If you’re in business, you know that advertising is important. However, you might not know how to do it effectively. Getting the word out about your business is crucial. Going to conferences, posting on Facebook groups, putting up beautiful flyers in all of your local coffee shops are all great ideas, but without a great message, it may not be enough. How do you create an effective ad?
When it comes to creating effective advertising, the question to ask is: Does it compel them to act? Think back about some advertisements you’ve seen. Which ads did you think had pretty content and which businesses actually motivated or compelled you to take action? Consider what the second one had the first one didn’t.
It’s possible that you’re steering clear of advertising your business because think that proper advertising costs hundreds, even thousands of dollars…but this is NOT true! At Kudzu Brands, we have a secret; One effective ad is considerably more powerful than 50 ineffective ads. The end game? Concentrate your efforts to create a powerful ad that will inspire your viewers to fall in love with your business!
How to Create an Effective Ad
Nail Down Your Audience
If you haven’t yet determined your target market, AKA your ideal audience, then refer back to our blog, “Identify Your Target Market and Boost Your Marketing Plan”. This article is a guideline for how to identify your very specific audience.
As a reminder, this blog posts states that, “Knowing your audience helps you decide where your marketing efforts will provide the most return on investment and clientele growth. This allows you to determine how to market to them.”
Knowing your audience will determine how you outline all of your marketing tactics moving forward. It will clarify which channels you should be posting on, what needs and benefits to address, and what type of call to action will render the highest performance.
Really Emphasize Your Differences
Now that you’ve determined who your target audience is, define your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP. This concept is simple. It’s what makes your business unique and distinguishes you from all other similar businesses. Let’s say that you’re a residential construction company that focuses on aging in place, or AIP homes (designing a home so that the resident can live there regardless of age), and your audience consists of people age 50 and over. While more and more businesses are incorporating this concept, it’s still rare, so play it up! For your effective ad, this will be the concept that you focus on.
The ideal outcome is to have viewers see your advertisement and decide to go with you right away. Of course, this is not always the case. Smart buyers will typically weigh their options. There’s no harm in aiming for this though, right?
Play Up Pain Points
Beginning your ad with a pain point is an excellent AND effective way to grab your reader’s attention right away. A pain point speaks to something that the audience is struggling with or lacking. It’s a method for introducing your business and how you can solve their problems. Attention span is very short these days, with the density of media and a fast-paced world. This is why a pain point is a great marketing tactic…it inspires your audience to read on.
Let’s continue on with the previous example. Since you’re a residential construction company and your audience consists of people over 50, then their pain point would be centered around their ability to continue living in their home after they’re grown old. You could begin your ad by saying something like, “Worried that you’ll need to change homes in 10 years?” and include a picture of an elderly couple. Then, follow up with your solution, such as, “Our aging in place homes make it possible to stay in your home for your entire life.” Because you focus on AIP homes, you’re directly addressing their issue.
Be Specific About the Benefits
Always be extremely specific about the benefits that your product or service offers to your target audience. This is called “WIIFM” or “What’s in it for me?” Remember that you’re advertising to intelligent human beings who are going to be cautious about what others are trying to sell them. Steer clear of false promises or fluffed up messaging. Instead, be honest, authentic and clear about what your audience will achieve from doing business with you.
If you can, take this a step further. Beyond simply having a unique selling proposition, explain how you can deliver your USP. This will provide proof to your audience that you’re capable of giving them what you’ve promised. As a residential, aging in place builder, you promise to deliver your USP with proof that your team is AIP-certified and has 10 years of experience building in this style. Perhaps you even have a testimonial from a client that states how comfortable they are in their new home!
Offer a Good Deal
Additional marketing tactics include offering a good deal. This isn’t necessary, but it certainly helps with inspiring action and could make for even more effective ad. Good deals include things such as offering low prices, a free trial, a sale and so on, all depending on what your specific product or service is. For example, you could offer a free consultation to an elderly couple and explain to them how your business would create a home specifically tailored to their aging needs.
Infuse your good deal with a call to action (CTA). For example, you good deal states that, “We’ll discuss how we can build the perfect home that you can live in for the rest of your life.” Then, your CTA says, “Call now for your free consultation.” Now that you’ve provided an incentive for your audience to do business with you, they are more likely to reach out.
Another option would be to have your audience sign up for your newsletter so that they can receive monthly news from you in their email. In these newsletters, you can include coupons, sales and more to attract additional interest.
Consistency is Key
Once you’ve created your effective ad, make sure that it’s consistently seen in the market. Most people do not click on an ad the first, second, or even the third time they see it. In fact, statistically, someone has to see an ad at least seven times before acting on it.
Have you decided which channels are best for your particular audience? If you’re selling to couples age 50 and over, social media may not be the best way to go. Perhaps you’ll want to consider radio, newspaper and magazine ads more suitable to an older audience. Try to get your advertisement in the most prominent media, and keep pushing it so that, for example, your ad is in a popular magazine at least once a month.