Sales & Marketing Consultant, Bestselling Author & Sales Conference Speaker

(Holly at the curry house!)

5 years ago we moved house and unfortunately we were now 20 miles away from the curry house that we used to call “home”

We were regulars and we were treated like royalty.

It was very successful because of the quality of the food, the service and was mainly populated by locals and word of mouth.

It was a last minute thing but last week we decided to drive the 20 miles to see old friends at the curry house and to take our 4 year old for her first Balti!

Once again as we arrived they remembered us and made a fuss of our Holly and we had a magnificent meal. I spoke to the waiters and the manager who expressed their concern about how the economy was affected their business.

“Regulars only come in once a month now when before it was two times a month and the snow before xmas nearly killed us off” said the Manager

“What do you do to market yourselves?” I replied

“Nothing. We rely on regulars and word of mouth” he said

I was amazed!

That attitude might be ok when the economy is in a good state but not when pennies are tight. The manager had the attitude of “Build it and they will come” which is a recipe for disaster.

No leaflet drops, no special offer adverts, no in-house promotions – nothing!

It was really sad for me to hear.

Of course I gave them my two penneth of advice before I left!

So build it and they will come still exists, I hope that it’s not the same with your business.

Happy marketing

Sean

Sean McPheat

http://www.seanmcpheat.com

Despite the decline in print publications and the rise in internet marketing, print advertising is still an effective method for getting the word out about your products and services. The trick to running a successful print campaign, however, depends on your abililty to avoid a few common mistakes when designing your ads.

Trying to be Different

No two marketing campains are alike but I can guarantee one thing. Every single marketing team in the country is gathered around the conference room table asking “how can we  be different.” In our quest to become different we often stray too far out of the box and either gain negative attention or no attention at all. Sit back, be cool, and let the others do strange things. Your clients will appreciate you for acting normal.

Focusing on Features

There is a huge difference between benefits and features. Features are added perks. Benefits are things your clients can use. Make sure your advertising method focuses on the features your product has to offer – the things that will help your client to grow his own business.

Overlooking Current Customers

Don’t forget to design print ads that target your current customers. They’re already interested in what you have to offer but won’t know about new services and features unless you make them aware.

Running a Short Campaign

Advertising is tricky and if you plan on running a print campaign you need to be prepared to give it at least a year to work. A lot of businesses give up after 3-6 months because they don’t see results and can’t afford to continue but the truth is that their brand simply isn’t well-known yet.

Changing Your Ads

It may be tempting to change your advertisements frequently but the truth is that you need to pick a general ad template and let it ride for a longer period of time. You can change the information about your seasonal specials but the overall layout should stay the same in order to avoid confusing your customers.

Avoid these mistakes and you’ll likely see better results from your print advertisements, even if it takes a while to get them going. Good luck!

Sean

Sean McPheat

http://www.seanmcpheat.com

Yesterday we talked about postcard campaigns and why, despite the popularity of the internet, they’re still effective. The same applies to a regular print advertising campaign as well – such as those you might place in a newspaper or magazine. There’s simply no reason to limit yourself when it comes to advertising.

Today I want to share a few print advertising “Do’s and Don’ts” in the hopes you’ll be able to enhance your own print ads to see greater success.

DO NOT focus on the size of your advertisement. In print, bigger is not always better and will only cost you extra money. It’s better to spend you marketing money on reprinting the ad several times than by making it larger.

DO write your own advertisement copy. You might agree to let your advertising company revise or edit the copy, but you’ll be happiest if the first draft is your own. You are the only person who can paint a picture of the type of message you want to convey.

DO NOT forget the headline. We’ve mentioned this before, but it is certainly worth repeating. Your headline is what will draw your readers in and it’s the first thing most readers look at. If you don’t have a good headline, don’t expect a great response. Period.

DO make your point in as few words as possible. We’re talking about an advertisement here – not your average cales letter. Make lists with bullet points (readers love those) and delete any words that aren’t absolutely necessary.

DO NOT overuse cliches. One or two commonly used cliches may help you to make your point but any more than that and you’ll just be viewed as excessive. Make sure the cliches you use are truthful and won’t accidentally misrepresent your products or services.

Follow these guidelines as you prepare your physical copy and you’ll be amazed at how professional the final result appears. Let me know how your design process goes!

Sean

http://www.seanmcpheat.com

Print advertising serves one purpose and one purpose only: to generate interest and increase your sales. When I first started my marketing and advertising career I had no idea how to put together an effective print advertising campaign. I soon realized there was more to creating an effective print ad than simply throwing together a colorful graphic display with a few descriptive phrases.

There are hundreds of proven techniques that have been used by marketers all over the globe to increase the effectiveness of their print ads. I’ve put together a list of seven that will give beginners something to think about as they get started.

• Ditch the images. Images may be nice and even powerful and might even enhance your company’s image, but they do very little when it comes to actually convincing a reader to make a purchase. Avoid flashy images and stick to your main message.

• Write descriptive headlines. We went over this the other day in our first copywriting lesson, but your headline is the first thing your reader will see and, if not written well, the only part of your ad they’ll ever read.

• Create readable advertisements. Use lots of headings and subheadings within your ad, even including a list or two. We live in a fast paced society where people are more interested in skimming over information than actually reading it. Make the information you present as easy to digest as possible.

• Include testimonials. Ask some of your current clients for testimonials that you can include in your advertising pieces. Potential new customers are always more comfortable if they know their peers are happy with your services. Avoid using “anonymous” testimonials, as they’re less believable.

• Identify with your reader. Make your reader feel as though you’re having a conversation. Use first person words such as “you,” “we,” “your,” and “our.” Identifying with your reader on a personal level will make it easier for him to ascertain how your product or service can apply to him personally.

• Offer easy response options. Make sure your prospects know exactly where to go to respond to your ad or get additional information. Include your phone number, a fax number, a marketing email address, or a website where they can get more information. The more options your prospects have, the better.

• Include your website address. Always mention your website in your advertisement, even if it’s only listed in the contact information. Let your readers know that even more information can be found on the pages of your website. Allowing them access to more information will build up their levels of interest and trust.

Incorporate as many of these techniques as possible into your next print advertisement campaign and you’ll soon have more sales leads than you know what to do with. Good luck!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Telephone 0800 849 6732

http://www.seanmcpheat.com