When did increasing brand awareness become optional?
I have noticed a consistent trend in small business advertising habits over the last ten years. Business owners feel the need to launch ad campaigns when business is slow or possibly even non-existent. When I suggest they advertise while business is strong they typically respond, “it is not a priority at the moment.”
5 reasons why advertising should remain priority. Even when business is strong.
- Available cash flow to support a new advertising campaign.
- A strong client or customer base which removes the pressure of “this campaign NEEDS to bring in X new clients or customers.”
- More likely to “think outside the box” and allow your marketing team to be fully creative. Creative advertising has a better chance to be top of mind and increase brand awareness.
- Current customers may have forgotten about other services or products you offer. Use effective soft selling to gain their business.
- Advertising works in cycles and may take some time before the prospect becomes a customer.
To remain at the forefront of a prospective customer’s mind because if you aren’t, someone else is.
Every successful company is built on proven advertising techniques such as promise of benefit, provoking curiosity or data visualization. The goal of advertising is to increase brand awareness through prospect connection. When did this become optional?
One of the best examples of true prospect connection can be found in Jim Raffel’s article The Help Others Manifesto. He wrote “At [a 2005 ColorMetrix meeting for users] was a gentleman who has become our largest customer. Yes, this is over and above this six figures of referrals I mentioned earlier. The kicker, when he attended the meeting he was not a customer. He had an idea for something big percolating in his brain and was looking for the right company to deliver it.”
That connection was made roughly five years prior to the gentleman becoming the customer.
What about the companies that do not advertise but are very successful?
Generally, they have built their brand on customer service and word of mouth. Their form of advertising is social interaction — which requires time and effort to facilitate. Time is money. So, in a way, they are investing in advertising their brand by way of employee wages. These employees work toward providing reputable customer service. This social interaction provides positive word of mouth and, you guessed it, increased brand awareness.
No matter how you look at it, advertising or social interaction, a company needs to invest in advertising to remain successful. To remain at the forefront of a prospective customer’s mind because if you aren’t, someone else is. And that’s a fact.
Joshua, Good on so many levels (truly the least of which is mentioning me). The user meetings were held in a time when the company had a different structure including the staff to help me pull the meetings together. In a way, that ties in with doing the advertising/marketing when you can afford to vs when you can't. The other interesting tie in, is that now I have chosen to invest my time in social interaction much of it via social media channels like my own blog, company blog, and Twitter. I like your recognition of the investment of time. I made this choice to preserve cash in what can only be described as uncertain economic times.-Jim
Thanks Jim! Your article is truly one in a million. Doing so much for your customers, connecting with them on a level that you remain in their minds so many years down the road. You are certainly doing something right over there. Be proud!
So many people disregard the investment of time as a feasible advertising replacement. Mainly because many small business owners view their time as 'free' when doing things for themselves or their business. But every hour of your day should be viewed as billable hours. If not for a client, then as a supplement or replacement to social interaction or advertising budgets. I plan to write about that in much more detail in the near future.
Thanks Jim! Your article is truly one in a million. Doing so much for your customers, connecting with them on a level that you remain in their minds so many years down the road. You are certainly doing something right over there. Be proud!nnSo many people disregard the investment of time as a feasible advertising replacement. Mainly because many small business owners view their time as ‘free’ when doing things for themselves or their business. But every hour of your day should be viewed as billable hours. If not for a client, then as a supplement or replacement to social interaction or advertising budgets. I plan to write about that in much more detail in the near future.