Advertising Missteps and how to avoid them
With smaller budgets and less scope, small business entrepreneurs often forget that no matter the size of the campaign, mistakes in advertising can be extremely detrimental.
Thanks to the mistakes others have made, it’s easy to see some of the bigger hurdles from afar and we have some tried and true tricks to sidestep these potential pitfalls.
Here are five of the most common advertising mistakes small businesses make, and how to avoid them:
1. Working without a plan. This is so common. It’s also a very bad idea. Advertising plans are the framework laid out in advance, designed to keep you from veering off track. They also are built to provide guardrails for when things do go awry and can keep pulling you back on course. Avoid this pothole by simply creating a streamlined, laser- focused advertising plan and avoid making rash decisions, which leads to mistakes.
2. Making it about ME and not YOU. The seller doesn’t care how precious this product or service is to you- they just want to know what’s in it for them. Your messaging must be directly speaking to the needs of the consumer. The best way to ensure that you are doing this is by actively using the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ in your campaign and you can see how often you are addressing the consumer.
3. Launching before you’re ready. A great ad campaign can skyrocket your sales, but are you prepared for that kind of demand? Are you ready with product/service/staff? Every single detail, from your web functionality to order process, delivery systems, billing procedures and simply supply and demand must be in tip-top shape, tried and true, and most importantly, tested and tested again and again. There is nothing worse than tarnishing the return of a great ad campaign by failing to provide your customer with the service they deserve.
4. Trying to sell to everyone. This is another super common mistake. Sure, its appealing in the beginning to throw the proverbial spaghetti on the wall, to see what sticks. But when targeting your messaging, the key is just that: targeting. You must define your audience prior to crafting your ad campaign and know exactly to whom you are speaking to and why.
5. Doing it like everyone else. It’s pretty unlikely that your product or service is unrivalled. What’s your competition doing? What’s working for them? Now redirect and find whatever they aren’t doing and do that. Be unique, stand out, find a way to speak to customers in a way that no one else is.
RANONE® |business advisor