Go Ahead And Brag

 Be the expert in what you do AND be known for it.

You have been in  your business for years and are really good at it. There are no questions that you can't answer. No problem you can't solve. Anyone that has ever done business with you knows this.

But, what about everyone else? People that are potential customers but have never met you or heard of you. Are you telling your story and demonstrating your expertise to these people?

Use your advertising to communicate your story. Give potential customers a taste of what you are all about and why they should choose to do business with you.

Don't assume that everyone already knows. Do you have a story that EVERYONE should know?

Tell it. Don't be shy.

"It ain't braggin if you say it and you back it up. " Kid Rock - Cocky (Clean Version)

Dear Webster's,

I have a new word that I would like to submit for consideration. I will get to that in a minute.

If you search Demographic Targeting, you get page after page of definitions like this one from the Barron's Marketing Dictionary :

Population or consumer statistics regarding socioeconomic factors such as age, income, sex, occupation, education, family size, and the like. Advertisers often define their target market in terms of demographics; thus, demographics are a very important aspect of media planning in matching the media with the market. Each demographic category is broken down (by the various research companies) according to its characteristics.

This kind of targeting is all well and good and has it's place, but all of the scientific targeting in the world means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING if you don't communicate with a persuasive message that helps you accomplish your goals as a business.

I mean in reality, decisions are not made in a vacuum and if someone outside this target demographic wants your product or service, would you take their money? Of course you would.

But if your message is weak, you won't have to worry. No one in any demographic will try to buy from you.

So, to help, I am leading the fight for making Wordographic Targeting the new standard for advertising and marketing planning. Here is my initial definition for the next edition of the dictionary :

Wordographic Targeting is insuring that messages are salient and/or persuasive to potential consumers that may cross many socioeconomic factors such as age, income, sex, occupation, education, family size, etc. Wordographics insure that consumers are responding to a message that will help the advertiser accomplish their goal(s). Advertisers are often misled by traditional media planning to define their target market in terms of demographics. While much harder to measure and execute, wordographics are the most important aspect of any media planning because it matches the marketing / advertising message with the advertiser's needs and allows for real measurability in the success or failure of advertising / marketing plans. 

How is YOUR wordographic targeting?






 

Target Your Advertising

Three words most would never expect to see me write.

Why?

Because in the traditional sense of the targeting concept, it means to figure out WHO you are trying to REACH with your advertising(demographic targeting)and buy that media. Whew, this advertising stuff is hard work.

Pardon me for being blunt, but that is stupid.

As Roy H Williams, The Wizard of Ads writes, "I've never seen a business fail because they were "reaching the wrong people." But I've seen thousands fail because they were saying the wrong thing. Please hear me correctly. These catastrophic failures weren't saying the right thing badly, they were saying the wrong thing well. It's amazing how many people become "the right people" when you're saying the right thing. Believe it or not it's advertising third, customer delight second, strategy always first.

In my twenty plus years in dealing with advertising customers, I have heard so many time, "Just put something together, you are the expert." This was regarding the commercial itself. The advertiser was satisfied that they had spent all of their time helping me figure out who that message was going to reach. It never crossed their minds WHY THESE PEOPLE WOULD CARE TO HEAR THEIR COMMERCIAL.

I had the pleasure this week of hearing from a customer that has actually taken to heart the advice I had given him a few years ago. He really works on his message and leaves the scheduling up to me. This particular customer had recently hired a mechanic that is an expert in repairing Honda cars.

He wanted to make him more busy.

He came in and did a very solid commercial. Some might say well targeted. Targeted at people that needed their Honda repaired. Just days after the ad began to air, he started to get calls from "the right people".

I am pretty sure that this guy didn't ask them how old they were or how much money they made or what station they heard the ad on. Why would he care?

They had a Honda that needed repaired. He has a guy to fix it. That is the type of targeting that really count.

Stop trying to reach the right people. Target your message to talk to people that need what you have and people that know people that need what you have. I have word for this type of targeting.....stay tuned to the next blog!

Attached is the commercial that this customer used to target the customers that really count. The ones that need what he has!

Advertising......Extended

It always amazes me that when someone begins an advertising campaign, they are not sure whether it is working or not. But, regularly they report that people finding them online has increased.

Very seldom does the traditional advertising get credit. "That online stuff works great!"

It is not a coincidence.

Even poor advertising increases top of mind awareness. Potential consumers recognize your name while searching your category and decide to give you a shot since they have at least heard of you before. This is especially true in most service businesses.

If you have a good campaign and consumers actively search for you, they often use online directories. (Does anyone use yellow pages any more?)

So, when you have increases from your website and other online or social media outlets, make sure that you consider that other advertising that may be responsible for increasing your top of mind awareness!

Happy Anniversary

It has been just over one year since my last blog post.


Time really does fly.


Where did the year go?


It was there. In many ways, it was a long one! I just lost my desire to write. I didn't feel that it made a difference. But it did. It made a difference to me. It kept me grounded in my beliefs and fueled my passion for what I do. Hopefully I can make a difference to the reader as well. I hope you come back and check in . I will make it worth your effort.


So, where did the year go?


It doesn't really matter. All that matters is where we go from here.


Get on and buckle up, it may be a wild ride at times.