Small Business Advertising Laws

Those of us who have our own business understand one thing...
ADVERTISE!
This is a given but as a small business owner myself, I found there are a few rules/laws that should be followed.

1. Use One Message: A high response rate ad usually conveys a single message.  For example NordicTrack's message of the "World's Best Aerobic Exercise" was simple and compelling. Your small business advertising needs to quickly communicate its core message in 3 seconds or less. Another example, if you are fearful and overwhelmed by technology, which computer book, do you buy? "DOS for Dummies" began a best-selling phenomena because its message was easily understood and to the point.

2. Add Credibility: It has become human nature to distrust advertising. Claims need to be real and credible. Roy H. Williams, best-selling author of the "Wizard of Ads" says, "Any claim made in your advertising which your customer does not perceive as the truth is a horrible waste of ad dollars."  Ivory soap's advertising success was attributed to its credible statement that ivory soap is the 99-44/100% pure. NordicTrack added enormous credibility from a University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse research study, ranking the cross-country ski exerciser first in the areas of weight loss, body fat reduction, and cardiovascular fitness.

3. Test Everything: Large businesses have a greater margin to waste capital and resources without testing advertising. Small businesses do not have the luxury. Use coupons, codes, and specials to measure the headline, timing, and placement of your ad. Test only one item at a time and one medium. Testing can be as simple as asking every customer for several weeks how they heard of your business.

4. Be Easy to Contact: Every single brochure, box, email and all company literature should have full contact information including: website and email address, phone and fax numbers, and company address. It seems simple but is forgotten by most companies. I know team members of VitaMist put stickers on the caps of their products so their customers always know how to get hold of them. Just think where can I put my information?  The answer is everywhere.

5. Match Ads to Target: Successful business advertising speaks to one target market only. To go back to the example of NordicTrack, the ads were tailored to each market. An ad in a medical publication preached the cardio-vascular benefits of cross-country skiing to heart patients. Ads in women's magazines discussed the weight-loss and calorie burn from cross-country skiing. Focus the message to the target group.

6. Create Curiosity: Successful business advertising does not sell a product or service. Create ads that generate interest and make the customer want more information.  Having a poor response is not the medium's fault. Often the problem is the message. Small business advertising is not a quick fix solution to marketing your company. It takes planning, testing and constant exposure to have an impact on your business. Done correctly, business advertising can be a winning strategy.

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