Written by: Eric Gershey, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The most painful defeat, second only to the pain of a failed business endeavor, is the sting of a failed advertisement.
Think about it. You’ve put all this effort into crafting a business that you can be proud of; the culmination of all this hard work, commitment, and not to mention passion. And so, it’s only natural to want to get the word out with an advertisement that reflects these efforts. Something that shows off not only what you’ve done, but what your business can do. With your head back at the drawing board and your nose back to that grindstone, you draw up the best visuals you can; a piece of media that’s sure to ignite that first spark of interest. And so, you put your new advertisement out on all the hot platforms. It’s only a matter of time before the customers pour in.
Alas, when you log on the next day, you can practically see the tumbleweeds rolling across your screen. It’s the same story one day, week, month down the road. The line is silent, you don’t have any buzz for your business. You can’t help but think about all that time –and not to mention money—that you’ll never get back.
It's a situation familiar to many business owners, and so it won’t come as a surprise to learn that many businesses can stop dead in their tracks in the wake of a failed advertisement. In a world that feels dependent on how many clicks you get, or views you acquire, you may feel the urge to put up a big statement on all the major platforms. If that statement doesn’t go as planned, it can be a big hit to your confidence, and to your business. A hit you can’t afford to take.
Luckily, hope is not lost. Advertising is a game, just like any other endeavor; all you have to do is learn the tricks or hire Nine2Five Custom Ads!
In this article, we’ll share with you 5 tips for better advertising. It’s the need-to-know information that’ll teach you how to build the best ad and bring that ad to the best possible audience. A win for you and your business:
1. Know your Brand
This one may seem like an obvious one. After all, it’s your business, your ad, your story to tell! But, pinpointing what exactly you want to say about your business is the foundation of any good advertisement. It’s not just your business that you’re trying to market. It’s your experience, your skills, and most importantly, your brand. And you want to keep this in mind at every step of your process. When formulating your goals, does your trajectory look like something that’s in the reason for your business? When drafting your ad, is it getting the right message across? If you partner with any ad agency, are they taking the time to ensure that they’re catering to your specific vision? Understanding your brand and putting it at the forefront of every step of the process will ensure that you’re building an advertisement that works for you.
2. Get Creative
An advertisement is what you want to say about your business. In a fast-paced world like ours, it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. So, when creating your ad, you want to make sure that what you have to say is being conveyed in a way that’ll really leave a mark. Utilizing audio and visuals is a good way to get your bases covered and ensure your message is being understood on all fronts. You’ll want to be sure that you’re producing high-quality creative content in order to stand out.
3. Pick the Right Platforms
As the old saying goes, “the bigger the better.” Right?
When putting up your advertisement, it may be your first instinct to try and cast as wide a net as possible. After all, by utilizing the most platforms, and targeting those big names, you’re going to get more eyes on your business.
If only things could be so simple!
You may know by now that most platforms have targeting restrictions which keep your advertisement from reaching your desired audience. This accounts for why your ads haven’t received any traffic. If they have, why they always seem to miss their mark? Building a successful advertisement isn’t just about the ad itself, but what platform you choose to put it on. Instead of, “the bigger the better” try “the more specific the better.” Instead of casting that wide net, and using all those big-name platforms, use a more targeted approach. Utilize platforms like Hulu, Spotify, Podbean, and Reddit – platforms with sizable user bases, but who won’t block out your ad with their restrictions. This ensures that your advertisements are being seen by people who want to see them, and that your message is reaching the right market.
4. Plan Ahead
So you’ve built the perfect ad, and put it on the perfect platform. That means the hard work is over, right?
Unfortunately, this is how many advertisements find themselves doomed for failure, through poor planning. You see, it’s not enough to put out the perfect ad. Once your ad is out to the public there’s no guarantee which way it will go, who will be receiving it, or even how it will be received. You have to stay on top of things, and always be mindful of your progress. Establish a strategy ahead of time to reaffirm your goals for your ad, and the types of reactions you want to elicit. Then, as your ad goes out, keep these goals in mind. You’ll want to track your advertisement’s progress over the course of its first month and check-in at its conclusion. Now would be the time to ask yourself are you happy with the progression of things? If not, there’s plenty of room to adjust. Just don’t make the mistake of waiting too long. It’s better to make those changes early on, than to wait and find yourself asking where did it all go wrong?
5. Find the Right Partner
By now you might be a little overwhelmed. And we can’t fault you—it’s a lot to keep in mind. When you’re running a business the weight of the world seems to fall on your shoulders, and you might not have time to be overburdened with the stress of marketing. If you find yourself in that situation, this last tip will be especially helpful. If you’re not ready to take on the challenge of marketing, the good news is you don’t have to. By partnering with Nine2Five Custom Ads service, you’ll be partnering with someone who knows you, and your business, and can take on that task of creating the perfect ad. The key here is to partner with someone who understands those first 4 tips, and who will work to ensure that your vision is being executed. This will leave you with more time to do what you do best, running your business!
Visit Nine2Five Custom Ads to Sign Up Now: http://nine2fivecustomads.com/
Eric Gershey, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
CEO and Founder of Nine2Five Job Search and Nine2Five Custom Ads. Featured article in Yahoo! Finance, NJBIZ, Thrive Global, Small Business Trends and 65 other publications. Co-Host of Award-Winning Podcast called Nine2Five Job Search Podcast (iTunes Top 50 Education Podcast). Eric graduated with a B.A. in 2012 from Montclair State University and has a background in career services, sales, marketing and management.
