Advertising: A Necessary Evil

When starting a new business, it is very important to remember: Just because you built it, does not necessarily mean people will come.

One of the first steps to creating a good advertising plan is to decide exactly who your target market is, then you need to research their buying habits. For example, if they are reading local papers and/or magazines, then research distribution and readership. If your business is specialized, I suggest trade publications that are geared to your type of business. Remember, a small ad can have a large impact if your message is well thought out and clear. Less is more, hit your demographic and hit it often, the more a person sees your message, the more likely they are to remember your name when in the market for your goods and services. Use consistency, your slogan, when repeated has a better chance of creating top-of-mind awareness.

Electronic media like television and radio are also excellent choices for getting your advertising message in front of the consumer. Again, the thing to keep in the forefront of your mind is that different television programs and different radio formats will target very different audiences. If your business is a beauty salon, you probably wouldn't choose to run your ad during a WWF Championship or place it on the local sports radio station, unless of course, you had a seasonal ad like say, a Mother's Day promotion that you were running and wanted to give men a suggestion on what to buy their mom's for the occasion. Again, in order to creat an advertising campaign that will drive consumers to your business, you must first know who that consumer is and what their habits are. For instance, it's probably very likely that if you are trying to reach women 25-54 with an average income of $50,000 per year, running an ad on an adult contemporary radio station during the prime drive time of 6am-7pm, while they are listening in their cars or in their offices would make good sense.  Put your money where you know it will reach your market.

Too often I see small businesses that simply didn't add an advertising budget to their business plan, that is unfortunate. Just because you built it, does not necessarily mean people will come. You need to get the word out about who you are, what you do and the benefit consumers will receive by choosing you to work for them.  Remember, the competition is tough, businesses are fighting for market share. Consumers vote with their pocket books and the truth is they tend to vote for companies that they have heard of. Advertising not only creates top of mind awarenss, but it also gives the consumer a level of comfort and trust, why would I trust someone with my money that I have never heard of?

When I go on a sales call, it never ceases to amaze me when I am informed by business owners that they "don't have to advertise" either because of location or company name and status. My favorite analogy for these business owners is this: When you drive past a McDonald's you can see right up on their sign, "Over a billion served". Over a billion? That's a lot of people that have visited their establishment and enjoyed their food. And yet, McDonald's has yet to stop advertising. Why? Because successful businesses understand the concept of branding themselves to their target audience and keeping their name at the forefront of the consuers mind. Yes, companies like McDonald's, Coke and Gucci have deep pockets, but they still have to advertise, and they have to do it smartly. It is no different for the small business owner.

Public Relations is also another great way to brand your business. A good PR firm will get your name out to the community, build your reputation assist in creating the synergy needed to build your business.  The mistake many people make is that they think they can hire a PR Firm to write press releases, get media attention, put together events and.....get them free advertising. On the contrary, a good public relations firm will work hand in hand with advertising mediums. If you hire a PR firm to put together a great event for you then you have to make sure you advertise it to the right people to ensure its success. Any public relations person that tells you differently is doing you a disservice.

Also, with the economy being what it is, business professionals are flocking to networking events, find some in your area and go represent! People buy from people, take your charming self to as many networking events as you can, shake hands, kiss babies and watch your business grow! Remember, just because you built it does not necessarily mean people will come! :) Good luck!

Sonja M. Flaherty-Graff National Sales Manager Aqua Cabana Magazine www.aquacabanamag.com