John Bomarito, Owner, Money Mailer Macomb

One of the biggest mistakes I see small business owners make is to jump in and out of advertising vehicles before their investment has a chance to build a return for them.

Regardless of whether it is TV, newspaper, radio or direct mail, judging the success of an ad campaign on one or two runs & subsequently jumping in and out of various media does nothing to build awareness for a business. Rather than buy an ad to run one time and then quit when immediate results are not seen, business owners would be better off giving their advertising budget to charity and then issuing a press release.

Ad campaigns results are built over time. Typically, the higher the transaction price or perceived risk of your category, the longer it takes to earn the consumer's confidence and trust.

While we live in a society that sets an expectation for instant results, the fact remains that not everybody who sees your ad is ready to buy at the exact time you are ready to sell. They may like your message, like your offer and be attracted to your graphics. But will they visit a business if they don't need that particular service at this moment in time? Would you? What happens when they are ready to buy and your ad is not running, but your competitor is running a great offer? What would you do?

Why do companies with highly recognized brand names such as McDonald's®, Cadillac®, Wells Fargo® & Visa® spend billions of dollars every year on advertising when they are synonymous with the category? It is because they have reams of research done over many years proving that when they stop advertising, they lose market share to their competition. It then cost three times as much to either win that customer back or conquest a new customer to replace them.

So how does a small business with limited resources plan a consistent campaign?

Allocate a budget formula. This can be a percent of sales or x-dollars per unit sold or if you are new, establish a pre-determined monthly amount (just like the rent & utilities). Then stick to it (yes, this is hard)
Find vehicles that allow you to communicate with your ideal prospect's demographics on a regular basis. This takes time. Don't skimp on asking about the details of the audience. Beware of salespeople who insist that you make a decision without getting all of your questions answered.
Being in multiple media helps reach more of your audience. Not everyone reads the newspaper or watches TV or even opens all of their mail.
Measure your results more broadly than response rates. Such as how many people you are reaching every month within a given geography. Response rate is only one measure of success, particularly in the short term.
Ask your customers on satisfaction surveys where they have seen your ads. Not everyone brings in the coupon. So you need to be more sophisticated in how you gather your data. Customer service questionnaires are great opportunities for learning more about your customer base & how they view the business and the best way to communicate with them.
Leave some room in your budget to experiment or take advantage of short-term opportunities.
Allow a minimum of six-months before assessing a campaign's success

Advertising is part science, part human behavior and part timing. To build familiarity and awareness of your brand image, give yourself the benefit of obtaining the maximum amount of return from your investment, by running campaigns consistently over time.

John Bomarito has over 20-years of marketing experience and owns Money Mailer of North Macomb. John can be reached at 586-726-0297 or jbomarito@moneymailer.com. You can also visit his web site at www.moneymailer.com/macomb