In a slow economy, the first thing salespeople want to do to get a sale is to drop their price. This is a mistake. Here is why it is a mistake and several ways to avoid a price drop.
When selling, it’s easy to drop your price, but selling by lowering your price is a mistake almost every time. In a slow economy, whether it’s local or national, dropping prices is easy to justify. But here is why you want to do everything you can to not drop your price. When you drop your price for any reason, it becomes the new price. No justification will sound reasonable to your customer when you raise the price back up to where it "should" be. Here are ways to avoid lowering our price;
Change the offer. You can offer a slightly different package of items, or a slightly different model for the same price. It isn’t that people have no money. It’s that they feel like they need a better deal for their money. Just give them what they would see as a better deal.
Add something for free. As long as the price stays the same, you can give something away as a premium to make the offer look more attractive. Adding something for free makes it much harder for a customer to ask for a lower price.
Change the terms. If you add a longer payment term, it will lower the monthly payment (or account billing terms). It will feel to the consumer as though you are offering a better offer, even though you are really just giving better terms.
Add something for a better price on the add-on. Added on products can be offered for a reduced price instead of free. For example, if you sell men’s clothing, buy a suit and get the shoes for half price. Nobody is going to come back later for shoes and say that the price is twice what it used to be.
But three get one free. If they buy in greater quantity (at one time) they get a discount on the last one they buy, or get it for free. This offer can be discontinued later, without the price being compromised for one.
Offer free services or an extended warranty at little or no cost to the consumer. An extended warranty offered for free is a good inducement, and feels like a lower price. In fact if you give the price with the extended warranty built in, and then lower the price to your regular price without the extended warranty, you are giving the customer the feeling of a lower price with little out of your own pocket. Later, when you no longer include the warranty for free, your price will remain unchanged.
The big reason you do not want to lower your price; The customer will then know that you will lower the price. The price becomes flexible in the prospect’s mind. Once the customer sees that you will lower your price, they will negotiate everything they buy from you.
Do not artificially increase your price, just to take money off. These should be real offers that provide real value. That is selling.
I hope this helps.
I wrote The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can download a free copy at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com You can also just buy the book (plus lots of free bonuses) at http://www.claudewhitacre.com
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Advertising Humor: Smart Advertising Choice?
Small business advertisers almost universally want to be clever in their advertising. Humor is the first thing they go for, after clever word play. Is this a good advertising strategy?
The big sin in advertising and marketing is being boring. A market will forgive almost anything else. But a boring sales letter, commercial, or video will generate absolutely no interest in your product. The advertisement must be interesting to the prospect. Not interesting in general, but to that prospect.
Most small business advertisers who are putting together an ad, think of trying to be funny as their first priority. This is because many think of advertising as a form of entertainment. Advertising isn’t entertainment, it is selling. Making someone laugh when they see your ad, may make you feel better, and it feels like the ad should be working, but this isn’t the case.
You do not want to hear "Wow, I saw your ad. How clever (or how funny)." You want people to see your ad and then want to buy the product it is showcasing.
Is humor ever effective in your advertising? Sure. A viral video should be either very funny or very shocking. This will cause the video to be spread to all corners of the internet. You may even make some sales off of that video. Humor also has a place in advertising because to tends to stick in the mind of the consumer. Humor in advertising makes the company seem a little more "cool" because if the humor. But the humor should never get in the way of the appeal of the ad, which is to make someone want to buy the product advertised.
Advertisers should always put Selling first in their ads. After there is a strong appeal in the ad, then you can think of ways to say it in a funnier way. But never let humor get in the way of the selling.
Here is the danger of using humor in your ads. Some people may simply not get the joke. If they don’t get the joke, the ad will actually irritate them, because they won’t understand your point.
You may actually offend a few people. The humor, if really funny will direct the consumer’s attention to how funny the ad is, not how great your product is.
A funny and dramatic demonstration of your product, that really drives home a buying benefit, is useful because now they are talking about the demonstration, which is the same as talking about your product. See? You want them taking about your product, not the commercial.
What is almost universally useful in your broadcast ads, is smiling, friendly faces. They don’t have to be funny, but just happy. The prospect assumes they are happy because they are using the product. In print, it’s harder to be funny anyway, so you are trying harder to be funny, which doesn’t translate well to print. In print, ads should always try to sell, not be funny.
You can be interesting without going for a laugh. Do you know what prospective customers find interesting? Anything that will make their life easier, or will solve a problem that is bothering them. That’s what they find interesting. And not being interesting is the major sin in advertising.
Do you see the title of this article? Originally it was going to be Advertising Humor: It’s No Joke. Do you know why I changed it? Even though it is a semi-clever play on words, it wouldn’t make you want to read the article as much as the title I used. See the difference?
