Advertising Today - Strategies for the Short Attention Span
By Greg Alan
My years in radio taught me that the most effective means of ratings success is to speak to the audience you want instead of the audience you have. It can be a long process, and it takes patience to develop and grow your message before you see results. But repetition builds reputation, and it can work for any business model. Here are some things to keep in mind in building an effective campaign:
Keep it simple, stupid. You can say more with less. Don't clutter your message with too many details. The more compelling the message is, the more pre-qualified your customers will be. A customer more motivated to find out more information, will be more motivated to purchase what you have to offer.
Ask for what you want. Be downright honest with your potential customer. Don't promise something you can't deliver, or hide something you can't with cliches and meaningless tricks and gimmicks. If you want action from your customer, you have to be willing to tell them what you want them to do. I want you to read the rest of this article. When you are done, I want you to read some of the other articles I have written.
Go against the grain. Take a risk on doing the opposite of what you've always done or what others are doing. Too many times, successful tactics get tired and worn out, but businesses are afraid to make a change or try something different. I am not going to give you anything free if you read this article or go to my website. The information I have available is just simply too valuable to give away. There will be no coupons, no sales prices, nothing other than the quality with which I conduct my business.
Make advertising cuts a last resort in tough budget situations. Advertising is usually the first thing businesses look at in a difficult economy. It's just the opposite. I've never understood why the solution to a slow down in business is often a reduction in telling people about your business.
Coordinate among all forms of advertising. Just because you don't listen to the radio, doesn't mean your potential customers don't. Link your radio advertising to your TV, internet, direct mail, and newspaper. Radio can reinforce a message on TV which can be aware of your newspaper and lead to better direct mail and can send them to your website. It's absolutely necessary to building an effective brand.
And finally, rinse and repeat. Keep your message fresh with tweaks and constant monitoring. And don't let up...or business will.
Greg Alan is the successful marketer and former broadcaster who now spotlights his attention on all things "messag-y"