Advertising In A Nutshell

The bottom line of all advertising efforts is an obvious one: to attract customers and bolster sales. But often, small business advertising is wasted on a shotgun approach that doesnt focus on the companys best prospects: those who are ready, willing and able to purchase the product or service. In an attempt to reach everybody, these advertisers either miss their true market or spend far more than necessary to reach it.

Once youve targeted your market and know exactly who and where your prospects are, its important to clearly identify what you want your advertising to accomplish. Specific advertising objectives include:

Creating new customers
Increasing usage
Increasing order size
Promoting replacement of functional but outdated products with technologically superior ones
Improving brand name recognition
Generating customer inquiries
Creating sales leads through the use of response ads, coupons or toll free 800 numbers
Promoting special events such as sales, business openings or the introduction of new products or services
Enhancing the overall image of the business

Generally, the most effective ads...