If you would like a copy of my book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual, You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
The big sin in advertising and marketing is being boring. A market will forgive almost anything else. But a boring sales letter, commercial, or video will generate absolutely no interest in your product. The advertisement must be interesting to the prospect. Not interesting in general, but to that prospect.
Most small business advertisers who are putting together an ad, think of trying to be funny as their first priority. This is because many think of advertising as a form of entertainment. Advertising isn’t entertainment, it is selling. Making someone laugh when they see your ad, may make you feel better, and it feels like the ad should be working, but this isn’t the case.
You do not want to hear "Wow, I saw your ad. How clever (or how funny)." You want people to see your ad and then want to buy the product it is showcasing.
Is humor ever effective in your advertising? Sure. A viral video should be either very funny or very shocking. This will cause the video to be spread to all corners of the internet. You may even make some sales off of that video. Humor also has a place in advertising because to tends to stick in the mind of the consumer. Humor in advertising makes the company seem a little more "cool" because if the humor. But the humor should never get in the way of the appeal of the ad, which is to make someone want to buy the product advertised.
Advertisers should always put Selling first in their ads. After there is a strong appeal in the ad, then you can think of ways to say it in a funnier way. But never let humor get in the way of the selling.
Here is the danger of using humor in your ads. Some people may simply not get the joke. If they don’t get the joke, the ad will actually irritate them, because they won’t understand your point.
You may actually offend a few people. The humor, if really funny will direct the consumer’s attention to how funny the ad is, not how great your product is.
A funny and dramatic demonstration of your product, that really drives home a buying benefit, is useful because now they are talking about the demonstration, which is the same as talking about your product. See? You want them taking about your product, not the commercial.
What is almost universally useful in your broadcast ads, is smiling, friendly faces. They don’t have to be funny, but just happy. The prospect assumes they are happy because they are using the product. In print, it’s harder to be funny anyway, so you are trying harder to be funny, which doesn’t translate well to print. In print, ads should always try to sell, not be funny.
You can be interesting without going for a laugh. Do you know what prospective customers find interesting? Anything that will make their life easier, or will solve a problem that is bothering them. That’s what they find interesting. And not being interesting is the major sin in advertising.
Do you see the title of this article? Originally it was going to be Advertising Humor: It’s No Joke. Do you know why I changed it? Even though it is a semi-clever play on words, it wouldn’t make you want to read the article as much as the title I used. See the difference?
If you would like a copy of my book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual, You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Small Business Advertising And Marketing, The Biggest Mistake
Every small business owner thinks of the product first, before what the market really wants. The real way to market (the way that almost guarantees success) is the approach “I have customers. What do they want? What can I get them that will satisfy that craving? How can I let them know that I have what they want?”Think about this...It’s hard to make someone want something. It’s infinitely easier to find out what they already want, and get it for them.
For example. We sell several models of vacuum cleaner in our local retail store. Now, what do people really want in a vacuum cleaner?Not what we think they should want...but what they really want?They want lightweight and easy to handle.If they have pets, they want it to pick up the pet hair.
So that’s what we advertise. That’s what gets them in the door. Now, there are plenty of dealers that say “They should want Made In America. They should want to buy locally. The customer should want metal construction”, and the list goes on.But it isn’t what we think the customer should want that counts, it’s what they actually want.
If you sell a weight loss product; What should they want? Better health, longer life.But what do they really want? To look better to the opposite sex. If you advertise a weight loss product that stresses the benefits of better health, and longer life, the ad will fail.
And what do weight loss ads show a lot of? Food. Lots and lots of food. Why? Because people who are overweight and want to lose that weight...really want more food. The strongest appeal is “Eat everything you want, lose weight, and fit into that skimpy bathing suit.” So successful weight loss ads get as close to that as they can without committing fraud.
An advertising representative came in my store recently. He wanted me to buy advertising space in a local magazine. I showed him an ad that I would be willing to run. He looked at the advertisement and told me that it didn’t look like an ad that fit in with the other, brand building, ads. I told him that I wanted sales, not brand awareness. He was trying to sell me what he thought I should want, not what I wanted. Unfortunately for him, the person handing over the money, makes the decision.
Have you ever heard this? “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day...teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” It’s a beautiful sentiment. And everyone you see should want to learn how to fish, but what do they really want? A free fish. Ads that promise to teach you how to fish are harder to make work than ads that promise lots of fish. Shouldn’t we want to learn how to fish? Of course. We should all learn more...the benefits are endless. But we don’t do what we should do, we do what we want to do. And appeals to what we should want to do, almost always fail.
So the question you need to ask yourself is “What do my customers really want, and how can I deliver that?”
