Advertising Basics
Good marketing plans are built from trial, error, and research. Customer interaction, local trends, and type of services offered should all be considered when developing a marketing strategy. Each market is different and generalizing can be dangerous. Your sales numbers and goals are easier to meet when you fine tune what works for individual territories and customers. What works in Orange County may be the opposite of what clients are looking for in Northern Los Angeles.
For us at Digital Magic Signs (DMS), we evaluate each client’s service package and its accompanying sales funnel. What were they looking for, how were they serviced, and will they return are all questions that need to be asked when reviewing/setting your advertising budget.
Build on what Works
Build on whatever successes you’ve had in the past. If you’ve ran an ad that received a good response, you may want to double or triple the number of similar ads in your next advertising cycle.
DON’T FEEL CONFINED BY LAST PERIOD’S BUDGET AND PLAN
When setting your advertising budget, don’t allow negative results to stop you from trying something new. As mentioned above, repeating or improving on a strong performing ad and cutting back on the under performing can go a long way towards building success. Most plans include some spending that can be cut out or reworked.
Do not continue to run advertisements that are under performing. Too many small businesses get stuck hoping that their carefully worked ads will turn the corner. Typically, if you have been running the same advertisement for several months, with no leads, it’s time to re-evaluate.
Monitor your plan over the business cycle and adjust it early. Catching problems sooner rather than later avoids wasting time and money.
Be Aware of UNNECESSARY SPENDING
Always review spending expenditures and run the numbers before writing a check. An outside agency has their own goal in mind. That goal is to get you to buy their ad space or to use their design or printing services (like us at DMS). Make sure their goals are aligned to your own.
Research free to advertise avenues. Many businesses will try to charge you, to put you in relevant directories (so potential clients can find you). There are hundreds of free directories on the internet, they just take time and patience to navigate.
Be aware of advertising agencies. Their service charge is normally geared at large corporations, who have budgets to run thousands of ads across many platforms. If you’re a small business, it is likely their services are overkill for what you offer. Try to avoid the expensive fees for consultation and design.
Organize Your Direction
If your advertising strategy is consistent and clearly of one kind, you may want to pursue a single avenue. For example, at DMS we create signs, banners, and car decals all for small businesses in the Orange County area. Our typical clients are local businesses who need more exposure. Our services and pricing is tailored to that.
You decide that you need to create one plan for selling products and another for convincing prospective buyers to use your services. Or you may have multiple locations that require different ads. You should organize these entities and run ads based on your individual goals for each. Selling holistic household products in Sacramento will require a different ad campaign than selling home cleaning services in Irvine.
If your plan seems too complicated, divide and conquer! Every type of marketing activity in your plan should have a natural and appropriate level of breakdown. Find the right level, and your planning will be much easier to do.
Orange County Sign Shop
Now, a little bit about ourselves! Digital Magic Signs is a Southern California sign company that specializes in wide format printing, die-cut graphics for indoor and outdoor applications, and general sign marketing. Since 2000 we’ve tailored our approach to our clients needs in order to develop long-term business relationships grounded in excellent customer service, superior quality graphics, & swift turn-around. We conceptually design, fabricate, & install graphics, which range from print & cut decals, trade show displays and also full vehicle wraps!
Please give our Orange County print company a call to bring your marketing ideas to life.
