Download Making Your Advertising Work

Making Your
Advertising Work
4600 North 4th Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
p. 866.642.4657
c. 317.441.3624
[email protected]
www.nicholsmedia.com
WHERE TO START
WHAT IS OUR BRAND
We don’t have to tell you how competitive today’s marketplace is. Doing what you do better, cheaper,
faster, no longer guarentees that you will be successful.
Have you ever asked yourself the following questions?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How do I describe our business in 3-5 words?
What is different about our business?
How do we message these differences in words, images or actions?
Why is “being different” important to our customers?
Looking at our brand as a person, how would you describe him or her?
What are our company values and how are they important?
How do we position our brand (what do we offer, how are we different, why is it important?)
This self-analysis will help to answer three questions below. In-turn, these answers give us the necessary guidlines to provide consistent messaging accross all marketing channels. Whether it is traditional, digital or social media.
1. What do you do?
2.
How do you do it?
3.
Why should I care?
The “why should I care” is the most important question. How can you expect your custoer to purchase
from you if you can’t articulate why your product or service matters to them?
© NICHOLS MEDIA 2016 nicholsmedia.com
MEASURMENT MATTERS
WHAT DO WE MEASURE
Know the impact of each marketing investment. Most media companies want to focus on metrics like
gross rating points, impressions, organic search rankings and reach. However, these “soft” metrics
are only important in that they are measurable means to connect to the “hard” metrics like pipeline,
revenue and the ultimate goal...profit. What Nichols Media will help you focus on, as it relates to your
advertising campaign is:
•
•
•
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How fast are we growing now compared to last quarter? Last year?
How much profit was made last quarter versus this quarter?
How much revenue and profit do you forecast for the new quarter?
What makes you feel confident about the above numbers?
Keep in mind that we always want to look forward, not backward. Sure, you need to evaluate what
you have done and what results were, but you don’t drive a car looking in the rearview mirror.
5 STAGES OF ADVERTISING
1. Denial
“Advertising is an art, not a science. It can’t be measured. The results will come, trust me.”
2. Fear
“What if the advertising dollars don’t impact my bottom line?”
3. Confusion
“I know I can measure how the advertising is working, but I just don’t know how.”
4. Self-Promotion
“Hey, look at how great we are doing on these charts and graphs.”
5. Accountability
“Increased revenue starts with great advertising.”
© NICHOLS MEDIA 2016 nicholsmedia.com
SALES CYCLE
HOW YOUR CUSTOMER BUYS
Every business selling a product or service has a “sales cycle”. The question you need to ask yourself
is:
1. How long is yours?
2. What can I do to push customers into the next stage of this cycle
Aware
Search
Evaluate
Purchase
Testimonial
Aware: Customer decides they have a need or a problem
Search: Customer searches for potential solutions to fulfill their needs
Evaluates: Customer considers the options to fulfill their needs
Purchse: Customer acquires the solution
Testimonial: Customer tells others about the experience
© NICHOLS MEDIA 2016 nicholsmedia.com