Of course, don't even think about leaving this blog without geting a copy of my book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
For example. We sell several models of vacuum cleaner in our local retail store. Now, what do people really want in a vacuum cleaner?Not what we think they should want...but what they really want?They want lightweight and easy to handle.If they have pets, they want it to pick up the pet hair.
So that’s what we advertise. That’s what gets them in the door. Now, there are plenty of dealers that say “They should want Made In America. They should want to buy locally. The customer should want metal construction”, and the list goes on.But it isn’t what we think the customer should want that counts, it’s what they actually want.
If you sell a weight loss product; What should they want? Better health, longer life.But what do they really want? To look better to the opposite sex. If you advertise a weight loss product that stresses the benefits of better health, and longer life, the ad will fail.
And what do weight loss ads show a lot of? Food. Lots and lots of food. Why? Because people who are overweight and want to lose that weight...really want more food. The strongest appeal is “Eat everything you want, lose weight, and fit into that skimpy bathing suit.” So successful weight loss ads get as close to that as they can without committing fraud.
An advertising representative came in my store recently. He wanted me to buy advertising space in a local magazine. I showed him an ad that I would be willing to run. He looked at the advertisement and told me that it didn’t look like an ad that fit in with the other, brand building, ads. I told him that I wanted sales, not brand awareness. He was trying to sell me what he thought I should want, not what I wanted. Unfortunately for him, the person handing over the money, makes the decision.
Have you ever heard this? “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day...teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” It’s a beautiful sentiment. And everyone you see should want to learn how to fish, but what do they really want? A free fish. Ads that promise to teach you how to fish are harder to make work than ads that promise lots of fish. Shouldn’t we want to learn how to fish? Of course. We should all learn more...the benefits are endless. But we don’t do what we should do, we do what we want to do. And appeals to what we should want to do, almost always fail.
So the question you need to ask yourself is “What do my customers really want, and how can I deliver that?”
Of course, don't even think about leaving this blog without geting a copy of my book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Your Next Small Business Location: How To Choose
You already own a successful local small business. You just got an offer to move your brick and mortar store to a new location surrounded by fast food restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and game rooms. The offer is a little more than you are paying now. Do you take it?
In almost every discussion about the new location, you’ll hear talk about the cost per square foot, the lease length, and cost to remodel. These are considerations, to be sure. But they are all missing the one big point that needs to be addressed; Does this new small business location attract the people who buy from you?
If you have a retail or small business location now, you already know the demographics of your ideal customer. Ask yourself; Does most of your profit come from teenagers, middle aged adults, or the aged? Men or women? Married or single? What income do most of them have? What kind of music to they like? What do the watch on TV? White collar or blue collar?
If you don’t have a store or local smalll business right now, and are thinking of opening one, visit a local store selling what you would like to sell. Walk around. What kind of people shop there, and buy? ( "Buy" is the important word here) There may be several close stores around your new proposed destination. It may take a whole day. A day well invested.
If you are thinking about moving to a different small business location, what is going to be around your new store? What kind of businesses are there? Do these businesses attract the type of people that buy from you now? Please don’t think that you will change the group of people who make up your customer base. If your customers are mostly high brow older people, a biker bar right next to the new location will kill your business (at least you’ll have a place to drown your sorrows).
Do you sell something that is heavy, or hard to carry? Do you want parking spaces that are 500 feet from your door? Maybe not.
Are most of the customers kids? Do kids make up the bulk of your customers?
Are the activities in the close area surrounding the new small business location attracting your best customer?
Are most of your customers middle aged? Is there a movie theater next to your store? Do middle aged people make up the bulk of an audience that goes to movie theaters?
Would your new store be very easy to see from the road, or do you have to drive into a mall or complex to even see the store? How much of your business is from people just driving by?
Is most of your business from "browsers"? Is your small business a destination business, like one selling plumbing or electrical supplies?
Your location is Marketing. Your signage is Marketing, Your visibility from the road is Marketing. And the most important question you can ask is "Does this location make it easier for my best customers to find me, or do they find me because of who is next to me?"
If the new small business location attracts the wrong demographic of customer (wrong for your business) than the cost per square foot is immaterial, because you will be attracting non-buyers to your location.. If this new location is surrounded by stores and shops that cater to your idea customer, the cost per square foot is almost immaterial too, because your customer will be attracted to your new location.
Of course, I'm the author of the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book on Small Business Advertising at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
In almost every discussion about the new location, you’ll hear talk about the cost per square foot, the lease length, and cost to remodel. These are considerations, to be sure. But they are all missing the one big point that needs to be addressed; Does this new small business location attract the people who buy from you?
If you have a retail or small business location now, you already know the demographics of your ideal customer. Ask yourself; Does most of your profit come from teenagers, middle aged adults, or the aged? Men or women? Married or single? What income do most of them have? What kind of music to they like? What do the watch on TV? White collar or blue collar?
