Advertising myths exposed: Myth #4 – Advertising is expensive

By Jerry Bellune

This is one of the most prevalent myths.
Yet you see small business advertising everywhere.
That’s because their owners are smart.
They know which media work best for them.
Too many people see advertising as an expense.
Smart people see advertising as an investment.

Big corporations go for branding advertising.
They believe that works for them and it may.
It establishes their brand in consumers’ minds.
And that’s the goal of their advertising campaigns.
They want you to remember their names.
Ford wants you to think of their name in buying cars.
Coke wants you to think of them, not Pepsi.

Small businesses need direct response advertising.
Their ads are designed to produce sales.
When they make a sale, they gain a customer.
Satisfying customers makes them loyal.
Small businesses need loyal customers for life.
Loyal clients become apostles. They tell their friends.

A small business model should be the 80-20 Rule.
• 80% of your customers are loyal to you.
They buy from you regularly. They believe in you.
Do everything you can to keep them happy.
• 20% will be new customers you’ve attracted.
They are replacements for customers you lose.
20% will die, move away or change buying habits.
You have zero control of that. Accept it.
Your customer turnover may be less than 20%.
But it will be at least 12% to 15%. Believe it.

Your advertising goals are simply to:
• Bring loyal customers back to buy more often.
That is the heart of all customer retention tactics.
Get them to buy more from you, more often.
• Attract new customers to replace lost ones.
You must put lots of bait on your advertising hook.
They’ve never bought from you. Entice them.

The best book on this is available to you.
It’s “Ultimate Money Making Newspaper Ads.”
For a copy, email me at [email protected]

Next: 7 secrets of RoI producing advertising.

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©2015 The Bellune Company, Inc.
Neither MidlandsBiz.com nor The Bellune Company, Inc. makes any warranty as to the results that may be achieved from using this information. ©2015 The Bellune Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Requests for permission to reprint or circulate may be obtained by emailing [email protected]