You're Not Mickey D's or Coke So Don't Market Like Them - Part 3
The last couple of days we talked about big businesses, how they advertise and why you shouldn't advertise that way. Here's more on that subject:
Because of the integration of advertising into our daily lives, we are constantly exposed to Level 2 advertising (the Fortune 500). And everyone assumes, based on years of passive observation, that's how marketing and advertising is done. That probably explains why so many people consider themselves advertising experts. People say, Hey, I've been submersed in it my entire life, so I certainly must know something about it. If you go to college and learn how to do advertising, you will be taught Level 2 advertising. And that's fine if you're working for a Level TWO business.
But Here's The Problem: most of the students who graduate with all these degrees in advertising and marketing don't know how to make money in the real world. You stick them in a Fortune 500 company's marketing department, and they might do okay, but if they don't have the 20, 50, or 100 year history of the company backing them up, along with the multi-million dollar or billion dollar advertising budget, it's more of a challenge for these young graduates to make money for the company. They don't know how to attract prospects in such a way that they take action. And that's crucial in getting the prospect to crossover the "Confidence Gap." They need to realize you offer a superior value. You need to make them come to this one conclusion,"I would have to be an absolute fool not to do business with anyone else but you regardless of price."
You Need To Be Able To Craft Your Business, And Then Advertise Where Prospects Can Take Action That Will Lead To A Purchase.
That action could be anything - maybe it's to call in and place an order or to request an information kit. Maybe you want the prospect to send in a reply card, or call a toll-free hotline, or visit your website. That's different than Level 2 advertising, where you're trying to create a feeling/a lifestyle and attach it to your product. You've got to manipulate your advertising so the prospect will take ACTION!
The Bottom Line Is that you have to spend your marketing dollars more intelligently whether it's hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dollars - more wisely than the Level 2 businesses. The way you do that is by using action-oriented advertising. There are many benefits of action-oriented advertising. The main one is that you know almost instantly how profitable or unprofitable your ads are...based on the number of inquiries, orders, hits, or leads you receive, DIRECTLY from the ads. You'll hear a lot of people in the advertising industry say you can't quantify the results of your advertising like that and in some cases they're right. But that's only because many businesses don't understand the fundamentals of how to make their advertising make money. Some people will bark that you can't do action-oriented advertising in certain media. Again, you can, if and only if, you know how to do it properly. There are a lot of factors and components that will affect your response. Again, you're not General Motors, McDonalds, or Coca-Cola, so don't emulate their advertising. Spend your dollars more intelligently.
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You're Not Mickey D's or Coke So Don't Market Like Them Pt. 3 - Adult B2B Mkg. Tip
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