Ad Campaigns that Get Results

Advertising has never been as important or varied in form as it is in today’s business world. Though it doesn’t take a degree in communications to create a successful ad campaign, nor is it a matter of happenstance and luck (though both of these may play a part in what lies ahead).

When you are trying to decide what tactics to use to get the word out about your business, you should understand that simply following the course of a previously successful campaign, by some other business, is not always the right course of action.

One truism in advertising is that different companies get different results with different campaigns. You’ll need to look inward to make the most out of your advertising. Decide what salient points you want to get across, what method would be best in doing this, and in what areas your advertising would be best received. The answers to these questions will give you an immediate head start to creating a successful ad campaign.

The first thing you’ll need to decide when designing an ad campaign is who your target audience is. Once this decision is made, you’ll better understand what to say to them and how to say it. Most importantly, you’ll be able to find out the best ways to reach them.

If your target audience, for example, is the rich and affluent, it will be a waste of your money to purchase ad time during television shows these people are unlikely to watch. If your target audience is blue-collar, you might want to steer clear of advertising messages and avenues more likely to appeal to the rich. Demographics are the numbers advertisers live and die on.

While some people argue that these statistics and numbers are stereotyping and unfair, the truth remains that they are surprisingly effective. To reach a potential audience, you’ll need to research these individuals and families and find out where to reach them.

One of the biggest mistakes many first-time advertisers make is assuming anyone cares about what they say. They don’t. Your job is to make them care through a quality campaign. While you and your friends and family may be thrilled with your full-color ad in the local paper, most everyone else will consider it one more thing to flip by on the way to the news.

This will go double if your ad is just like everyone else’s. People stop and look at things that are out of the ordinary. Sometimes the best ads make no sense at all upon first look. Sometimes they even serve to annoy or aggravate the audience. This, surprisingly, is a relatively effective form of advertising.

While a certain percentage of people may see an irritating advertisement and make a statement like, “I will never shop there,” a significant portion of these same people will not follow through on this vow. They can hate your advertisement, and they can fail to fully “get” your advertisement. What they must not do is ignore your advertisement.

Finally, find out what the competition is doing. Do it better. If they successfully advertise on a particular channel, buy advertising during the same time slots and make your ads flashier, more direct, and more creative than theirs. Advertising is a fascinating and expansive field, but it is also cutthroat. Make sure you come ready to play hard.