If you don’t have a store or local smalll business right now, and are thinking of opening one, visit a local store selling what you would like to sell. Walk around. What kind of people shop there, and buy? ( "Buy" is the important word here) There may be several close stores around your new proposed destination. It may take a whole day. A day well invested.
If you are thinking about moving to a different small business location, what is going to be around your new store? What kind of businesses are there? Do these businesses attract the type of people that buy from you now? Please don’t think that you will change the group of people who make up your customer base. If your customers are mostly high brow older people, a biker bar right next to the new location will kill your business (at least you’ll have a place to drown your sorrows).
Do you sell something that is heavy, or hard to carry? Do you want parking spaces that are 500 feet from your door? Maybe not.
Are most of the customers kids? Do kids make up the bulk of your customers?
Are the activities in the close area surrounding the new small business location attracting your best customer?
Are most of your customers middle aged? Is there a movie theater next to your store? Do middle aged people make up the bulk of an audience that goes to movie theaters?
Would your new store be very easy to see from the road, or do you have to drive into a mall or complex to even see the store? How much of your business is from people just driving by?
Is most of your business from "browsers"? Is your small business a destination business, like one selling plumbing or electrical supplies?
Your location is Marketing. Your signage is Marketing, Your visibility from the road is Marketing. And the most important question you can ask is "Does this location make it easier for my best customers to find me, or do they find me because of who is next to me?"
If the new small business location attracts the wrong demographic of customer (wrong for your business) than the cost per square foot is immaterial, because you will be attracting non-buyers to your location.. If this new location is surrounded by stores and shops that cater to your idea customer, the cost per square foot is almost immaterial too, because your customer will be attracted to your new location.
Of course, I'm the author of the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book on Small Business Advertising at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
Build A Better Mousetrap And The World Will Beat A Path To Your Door. Really?
This quote has been attributed to the great Ralph Waldo Emerson. Actually, he said something different, and the quote was cobbled together by a smart advertising man, decades after Emerson lived.
But small business owners can learn a lot from this quote. For example...
This quote has been attributed to the great Ralph Waldo Emerson. Actually, he said something different, and the quote was cobbled together by a smart advertising man, decades after Emerson lived.
But small business owners can learn a lot from this quote. For example...
There are several points to consider if you want to start a small business to build mousetraps. Of course "mousetrap" is a metaphor for any new product. I just picked mousetraps because it was catchy. These points will apply to that thing you sell too. Just watch.
1) Do people really want a better, and more expensive mousetrap? Is there something about the mousetraps sold now that people don’t like? For example, do people get their fingers snapped by the tripping mechanism? Do they hate the idea of picking up a dead mouse to dispose of it? Is it the sight o the dead mouse? The smell? Just the idea of mangling a perfectly innocent mouse?
If so, there is a marketing and advertising opportunity here.
2) Is your market growing, or shrinking? Are there more people buying mousetraps than last year? If so, you have an opportunity to ride the wave with a slightly cheaper version of the current mousetrap. You may consider writing an article about the evils of mice infesting you home. You could write to the local newspaper about how mice cause more damage every year than termites. If the number of mousetraps sold every year is sharply declining, is it because there is something better out there killing mice? If not, building a better mousetrap, with dwindling demand, is a sure way to go bankrupt.
3) The world will beat a path to your door? Really? How will they know that you even have a better mousetrap? If there are any paths that are beaten here, it’s you beating a path to the marketplace. First you have to identify the people who would buy a mousetrap at all. What causes mice to invade a home? Are there demographic biases to where mice like to live? If there are no mice in California (for example), marketing your better mousetrap there would be a total waste. Is there a mouse-outbreak anywhere? Do floods give rise to more mice? Hurricanes?
Is there a type of home where mice are more of a problem? One story? Basement? Fireplace?
4) Do people really want to kill mice? Would a more accepted product be one that repels mice? How about something that repels mice, and gets rid of the smell (assuming that dead mice smell) at the same time? Is that something people want? How about a way to treat the wood or insulation so that mice hate the taste, and won’t come in at all?
5) The biggest problem I see with the quote "Build a better mousetrap..." is that it assumes that the right way to sell something is to just decide what you want to build, make it good, and then let people figure out that you have it, that it will do the job they want, that it’s worth the price, and that a mousetrap is what they want. That’s got everything in marketing in reverse.
Great marketing is : Finding out what people want (what problem they have), making sure that there is a demand in place for this solution, seeing what else is out there to solve that problem,
Figuring out if they will like your product better (not they should like it better, but actually will)
And then how will you market the new solution? What type of advertising and marketing works now to sell a comparable solution? Can you find list of people that already need and want what you have? Who else is building a better mousetrap, and how do they sell it?
"Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door? Maybe, but that’s not how I would bet.
Of course, I wrote the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
But small business owners can learn a lot from this quote. For example...
This quote has been attributed to the great Ralph Waldo Emerson. Actually, he said something different, and the quote was cobbled together by a smart advertising man, decades after Emerson lived.
But small business owners can learn a lot from this quote. For example...
There are several points to consider if you want to start a small business to build mousetraps. Of course "mousetrap" is a metaphor for any new product. I just picked mousetraps because it was catchy. These points will apply to that thing you sell too. Just watch.
1) Do people really want a better, and more expensive mousetrap? Is there something about the mousetraps sold now that people don’t like? For example, do people get their fingers snapped by the tripping mechanism? Do they hate the idea of picking up a dead mouse to dispose of it? Is it the sight o the dead mouse? The smell? Just the idea of mangling a perfectly innocent mouse?
If so, there is a marketing and advertising opportunity here.
2) Is your market growing, or shrinking? Are there more people buying mousetraps than last year? If so, you have an opportunity to ride the wave with a slightly cheaper version of the current mousetrap. You may consider writing an article about the evils of mice infesting you home. You could write to the local newspaper about how mice cause more damage every year than termites. If the number of mousetraps sold every year is sharply declining, is it because there is something better out there killing mice? If not, building a better mousetrap, with dwindling demand, is a sure way to go bankrupt.
3) The world will beat a path to your door? Really? How will they know that you even have a better mousetrap? If there are any paths that are beaten here, it’s you beating a path to the marketplace. First you have to identify the people who would buy a mousetrap at all. What causes mice to invade a home? Are there demographic biases to where mice like to live? If there are no mice in California (for example), marketing your better mousetrap there would be a total waste. Is there a mouse-outbreak anywhere? Do floods give rise to more mice? Hurricanes?
Is there a type of home where mice are more of a problem? One story? Basement? Fireplace?
4) Do people really want to kill mice? Would a more accepted product be one that repels mice? How about something that repels mice, and gets rid of the smell (assuming that dead mice smell) at the same time? Is that something people want? How about a way to treat the wood or insulation so that mice hate the taste, and won’t come in at all?
5) The biggest problem I see with the quote "Build a better mousetrap..." is that it assumes that the right way to sell something is to just decide what you want to build, make it good, and then let people figure out that you have it, that it will do the job they want, that it’s worth the price, and that a mousetrap is what they want. That’s got everything in marketing in reverse.
Great marketing is : Finding out what people want (what problem they have), making sure that there is a demand in place for this solution, seeing what else is out there to solve that problem,
Figuring out if they will like your product better (not they should like it better, but actually will)
And then how will you market the new solution? What type of advertising and marketing works now to sell a comparable solution? Can you find list of people that already need and want what you have? Who else is building a better mousetrap, and how do they sell it?
"Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door? Maybe, but that’s not how I would bet.
Of course, I wrote the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
Friday, June 4, 2010
Local Small Business About Advertising Made In America
The Made In America appeal is very strong with local small business owners.
Do you own a small business that sells something that is Made In America? Good, there are some customers that want what you have. But even if it isn’t Made In America, you can still use that appeal. Any small business owner can use this idea. Here’s how.
This is related to the "Saving The Environment" appeal. There are people who will buy a brand (assuming they want to buy anything) because it is made in America. This article isn’t judging how we should feel about our country. This is about how we can us Made In America in our marketing.
As a local small business advertiser, I would use it as part of a headline...not as the entire appeal.
You want your local advertising to appeal to the widest niche you can find…..and people who buy just because the product is made in America is a small group. There are lots of people who are attracted to products more because they are Made In America, but as a single reason for buying, the appeal is limited to a small percentage of the population.
We sell vacuum cleaners. Lots of them. Some are made in America and some aren’t. When selling, I always mention the "Made in America"" feature when I can, but if I don’t get any immediate feedback on it, I stop talking about it.
If the customer says "Made In America? Now you’re talking!"...I’ll talk about the quality of the product. If he talks about foreigners taking American jobs, I’ll politely listen.
I’ll be talking about quality...but he’ll be hearing "Made in America Quality" which is just fine with me.
But what if your product is made out of the country? Was it designed in America? Will it be serviced in America? Isn’t it shipped across the country by American truckers? If you find out that many of the parts are actually Made In America, but the product is shipped overseas for assembly, you can say that. It is almost the same thing. Made In America actually means "assembled in America". So you can always mention what part is made in America. If the prospect really wants the product anyway, it will be enough.
Back to advertising. If the product you are marketing is made in America, I would certainly mention it in your advertising, but as a single reason to buy it usually won’t carry the sale. That’s why we mention it in our advertising, but include lots of other reasons to buy. We want the best return on our advertising dollar, I’m not making a political statement.
