Here it is…..

Consistency

Diversification

Differentiation

These are the 3 keys to a successful marketing and advertising Program!

Let’s cover each in detail….

Consistency- Whatever image, avenue, message or idea you decide to pursue in your quest to teach the world about yourself and your company and your products, you must be consistent. Consumers will not waste their time trying to keep up with your effort to find the “perfect” place to broadcast your message. If you decide to participate in any kind of print media, you must plan on running in that publication for a minimum of 3 months. Readers and potential buyers want to know that you are not a “fly-by-night” company. Consistency in advertising gives you a small amount of credibility. So, next time you decide to throw some dollars at advertising your company, plan on proving yourself to the readers before you see any return on your investment.

Diversification- This is huge. So many businesses will pick one single avenue to market their business and never try anything else. I see this often in print advertising and marketing. Remember, what you see is not necessarily what you get. Your probably thinking…what?  Let me clarify. I will use the newspaper business as a perfect example of my “what you see is not what you get” theory. Most people believe that everyone in their hometown or city obtains the newspaper daily via home, work or newsstands. They also believe that everyone reads the newspaper front to back. Let me let you in on a little secret……..this is incorrect thinking. Let me provide you with an example…… Let’s say the Modesto Bee Newspaper circulates roughly 75,000 (educated guess) newspapers to Stanislaus County on Saturday by delivery, news stands and business freebies. First, the easy math is looking at the total population of Stanislaus County. According to the 2006 Consensus Bureau, there were 512,138 people living in Stanislaus County. So, 75,000 newspapers only serves roughly 19% of the population. Now, the paper has aproximately 8 sections in it. It is safe to say that 2.36% of the population or 9,375 people read no more than 2 sections of the paper per Saturday. Now, how do we breakdown the 100+ services offered in those sections and figure out what the chance that the reader will zone in on your service or product? The chance is slim to none, but what is more crucial is the amount of money the advertiser spent on that gamble. Considering that a Saturday Newspaper ad can run you from $250 to $5000, your cost per potential lead is astronomical. So, now you see why it is important to diversify your advertising dollars across print, web, radio, television, directories, trade-shows and your industry advertising opportunities. This is a time consuming process and would be best served by hiring a Marketing Director or an Advertising Agency. This will help you to be consistent, negotiate the best rates and diversify.

Differentiation- This is simple! Know your competition and don’t always do what they are doing. I am amazed at how many business people will only advertise if their competition is already advertising in that particular medium. I am astounded by the “Sheep” mentality when it comes to marketing your business. One very important note that makes you different from your competition is your differentiation in marketing your services. Industry advertising avenues are different. Businesses that have a service to offer most of the population must be willing to step out of the box and do something different. For example….. who would have ever thought that you would see Tide Laundry Soap being advertised on a Nascar? Who would have guessed that sports stadiums would have names like 3Com park or Arco Arena? My point is this……. these companies stepped out of the box. They decided that branding their name was more important than what that name was seen on. If you want to brand your company name on a bigger scale, then start thinking on a bigger scale. Start differentiating yourself from your competition!

I hope to hear your comments, feedback and opinions soon! Thanks