It seems like 90% of advertising, especially small business advertising, is generic. In other words, non-targeted, broad-based advertising. Or “brand” advertising, which is even worse.

Don’t look at what big companies are doing

Big companies with huge advertising budgets can afford to do “brand” advertising. Big companies are like big government. If the marketing director doesn’t burn up their entire budget, someone might notice and cut their budget next year.

Small business marketing is all about “real estate”

Small business must think about the value of their “real estate”. By “real estate”, I mean every inch of a billboard, sell sheet, brochure or web page. Every inch of that document is either selling your product or service or wasting money.

Are you selling your product or service or your logo?

How much of that valuable real estate is being taken up by your logo? Is your logo really selling your product or service? If you’re Toyota, and you have a reputation you’ve built over the last thirty years for top quality, you can just slap your logo on something and it will sell. Same with Sony.

I don’t know of any small businesses that have that kind of brand equity. No one is going to see a huge image of your logo and buy your product or service. You have to sell every one of your potential customers or clients.

Pretty pictures don’t sell, they enhance. Strong copy sells.

In other words, don’t let your web designer or brochure designer, etc, waste a huge amount of space with your logo and fancy graphics and a huge banner across the top. Yes, have your logo on the page but use the rest of your valuable “real estate” to convince viewers that you understand their “pain” or their “problem” and that can make that pain or problem go away.

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been a website copywriter in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2000. He has focused on developing new, more effective approaches to web writing, web content, web copywriting and Search Engine Optimization. Starting with a BA in Technical Communication and a minor in Creative Writing from Metro State University in St. Paul, McClain has worked diligently to end the use of "corp-speak" and "technospeak" online. His approach is to “humanize” the Web, using real information to guide people to buy rather than turning websites into advertisements that people can easily ignore. McClain is also the creator of Cheap SEO Website Marketing, a website devoted to helping people with the best solutions to DIY SEO at an affordable cost with tips and software reviews. More at Cheap SEO Website Marketing

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Originally posted 2007-08-21 06:22:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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