How to Get the Most Out of Advertising

by Vicki Lenz

How do I know if my ad is working?

This is a loaded question! What do you want from your advertising? Advertising can produce different benefits, from direct response to awareness to education.

Be forewarned: there is no one right answer or formula, as advertising is not an exact science. However, I can at least share with you a brief synopsis of what the experts say, based on countless studies both scientific and otherwise.

Don’t expect results from day one. We are besieged by over 3,000 messages every day, and it takes 6-10 times for people to start recognizing your ad. This is only the imprinting stage. Now you have to wait for the need to arise. That’s the advantage of Coffee News – it gives you the opportunity to keep your presence in the marketplace weekly – for the long term at an affordable price. So when the need arises and the person remembers your ad, they can still find you – you haven’t disappeared.

Keep at it. The Law of Advertising #2 from Wizard of Ads Roy Williams, states “Few people will be convinced quickly, and few of those who will be convinced will have any immediate need for what you are selling. By the time their need arises, your “testing of the waters” will be over and the prospect will have forgotten you.”

Williams also preaches that “It’s what you say” that will determine your success in advertising. So if your ad is not bringing the results you anticipate, let’s review it! Perhaps your message or offer or ad design needs adjusting. Remember, there’s no charge for ad changes and/or consultation.

Michael Corbett reminds us that, “If your doors are open, you should be advertising!” In Corbett’s book, The 33 Ruthless Rules of Local Advertising, the need for continued advertising is further explained. People shop all the time, so you’re advertising to a passing parade. People move. People forget! People often take their time before buying, and when they do need your product or service, you want them to think of you.

"In Advertising, Consistency Pays Off" is the title of an article by Steve McKee at BusinessWeek.com.  “In the world of advertising, consistency is a scorecard on the wisdom of crowds. People know that advertising is expensive, so the more a company advertises, the more successful it must be. And the more successful it is, the more it means that other people are choosing it. Which means that it may be a good idea for you and I to choose it as well. 

Your brand can benefit from this power of positive momentum. Through your initial advertising efforts, people will learn that you exist. With repeated exposure, they’ll learn that you’re stable. With even more repeated exposure, they’ll assume you’re successful – after all, based on your ability to sustain a long-term advertising program, you’d have to be.”

Tracking Results –

Ask or Don’t Ask? 

Ask. This used to be my response, until I did further research on real-world results – as illustrated by a case in Corbett’s book. He cites the example of a new super lumber-type store. Customers were polled as they entered the store on grand opening weekend and asked, "What brought you in?" Roughly 50% said radio, 30% said TV, and 20% said newspaper. Guess what? The grand opening was advertised only on radio and in the newspaper. Yet 30% were very sure that they saw the ad on TV! “People don’t like not knowing what brought them in and they want to be helpful, so they’ll make things up,” says Corbett.

If you decide that you are going to ask, be specific. Ask, “Did you see our ad in Coffee News?” instead of the generic question “How did you hear about us?”

Another option for retail locations is to place the “Have You Seen our Ad in Coffee News?” sign by your cash register or at your front desk. We can provide you with the laminated sign which features an enlarged copy of your ad.

Don’t Ask. Corbett advises, “The only foolproof way to evaluate advertising effectiveness is by setting measurable growth objectives for your business, and by monitoring the results in the cash register. Period.” Let me elaborate, and offer some ways to measure results.

Consider this explanation by one of our advertisers. “People see our ad in Coffee News all the time, but not necessarily when they need our services. Then when they do have a need, they might pick up the phone book to look for a company. They see our name there and remember it - rather than our competitors - because they've been seeing our ad. When I ask a caller how they found us, they might say the phone book. But I know it probably started with the name awareness generated by our advertising." Smart man!

Do educate yourself on branding and advertising, and have a plan and budget. Corbett advises that you carefully select your advertising media by considering:

1. how closely the audience profile of the medium matches your target market;
2. the comparative costs of reaching the target audience through different media;
3. the frequency of the media;
4. the creative opportunities or uniqueness of the medium to communicate your message.

You’ll find that your ad in Coffee News can effectively deliver on all four counts!

And Consider This. What is one customer worth to you? How much will they spend with you in one year, five years, or a lifetime of doing business with you? Don’t forget to factor in the value of new customers that come your way as a result of referrals from that one customer. How does all that value compare to your cost to advertise?

One of our long-term advertisers views “Is this working?” in additional ways. He sees his ongoing ad as a way to build a sense of familiarity and trust -- with new customers, prospective customers, and former customers. Further, he knows that his ad serves as reminder, should they need additional services or have someone to refer.

Others have a less analytical way of determining effectiveness. When asked how his company’s ad in Coffee News was working, one gentleman’s response was, “We’ve been advertising in Coffee News for four years. ‘Nuff said.”