I have an acquaintance that puts, on his door, a sign that says that he is a Republican..
He is turning off about 50% of his customers before they walk in his door. Republicans aren’t going to buy more from him, just because they agree with his politics, and Democrats will generally be turned off from the sign. So it’s not a way to generate more money. Now, if you are selling online, or by mail, and your customer base is heavily one political party or the other, it will help to mention your views. In fact it’s a way to bond with your customers. But in retail? Never do it. His fellow retailers love the idea when he tells them, but it’s an idea that will cut your business in half.
This is not a political article, it’s a marketing article. The moral of the story is to use what works, not what we wish would work.
Remember, people think about their problems and needs about 99% of the time (you and I do it too). If you appeal to their wants in your advertising first, you’ll have a chance at getting their attention, and their money.
Oh yeah, I wrote the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
Do you own a small business that sells something that is Made In America? Good, there are some customers that want what you have. But even if it isn’t Made In America, you can still use that appeal. Any small business owner can use this idea. Here’s how.
This is related to the "Saving The Environment" appeal. There are people who will buy a brand (assuming they want to buy anything) because it is made in America. This article isn’t judging how we should feel about our country. This is about how we can us Made In America in our marketing.
As a local small business advertiser, I would use it as part of a headline...not as the entire appeal.
You want your local advertising to appeal to the widest niche you can find…..and people who buy just because the product is made in America is a small group. There are lots of people who are attracted to products more because they are Made In America, but as a single reason for buying, the appeal is limited to a small percentage of the population.
We sell vacuum cleaners. Lots of them. Some are made in America and some aren’t. When selling, I always mention the "Made in America"" feature when I can, but if I don’t get any immediate feedback on it, I stop talking about it.
If the customer says "Made In America? Now you’re talking!"...I’ll talk about the quality of the product. If he talks about foreigners taking American jobs, I’ll politely listen.
I’ll be talking about quality...but he’ll be hearing "Made in America Quality" which is just fine with me.
But what if your product is made out of the country? Was it designed in America? Will it be serviced in America? Isn’t it shipped across the country by American truckers? If you find out that many of the parts are actually Made In America, but the product is shipped overseas for assembly, you can say that. It is almost the same thing. Made In America actually means "assembled in America". So you can always mention what part is made in America. If the prospect really wants the product anyway, it will be enough.
Back to advertising. If the product you are marketing is made in America, I would certainly mention it in your advertising, but as a single reason to buy it usually won’t carry the sale. That’s why we mention it in our advertising, but include lots of other reasons to buy. We want the best return on our advertising dollar, I’m not making a political statement.
I have an acquaintance that puts, on his door, a sign that says that he is a Republican..
He is turning off about 50% of his customers before they walk in his door. Republicans aren’t going to buy more from him, just because they agree with his politics, and Democrats will generally be turned off from the sign. So it’s not a way to generate more money. Now, if you are selling online, or by mail, and your customer base is heavily one political party or the other, it will help to mention your views. In fact it’s a way to bond with your customers. But in retail? Never do it. His fellow retailers love the idea when he tells them, but it’s an idea that will cut your business in half.
This is not a political article, it’s a marketing article. The moral of the story is to use what works, not what we wish would work.
Remember, people think about their problems and needs about 99% of the time (you and I do it too). If you appeal to their wants in your advertising first, you’ll have a chance at getting their attention, and their money.
Oh yeah, I wrote the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Small Business Marketing Secret Of Knowing If Your Local Advertising Is A Winner
The Small Business Marketing Secret Of Knowing If Your Local Advertising Is A Winner
One thing I hear from fellow small business advertisers is "I know this ad I ran is a winner. I get people all the time saying that they saw my ad….they tell me how clever it is...and how much they enjoy it" But does that mean your ad is a winner? Let’s find out.
Here’s the problem; Everyone will tell you that your advertising is clever and that they enjoyed reading your ads. People want to be polite to you and they don’t want to be rude.
When you run ads, everyone will compliment you on the ad. It’s their way of saying "I know who you are, and I’m letting you know I saw your ad". But they don’t really know anything about advertising. They will know if they like the graphics, but not if the advertisement will produce a profit.
The only test of whether or not your ad was successful….is if the advertisement more than paid for itself, and generated a profit. The rest is fluff.
I used to frequent a local bar. I would write an ad. I took it to the bar and asked a few guys what they thought.
"Wow, Claude..this is a great ad!""
"I get it...very clever ad"
"Claude, you sure know how to make a fine ad"
Hearing anything like that meant I had work to do.
"Wow, Claude….can you really get this for that price? Do you have any in stock?"
Now, I knew the ad was a winner.
