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Humor can be a boon to advertising…or the bane of its existence. People have individual tastes, and what one person finds hilarious can be offensive the next. Should you decide to utilize humor in your advertising, keep it light. If you must make fun of something, turn the tables on your own business or product. Poking fun at yourself can bring about the desired response. Poking fun at someone else creates the risk of offending potential clientele.
A cost effective method of promotion for almost any budget is flyers. If you need to market an event or service locally, well-placed flyers can be an excellent option. Using basic graphics found online or in Windows programs, you can put together your own flyers and print them on your home computer. If you aren’t comfortable creating your own advertising, for a small fee, (usually around $25, depending on complexity), Paperweight Productions can assist in the creation of a master copy. From that point, you can print the flyers yourself, or we can provide copies for you at our usual rate. Flyers are an effective method of selling items and promoting events without the excessive costs involved with newspaper advertising.
Recognize that tune? Signature music with catchy lyrics trumps a simple tagline. Not only will it become part of your brand, done correctly it will infuse a Pavlovian response in potential clients. Whenever possible, expand beyond the tagline and into musical content with your business or product name in the lyrics. Remember, many who remember the “Where’s the Beef?” ad campaign cannot tell you which business it promoted.
Those two little words, accompanied by a celebrity with a fake milk mustache, started an ad campaign for the record books. Marketing is about grabbing the public’s attention and refusing to let go. When writing ad materials, don’t concern yourself with copy insertion in every nook and cranny. Newspapers are full of poorly designed ads containing way too much information. If you can’t hook them with a glance, they’ll never hang around to read the fine print anyway. It’s not about how much you can cram into a space–it’s about grabbing them with the space you’ve got.
Getting your name out there is one of the biggest hurdles to a successful marketing campaign. Utilizing the web for this purpose can expose your business to thousands of potential clients. While a website is an excellent approach, there are free web resources you can use as well. Join discussion groups in your target market area. Many of these groups allow signature links in their posts. Link your website or webmail for no-fuss advertising that’s not considered Spam. By the same token, you can leave comments in the blogosphere. Most blogs allow user comments, and many will accept a URL to your website or webmail. If you enjoy writing, you can create your own marketing blog through WordPress or Blogger, sharing your insights and successes while promoting your business at the same time.
Whether you’re marketing T-shirts, Accounting Services or a used SUV, take the time to research exactly what type of people would be interested in your product. Spot-focus your advertising dollars on the consumers you’re trying to reach, and you’ll have greater marketing success.
