- Launching their advertising without a strategy or a plan: A business should have their advertising planned out 12 months in advance, and they need to know what their message will be. For example, during the months of January and February, they might run ads that pertain to cold weather. During the spring, they might run ads designed to start the phones ringing. The entire year should be planned in advance.
- Inadequate budget: The advertising budget depends upon the size of the market and how much advertising the business has done within that market. The larger the market the more expensive the advertising is. A key factor for success is frequency. Let's say your target market is "women, aged 35 to 54, middle income on up." To be successful, the target market needs to hear or see the advertiser's message a minimum of three to five times a month. Without adequate frequency, advertising fails to produce the desired results.
- Failure to focus the ad dollars: Advertisers often say, "I tried TV," "I bought some radio," or "I tried XXX, and it didn't work." To be successful, an advertiser with a limited budget should focus the dollars on one medium that will reach its target market cost effectively. Spreading ad dollars over several media can be a formula for failure.
- Lack of consistency: To be successful, an advertiser needs to present a consistent look and message across all media. The look of its website should be similar to its print or direct mail. Its radio and/or TV should tie in with any or all other advertising.
- Failure to differentiate: Every day, thousands of advertising messages fail because they do not sell and they do not differentiate. It takes more than creativity to make ads work. Successful advertising needs to differentiate a business from its competitors and promote customer benefits.
- Advertisers need a campaign, not just a few ads: Consumers tune out ads they have seen too often. Advertisers need to have a minimum of 15 or more ads in rotation throughout the year to hold attention and maximize results.
- Tracking of results: Ask advertisers how their advertising is working, and many have no answer. Advertisers need to track sales leads, sales performance, and closing ratios and ask customers how they heard of their businesses. Tracking the effectiveness of advertising is critical to the success of any business.
Herb Gross is an award-winning advertising-results expert with 30-plus years of experience. He's the author of How to Win the Ad War and has appeared on The Today Show and in USA Today. For free ad tips, join Herb's ad tip club at www.herbgross.com. He can be contacted at herb@herbgross.com.
