Increasing Business Visibility and Growth with Professional Advertising

Someone said “Doing business without advertising is like winking in the dark. You know what you are doing but no one else does.”

This statement clearly indicates how important advertising is to the success of any business or venture.

 

What is Advertising?

Advertising can simply be defined as the act of bringing the attention of an audience to a particular thing. This could be a product, service, cause or any other subject matter. This is usually accomplished with the aid of paid publications, announcements or any other form of media.

For a more comprehensive definition, you can read this article here.

 

Types of Advertising

There are different ways you can go about advertising. This will depend on a number of factors which will include among other things your target audience, your budget and your objective. A few examples of types of advertising include: Broadcast advertising, print advertising, digital advertising, outdoor advertising, product placement, endorsements and mobile advertising.

 

Broadcast Advertising

This was one of the most effective (and expensive) types of advertising for a long time. While it still remains as one of the most expensive, it is no longer the most efficient. It however still has a lot of impact which is why advertising agencies still use this type of advertising.

This covers television and radio adverts.

Print Advertising

This is easily one of the oldest forms of advertising. Though it is not as popular as it once was, it still enjoys some level of relevance in the advertising world. You will still find fliers, leaflets brochures, newspaper and magazine advert every day. They are however usually used in conjunction with other advertising methods.

Outdoor Advertising

This method of advertising has evolved over the years. These are adverts that are placed outside the home. You see these while driving on the highway, walking, running etc. Some examples include billboards, bus shelter posters, bus adverts, digital billboards and more.

Learn more about outdoor advertising here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/outdoor-advertising.

Product Placement

This is a special kind of advertising where a product is prominently featured in an event, TV show, movie or other such program that already has a known viewership. You could find a particular hotel featured in a movie or a type of phone used prominently. This will usually be a paid product placement.

Endorsement

This is a type of advertisement where a public figure is contracted to promote or publicly use a product. Many sports persons endorse one sportswear or the other.

Mobile Advertising

With the meteoric rise of mobile phone use, special adverts are now targeted specifically at these mobile devices. This is a more recent type of advertising that is quite efficient.

Digital Advertising

This covers all forms of advertising that is done digitally – internet advertising, social media adverts etc. This is by far the most cost efficient means of advertising today.

To learn more about the different types of advertising, you can read this article.

 

How to Advertise

To begin to advertise, there are a number of things you need to know. The most important of all is who your target audience are and where you can reach them. This is what will determine to a large extent the type of advertising method that will be most effective.

Once you have this first crucial step sorted, you can then begin to look at other issues like the type of advert to use, the objective of your advert, and what will appeal to your target audience. Do not make the mistake of writing ad copies that appeal to you. Always remember that you are not your target audience unless of course you fit that bill.

You must focus on creating ad concepts that will appeal to the type of people you are trying to reach. Another interesting tip to bear in mind is that you must know where your competition is advertising. Once you have this information, you must also begin to advertise there.

It is always important to know what is working and what is not. If you have the opportunity of starting small, especially if you are doing digital marketing then please start small and evaluate the results you are getting before going full steam.

Carry out A/B tests to determine which content or material is the most effective. If you find handling all of this information too cumbersome, then simply consider handing the job over to an advertising agency.

If however you are interesting in a hands-on approach to the marketing of your business, then you may want to read this: https://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/how-to-advertise.htm.

 

Choosing an Advertising Agency

If you’ve decided that you need to get an advertising agency to handle your adverts, then be sure to consider some very important factors. Let’s look at some of these.

 

Budget

The very first thing to consider is your budget. When you know how much you are willing to spend on your ad campaign, you will be able to narrow your search to agencies that can work within your budget.

It is a given that smaller agencies charge less than larger agencies. If you have endless resources, then you will go for the big names and spend the big bucks. If, however you have limited resources, you will want to go for smaller agencies that can work within your tight budget.

How Well Have They Marketed Themselves?

If an agency is going to pitch their services to me, I must be impressed by the types of advert they are doing for themselves. You must try to evaluate the type of work they have done for themselves before deciding if they can indeed handle yours.

Should You Look for Local Agencies?

The world has indeed become a global village, reducing the problems usually associated with distance. That said, you may be better off with a local agency if your business is a local one. If for example you run a business that exclusively serves the Spokane area, choosing a Spokane advertising agency may be your best bet since they will have a very good understanding of the locale.

Aside from the above, working with a local agency may also make collaborations much easier. You should of course consider all the implications before reaching a decision.

Do You Agree with Their Ideas?

Every business is built around a philosophy. Any advertising agency you choose should agree with this philosophy. Your adverts should be an embodiment of what your business stands for. If your advertising agency does not agree with your company’s ideas, then you are likely going to have a rough time deciding on a campaign strategy and concept that is right for you.

Ability to Act Quickly

You want an advertising agency that can work quickly to create concepts, modify concepts, deliver reports updates and more. What you are paying for is results and they should be able to offer these results quickly.

Your advertising agency is an important factor in the success or failure of your advertising efforts. It is therefore important that you choose wisely. Take your time and ensure you choose an agency that will help promote your business effectively. This article provides some helpful information on choosing an advertising agency.