Why Your Advertising May Not Be Working

Did you ever wonder about the effectiveness of your advertising? How many times have you had to make a decision to place an ad only to ask, does advertising really work? Unfortunately, many small business owners miss the mark on advertising and then believe that advertising doesn't work. This is a sad misconception because when done effectively, advertising can be one of your strongest marketing tactics to drive customers to your doors. Chances are, if your advertising isn't working, it may because of one of these five reasons:

1. Too much information

Many advertisers try to place too much information on one single advertisement. The ad is trying to do too much at once. Recent polls indicate that you have less than 3 seconds to grab the attention of your potential customers. Your ad should communicate one single, compelling idea or offer. Try making your ads simple and concise.

2.Not enough time

Marketing is like fine wine, it needs time to reach perfection. Many small business owners rush their advertising and only run one to a few ads and expect magic to happen. This is not true. Your customers need to see you, become familiar with you and need you at the exact moment they need you. There are four forces that need to be in alignment for your ad to work: Right Message, Right Market, Right Tactic and Right Time.... You advertising should be part of a longer term strategy and thought out and executed flawlessly.

3.Not exciting

People watch TV, listen to the radio, read a magazine and go online to find information, be entertained and to engage. If your ad is boring, customers will not notice it. Your ads need to engage your audience and be interesting or entertaining to capture their attention.

4.It's about you and not the customer

Your advertising shouldn't be about your brand. It should be an extension of your brand and focused on the benefits to your customers. With millions of ads being produced every month, you want to make sure that you demonstrate that you understand the needs of your customers so when they see your ad, your brand resonates with them. Try putting a call to action that compels your reader to take action because they feel you are speaking directly to them.

5.Not the right market

To fully engage your target market, you have to know who they are, what they desire and what they fear. Many small business owners missed this critical point. If you are advertising in the wrong place, your ad won't work. Be sure to fully understand your target market and to niche your business down to a specific audience group. Once you know exactly what your customer looks like, finding where they hang out, what they read and who they are associated with becomes easy and will help you identify where to place your ads.