeles Times

France thinks about quashing advertising of cellphones to kids
Los Angeles Times, CA - 1 hour ago
France is floating the idea of banning advertising of mobile phones to kids 12 and under, according to Bloomberg News. It's not to make them pay attention ...
France Plans Ban on Mobile Phone Advertising to Children Bloomberg
all 4 news articles
New York Times now offers front-page advertising - MarketWatch

Boston Globe

New York Times now offers front-page advertising
MarketWatch - Jan 5, 2009
"In 2006 we began testing ads on some section fronts and received a very positive response from the advertising community," said Denise Warren, ...
Video: Money Minute: Times Ads, Hyundai, Construction AssociatedPress
How much are those front-page Times ads? Reuters
NY Times debuts front-page ad; new revenue source The Associated Press
Western Standard- Shotgun Blog - Adweek
all 360 news articles
Omnicom Group Names Tiffany R. Warren Chief Diversity Officer - FOXBusiness

Omnicom Group Names Tiffany R. Warren Chief Diversity Officer
FOXBusiness - 1 hour ago
Prior to joining Arnold in 2005, Ms. Warren was manager of Diversity Programs at the American Association of Advertising Agencies in New York City, ...
Warren to lead diversity efforts at Omnicom SmartBrief
Omnicom Taps Warren for New Diversity Role AdAge.com (subscription)
Tiffany R. Warren As Chief Diversity Officer & The Impending ... mediabistro.com
all 20 news articles
CBS Plans to Reduce Capital Spending to $350 Million - Bloomberg

CBS Plans to Reduce Capital Spending to $350 Million
Bloomberg - Jan 6, 2009
With advertising falling in radio and local TV, New York- based CBS is seeking savings and new sources of revenue, such as today?s agreement allowing Time ...
CBS's Moonves: Scatter Pricing Stays Even With Upfront AdAge.com (subscription)
Moonves hopeful for auto ads Hollywood Reporter
CBS In Negotiations With Cablevision On Affiliate Fees CNNMoney.com
Broadcasting & Cable - Adweek
all 41 news articles
NAVTEQ LocationPoint Advertising Services Unveiled at CES - PR Newswire (press release)

NAVTEQ LocationPoint Advertising Services Unveiled at CES
PR Newswire (press release), NY - 2 hours ago
NAVTEQ LocationPoint advertising units provide rich ad creative including calls to action like click to search, click to call, click to navigate and click ...
NAVTEQ Features Content to 'Navigate Your World' at 2009 ... PR Newswire (press release)
all 16 news articles
Recession raises stakes for Super Bowl advertising - guardian.co.uk

Recession raises stakes for Super Bowl advertising
guardian.co.uk, UK - Jan 6, 2009
"The Super Bowl remains this incredibly unique advertising opportunity because you get all this focus and all this attention and all the PR buzz around it," ...
Biggest-Advertising Lawyer Spent $20M in 2007 - ABA Journal

Biggest-Advertising Lawyer Spent $20M in 2007
ABA Journal, IL - 4 hours ago
Sokolove spent more than $20 million advertising his firm in 2007, but he refers all of his cases to other lawyers and takes a percentage of the recovery, ...
BeliefNetworks, Inc. Launches AffinityAgent Advertising ... - MSNBC

BeliefNetworks, Inc. Launches AffinityAgent Advertising ...
MSNBC - Jan 6, 2009
Utilizing this technology, BeliefNetworks is able to help a variety of customers in the advertising and publishing world develop relevant ad concepts and ...
Home | Site Map | Resource Links