The only purpose of advertising is to make people want to come in your store and buy something. It isn’t to get your name out there, be funny, crack jokes, or say something bad about a competitor. The purpose of advertising is to attract buyers to your business.
Being "clever" won’t do it. If your ad is clever..they are thinking about the ad...and not your product. Most small business advertisers think that funny and witty equals sales. It doesn’t. There is no relationship between how clever your ad is and how much it creates the desire to buy what you sell.
Trying to entertain won’t do it. Ever watch an infomercial? They are selling. Everything in the time allotted is geared to selling. They don’t sing jingles, they don’t try to be clever in their ""company motto". They sell.
I have an exercise for you. This is what I did at the beginning of my advertising studies...to understand what made ads work.
I went to a library….took out a magazine…..looked at the ads...then got an issue a year old...and looked at those ads.
The ads that were still there (that sold something or offered information) were proven winners. How did I know?
Ads that sell something are tracked by the advertiser for effectiveness. After a few months...if they aren’t profitable they are gone. If they are still in the magazine after a year..they are making a profit.
After you look at several successful ads, you’ll begin to see commonalities. They leave clues as to why they are profitable.
And the ads that didn’t work? They ones that are gone? They were written by someone who didn’t do this research.
Do you save ads that advertise and sell what you sell?
I do. The ads that work become templates for me to "borrow" ideas from.
A couple of hours at the library can save any small business advertiser thousands of dollars a year in advertising mistakes. How do I know? That’s what I did.
By the way, I'm the author of the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com/. You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com/ So There!
One thing I hear from fellow small business advertisers is "I know this ad I ran is a winner. I get people all the time saying that they saw my ad….they tell me how clever it is...and how much they enjoy it" But does that mean your ad is a winner? Let’s find out.
Here’s the problem; Everyone will tell you that your advertising is clever and that they enjoyed reading your ads. People want to be polite to you and they don’t want to be rude.
When you run ads, everyone will compliment you on the ad. It’s their way of saying "I know who you are, and I’m letting you know I saw your ad". But they don’t really know anything about advertising. They will know if they like the graphics, but not if the advertisement will produce a profit.
The only test of whether or not your ad was successful….is if the advertisement more than paid for itself, and generated a profit. The rest is fluff.
I used to frequent a local bar. I would write an ad. I took it to the bar and asked a few guys what they thought.
"Wow, Claude..this is a great ad!""
"I get it...very clever ad"
"Claude, you sure know how to make a fine ad"
Hearing anything like that meant I had work to do.
"Wow, Claude….can you really get this for that price? Do you have any in stock?"
Now, I knew the ad was a winner.
The only purpose of advertising is to make people want to come in your store and buy something. It isn’t to get your name out there, be funny, crack jokes, or say something bad about a competitor. The purpose of advertising is to attract buyers to your business.
Being "clever" won’t do it. If your ad is clever..they are thinking about the ad...and not your product. Most small business advertisers think that funny and witty equals sales. It doesn’t. There is no relationship between how clever your ad is and how much it creates the desire to buy what you sell.
Trying to entertain won’t do it. Ever watch an infomercial? They are selling. Everything in the time allotted is geared to selling. They don’t sing jingles, they don’t try to be clever in their ""company motto". They sell.
I have an exercise for you. This is what I did at the beginning of my advertising studies...to understand what made ads work.
I went to a library….took out a magazine…..looked at the ads...then got an issue a year old...and looked at those ads.
The ads that were still there (that sold something or offered information) were proven winners. How did I know?
Ads that sell something are tracked by the advertiser for effectiveness. After a few months...if they aren’t profitable they are gone. If they are still in the magazine after a year..they are making a profit.
After you look at several successful ads, you’ll begin to see commonalities. They leave clues as to why they are profitable.
And the ads that didn’t work? They ones that are gone? They were written by someone who didn’t do this research.
Do you save ads that advertise and sell what you sell?
I do. The ads that work become templates for me to "borrow" ideas from.
A couple of hours at the library can save any small business advertiser thousands of dollars a year in advertising mistakes. How do I know? That’s what I did.
By the way, I'm the author of the book The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You can purchase the book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com/. You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com/ So There!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Advertising Ideas For The Small Business Owner; The Top 12 Marketing Strategies
There are principles and ideas that will transform your small business advertising. Here are the best 12. Most of these ideas are found in the book Influence by Robert Cialdini. Which one is most important to you?
Greed: Offering something for nothing is still a viable advertising method. You must still create the desire to own the thing that is free. As small business owners, we can offer an add on product free with purchase, or a gift just for showing up at our business. The appeal is strong.
Specificity: The power of a story is in the details. The more specific a claim, the more believable. Dove soap is 99 44/100 % Pure, not 100% Pure. This also means that any benefits promoted in your marketing must be specific to your prospect. The more the benefits fit the buyer precisely, the more the consumer values it. This is a core marketing principle.
