The basics of advertising are pretty simple.  It’s all about Reach and Frequency and some people will include the Message and Target.

Here’s how that formula works:

If you reach enough of the right target people with enough frequency with the right message your advertising will work and you’ll be rolling in the dough!

With this in mind, most advertising salespeople will put together a schedule of ads that will be seen or heard by a lot of people who could be your customers if the message is compelling.

There is nothing wrong with the basics.  You can apply it to any form of advertising.  But the advertising you spend money on is only partially responsible for the success of your business.  That’s why we’re going to go Beyond The Advertising Basics and share The ScLoHo Process. thebasics

I look at the big marketing picture and your paid advertising is just a portion of that.

Marketing includes many different elements that add up to how you and your company are perceived by the public.

Every time a person thinks about you/your company, an impression is being made, either positive, negative, or somewhere in between.

These impressions add up to create the overall image of you/your company.

What causes a person to think about you/your company?

  • A conversation about a competitor of you/your company.
  • An overheard remark about you/your company, or your competitor.
  • Online via social media, or research activity about you/your company, or your competitor.
  • Advertising for you/your company, or your competitor.
  • A hands-on experience with you/your company, or your competitor.
  • Other sensory experiences that trigger a thought about you/your company, or your competitor. (The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the sound of an ambulance, the touch of a little child’s sticky hands).

Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. There are internal and external elements to your marketing.

Let’s start with the internal:

  • First customer contact:
    • Telephone? How is the phone answered? What is the mood and tone of voice of the person answering? Is it inviting and welcoming or does the person answering sound rushed, bothered, or unfriendly.
    • Same concepts for your walk in traffic. What are the impressions you and your staff project to your clients and potential clients? What improvements need to be made?
  • Follow up and service. Is there anything lacking? Nearly everyone and every business have at least one area that could use improvement. Find out what could be improved with you/your company.
  • Ask, and work to improve, instead of making excuses. There is a bit of truth in every complaint. Also find out what people are not complaining about.

External marketing. This is often what we call advertising. Questions to ask:

  • Is it consistent? Do you present a uniform picture to the public of what you are about and why they should do business with you? (The opposite is a scattered, all things to all people, confusing, and blurry image for you/your company).
  • Are you using the most effective mediums to leverage your time and resources?
  • Who are your most likely customers? Are you inviting them to use you? How are you doing it?
  • There are strengths and weaknesses of Radio, TV, Billboards, Internet, Newspapers, Direct Mail, Magazines, and each one of these are effective for the right business, when matched up properly with realistic goals and objectives.
  • Networking is one way to get the word out about you/your company, if you understand what it can and cannot do. Give the people you network with the information so they will:
    • want to recommend you to others (EMOTIONS)
    • understand why to recommend you to others (FACTS)

You/your company, does not operate in a vacuum. Consumers need to know why they should buy from you/your company instead of your competition.

EVERYONE HAS COMPETITION. I want to know why I should give YOU my money instead of spending it on something else or somewhere else.

Too many businesses fail because they fail to recognize this principle.

And finally:  Understand that your marketing and advertising needs to be designed to BUILD RELATIONSHIPS with current and future customers.

Building relationships take time and exposure. People want to feel good when they spend their money and it is a combination of facts and emotion that produces that good feeling. The more personal a message is, the easier it is to build that relationship.

This ScLoHo Process of going Beyond The Advertising Basics is my favorite way to work because it is a complete, big picture way of making sure you and your business are growing.  It’s not easy and not everyone I work with are willing to dig deep and go beyond those basics I mentioned.

I can work with you either way.  But now you are getting a peek at what is available if you are willing to go full in with the ScLoHo Process.