Now that you’ve made an investment in advertising, you’ll want to ensure that you get the most from your advertising. There are a few considerations to maximise the impact.
Content is king
Ensure you frequently update your advert/website content to ensure it reflects your business accurately. Ensuring your content is up to date greatly increases your chances of getting relevant enquiries and also helps you to be picked up by search engines. Look to promote seasonal offers or short-term promotions. Use words and phrases that you know customers will use to search for your kind of business, and imagery that will attract customers. Consider the following content areas:
- Contact details – Are they up to date? Are you using multiple numbers to promote different locations or sides of your business?
- Locations – Are the areas that you service clear, have you listed out multiple locations with local numbers?
- Expertise/Reliability – How can the customer tell that you are an expert?
- Associations/Brands – Are these listed out clearly?
- Products and services – Are these explicit in your content?
Unique selling points – This could make all the difference. Is it clear what you offer that your competitors don’t? What are the reasons a potential customer should contact you?
Link your advertising
If you advertise in multiple ways ensure you cross promote e.g. if advertising in the Yellow Pages directory, list your website address, link your website to your Yell.com advertising, add a video to your website.
Watch the competition
Check regularly on your competition to see if they are changing the way they are promoting their business. Do you need to make changes to your advertising or the way you run your business in order to keep up?
Be available
Many advertisers lose customers simply by having poor handling procedures. Always ensure you use call forwarding to pick up calls on the move, make sure your voicemail is up to date, answer the phone in a customer-friendly manner. Consider including an email address in your content so that customers can contact you outside of normal trading hours.
Encourage ‘word of mouth’
Provide business cards that can be kept or passed on, and always ask satisfied customers to recommend your business – this is the best free advertising you could wish for. Ask customers to review your business online and ask for testimonials that can be shown to potential customers.
If you get a bad review, it isn’t the end of the world. In fact if you deal with it in a quick and positive way, you can even turn it to your advantage; respond to the review, and explain to your customer how you’re dealing with the issue.
Monitor performance
Monitor what advertising is working and what’s not. This may help shape your business strategy moving forward and will also help you understand which forms of advertising are working for you and where you may want to invest more.
This article is provided only for general informational and educational purposes. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal or other professional advice on the subject matter in question. You should not act or rely on information contained in this website without first seeking professional advice on the subject matter in question.