Scarcity: Diamonds are valuable because they are so rare. Small business owners need to create the illusion that what you sell is in such demand that you can’t keep them in stock.
Urgency: There is always a reason to buy now. A sale is over in two days. There is a pending price increase. We only have 25 left in stock. We are going out of business. The new models are coming in, and we need to liquidate our inventory.
Exclusivity: The only place you can get this product is here. Also, it means that the target market can get this offer and nobody else. Perhaps because you are a member of a club or organization.
Reciprocity: If you do someone a favor, there is a strong internal need to return the favor. A form of this is always giving a little more than was paid for. This builds up a debt in the mind of the consumer. This also practically forces the consumer to recommend you to their friends.
Bundling: Offer two or three products or services together, and name the offer something exclusive to you. This make price comparisons difficult, and gives more value to the consumer.
Just bundling two or three items together to build a package actually creates more value than the total if added together.
Keep It Simple: The offer must be easy to understand. A child should be able to completely understand the offer. A confused consumer always declines the offer. Don’t use industry jargon. Don’t try to look professional by using large uncommon words. Make your sales story very easy to follow.
Social Proof: If everybody else wants what you sell, your prospect will want it too. If your customer believes that there is a great demand for what you sell, they will believe it must be good. Small business owners should use testimonials, and referrals. They both serve the purpose of giving social proof.
Offering Choices: Offer two or three choices in advertising and marketing. This changes the decision to choosing which item to buy, not whether to buy at all. A "Good, Better, Best" offer serves this purpose
Authority: The authority can be you, a celebrity spokesperson, or a governing body. If something is "certified" then the buyer feels more secure in their decision to buy. If the buyer sees you as an expert, then your presentation is seen as advice rather than as a pitch. "Four out of five doctors recommend..." Very powerful concept.
Building Value: Your offer must show at least twice as much value as the price you are asking. This value must be shown in the small business owners’s advertising and marketing. Every ad should tell everything the customer needs to know to want to buy what is being offered.
You can purchase my book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com/. You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com/
Greed: Offering something for nothing is still a viable advertising method. You must still create the desire to own the thing that is free. As small business owners, we can offer an add on product free with purchase, or a gift just for showing up at our business. The appeal is strong.
Specificity: The power of a story is in the details. The more specific a claim, the more believable. Dove soap is 99 44/100 % Pure, not 100% Pure. This also means that any benefits promoted in your marketing must be specific to your prospect. The more the benefits fit the buyer precisely, the more the consumer values it. This is a core marketing principle.
Scarcity: Diamonds are valuable because they are so rare. Small business owners need to create the illusion that what you sell is in such demand that you can’t keep them in stock.
Urgency: There is always a reason to buy now. A sale is over in two days. There is a pending price increase. We only have 25 left in stock. We are going out of business. The new models are coming in, and we need to liquidate our inventory.
Exclusivity: The only place you can get this product is here. Also, it means that the target market can get this offer and nobody else. Perhaps because you are a member of a club or organization.
Reciprocity: If you do someone a favor, there is a strong internal need to return the favor. A form of this is always giving a little more than was paid for. This builds up a debt in the mind of the consumer. This also practically forces the consumer to recommend you to their friends.
Bundling: Offer two or three products or services together, and name the offer something exclusive to you. This make price comparisons difficult, and gives more value to the consumer.
Just bundling two or three items together to build a package actually creates more value than the total if added together.
Keep It Simple: The offer must be easy to understand. A child should be able to completely understand the offer. A confused consumer always declines the offer. Don’t use industry jargon. Don’t try to look professional by using large uncommon words. Make your sales story very easy to follow.
Social Proof: If everybody else wants what you sell, your prospect will want it too. If your customer believes that there is a great demand for what you sell, they will believe it must be good. Small business owners should use testimonials, and referrals. They both serve the purpose of giving social proof.
Offering Choices: Offer two or three choices in advertising and marketing. This changes the decision to choosing which item to buy, not whether to buy at all. A "Good, Better, Best" offer serves this purpose
Authority: The authority can be you, a celebrity spokesperson, or a governing body. If something is "certified" then the buyer feels more secure in their decision to buy. If the buyer sees you as an expert, then your presentation is seen as advice rather than as a pitch. "Four out of five doctors recommend..." Very powerful concept.
Building Value: Your offer must show at least twice as much value as the price you are asking. This value must be shown in the small business owners’s advertising and marketing. Every ad should tell everything the customer needs to know to want to buy what is being offered.
You can purchase my book for $19.95 at http://www.claudewhitacre.com/. You can also download your Free copy of the complete book at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com/
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