Advertising can have a life of its own if there are not proper systems in place to control it. By neglecting your advertising you can get undesired results. Your goal when managing your advertising is to assure that you are in control of what you are sending out as a message and to make sure you are getting what you paid for.
When it comes to promoting a brand it’s imperative that any advertising is done consistently. So when purchasing advertising consider:
- Are you advertising in the right medium? Make sure the ads will reach the customers you desire.
- Get six months or one year contracts- you can usually negotiate better rates and it forces you to do the advertising consistently. One of the biggest mistakes made by small business owners is giving up to early. It takes patience and consistency to see results.
- Make sure you have control over the message- Work with the advertiser and make sure the quality of the ad is high, after all this will represent your company. The message needs to match your goals and marketing plan in order to work for your company. Don’t just settle! You are paying for this ad and you need to be satisfied that it will work for the company.
- If you have a small budget, or a small staff – start with only one advertising tool. Choose the one that you think will most likely reach your target market. It is better to do one thing right than to do five things badly.
- Don’t invest in any advertising unless you can measure the results. Big companies can waste money doing image advertising. As a small business owner you can’t! You must be able to see a direct relationship between every ad and new sales. If not – change something and try again.