Mixing your marketing strategy so that it falls into a variety of areas will bring optimum exposure to your business and whether big or small, a company will always benefit from advertising.
Not only could this avenue bring short-term benefits such as a boost in sales, in the long-term you will undoubtedly build an increased recognition of your brand.
When it comes to the advertising world you need to decide if it is a viable option to use an agency or whether to opt to go it alone. This will come down to the level of exposure you hope to receive from a campaign and the amount of money you intend to spend. If you are a new business and simply want to get your name about in the local area you could benefit from organising simple adverts in local press yourself. If however you want to launch a new product to a national audience and your plan is to spend a significant amount of money, then it would be a good idea to employ an agency so that they can direct you.
A good agency will come up with a myriad of creative and innovative ideas as this is their specialised area and you pay them to guide you. They will know which areas to target and can advise you on the type of advertising that might work for your venture i.e.: internet, radio, print, TV, trade press, national newspapers etc.
Regular brainstorming meetings will allow everyone involved to spend time analysing your target audience and where these people will go to look for the services and products you offer. It must also be considered when these potential customers are most likely to buy into your campaign. Know your market. If you produce Christmas cards then you should know when the best time of year is to launch a promotion onto unsuspecting customers!
Choosing an agency is an important step. Imagine if you were about to spend a lot of money on a particular car – you would not buy it if you found out it lacked in performance. Research is imperative and will bode you well in the long run. Gut instinct and instant rapport are important but equally you need to know about the other customers an agency has worked with and the success of any previous campaigns.
If you do opt to use an agency make sure you agree a detailed contract before they start working for you. Set clear objectives based on what you hope to achieve and most importantly, the budget you have allocated. If you do not set clear guidelines regarding cost you may end up being caught out by extra fees that you knew nothing about. It is also worth considering whether you plan to use them for a one-off campaign or an ongoing basis and how you plan to monitor the success of the work they do. At the end of the day, a business must feel reassured that their money is being well spent.
‘Speculate to accumulate’ is a very pertinent statement for the advertising world but if an agency is not bringing you the results you hoped for then it is worth shopping around.
