Finding the Perfect Advertising Idea
One of the reasons most small business advertising fails is the advertising idea is flawed. In fact, it’s flawed to the extent there is no real idea behind it.
Let me explain.
Business owners tend to run ads almost by accident, usually because a rep has called just at the right time, or the business owner has a vague notion he or she needs more business.
So the advertising idea, if we can call it that, is simply “get more business”. And while this is a worthy and necessary aim, as an advertising idea, it’s lousy.
Here’s why: your readers are not in the least bit interested in you or your business, and they’re even less interested in giving you money. And when your advertising idea is focused on you, then you’ve lost the battle even before it’s begun.
So what you need to ensure is your advertising idea is about them, and not about you. As you’ll probably know, everyone is tuned into the world’s favourite radio station Radio WIIFM – What’s In It For Me?
Now, you might feel stumped at that. But worry not because here’s…
A guaranteed way to discover the perfect advertising idea
People will come to your business for two reasons: you solve a problem for them, and they perceive you as different and better than your competitors.
It’s that simple.
So your advertising idea has to show them both facets of this. You’ve got to show them you understand their problem, and then you have to differentiate yourself from everyone else in your industry.
First, come up with a statement defining exactly what problem you solve. Presumably you’re in business for a reason and you render service to your clients and customers. They come to you for something. If you’re astute, you’ll realise what you’re doing here is figuring out a headline for your ad – you’re basically thinking about what your clients and customers want and then promising them you’ll deliver it. It can be as simple as describing the chief benefit of your service and adding the words “how to” at the front; e.g. if you sell fire alarms and the chief benefit is you can save someone’s family from the danger of a fire, the benefit is “save your family from unexpected fires” and the headline might read “How to save your family from unexpected fires”. That’s the first step in formulating your advertising idea.
And secondly, you then differentiate yourself from your competitors. This is easier than it first sounds. The important thing to realise is simply saying “We give great service” is not a differentiator. It’s a minimum requirement of any business! Similarly having been in business for 30 years or having a large selection are not by themselves differentiators unless you can turn them around into a genuine benefit to your customers and clients. So, one way to kick off the “differentiating” part of your advertising idea is to make a list of all the things people hate about people in your profession and then promise not to do it! Let’s be honest: we all complain about solicitors charging for every second on the phone, estate agents telling lies, used-car salesmen selling us lemons, plumbers not turning up, deliverymen not delivering… I bet every industry has a list of “pet hates” applied to it. So make that list and then ensure your advertising idea makes it plain your positively guarantee not to anything on it.
By doing these two things you really do differentiate yourself from your competitors and speak to the concerns, wants, and desires of your audience. Exactly how you then write your ad is another matter, but this process is a great way to get the advertising idea kicked off.
Have a look around the rest of this site and see some of the specific strategies you can use to find that perfect advertising idea to increase your profits starting TODAY!
Happy Advertising!
Chris Cardell
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