Yesterday, I shared a list of most of the advertising options, platforms and venues I can offer to you through my position at WOWO Radio and Federated Media.

Today, I want to offer you a challenge:

Do Less, Get More: Focusing Your Advertising

This is not contrary to what I shared yesterday, actually it goes hand in hand.

Over the years I have worked with hundreds of businesses with their marketing and advertising. I began in 1986 in Detroit and picked up again in 2003 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.download (2)

You, as a business owner or manager are an expert at what you do. 

You could be a lawyer, a plumber, or an I.T. company. (3 of the companies I have worked with recently).  You are not an expert at marketing or advertising.  But that’s okay, if…

If you have someone that you trust and is trustworthy to advise you with your marketing and advertising.

Some companies hire an outside advertising agency to take care of this for them.

Some companies hire an inside person and give them a title like Director of Marketing or Vice-President of Advertising.

Most companies however attempt to wing it on their own. And they get frustrated.

Frustrated because they know they need to do something to invite potential customers to spend money with them, but advertising and marketing services is not their area of expertise… wills and trusts (lawyer); unclogging drains (plumber); computer back-up and support (I.T.) those are their areas of expertise.

Frustrated because when you look for advertising answers, all you get is money hungry media salespeople telling you why you need to buy their stuff.  That’s a salespitch, not advertising answers.

I’ve been in your shoes.  When I worked full-time in social media, I had vendors trying to get me to pay them money for their “solutions”.  I was looking for a partner, not a salesperson, and that was a rare find.

Since I’ve been back in the media sales world since 2013 when I joined WOWO and Federated Media, I set my own rules for how I would conduct business.

First and Foremost, I look to create advertising partnerships.  My new business cards say: Advertising Sales and Marketing Consultant.  I sell advertising solutions but most of my time each week is spent as a marketing consultant.

Which brings us back to the title of this article: Do Less, Get More: Focusing Your Advertising

Last year I helped a heating and cooling company reduce the number of different advertising outreaches they were doing.  That was the Do Less part.

I also helped them Focus Your Advertising by selecting advertising choices that fit their brand and that could commit to for all of 2016.  Most of these advertising choices are not new for them, but refined and better defined.  They are building a stronger relationship with current and future customers by following my advice.  This is the first step of measuring the Get More. As the year progresses, we’ll be able to look back and see how the Get More measured in sales and revenue.

I helped them establish a budget for the year, determine what criteria they should use to determine if an advertising option fit their brand and I also recommended several advertising options that had nothing to do with me, WOWO and Federated Media. Why? I want them to succeed and even though I could have found a way to spend all their 2016 budget with me, that’s not what was best for them this year.

Want some help?  I have devoted a portion of the hours I am working in 2016 to share my expertise to help others Do Less, Get More: Focusing Your Advertising.  Contact me.