Sell Ads

What goes into an online ad campaign that makes people sit up and take notice? Here are some very specific tips from successful marketing professionals who really know their stuff.

From Gary DeHart of Insightful Accountant

One of the biggest secrets to victory in any endeavor is to do the things your competitors do not like to do. Is it time-consuming? Boring? Difficult? Those are the tasks 95% of your competitors will tend to avoid. If you tackle them, then you are automatically leagues ahead of the pack. Below are three separate tips about things you can do to put your sales over the top.

1. Call more, win more. Make more calls than your competitor. Sounds obvious, right? But you would be surprised to discover that the majority of your competitors will avoid this vital chore, rather than tackle it with gusto.
2. Listen to your clients. Here is another piece of simple advice that is almost universally ignored. Too many people make calls with the goal of selling, and selling quickly. Try changing your goal to listening for your prospective client’s challenge and providing a solution through your service or product. And fix it firmly in your mind before you make a contact that spending time with a customer is your most valuable investment.
3. Set goals and live by them. We all know how important a business plan is, and defining goals clearly is part of its creation. But very few people bother to check back with their original goals to measure their success against them. Make sure your business goals are clear, for the present, the near future and the distant future. Then keep on track by revisiting your business plan frequently.

From Annette Batson of Baristanet

Annette Batson has been at Baristanet since 2005 helping readers enjoy the food and fun in Montclair, and helping new businesses thrive.

Annette’s tips dovetail nicely with Gary’s suggestions, above. She offers some sage advice about how to approach a prospect, before, during and after you make the call.

1. Do your homework first. Cold calls from a long, untargeted list are pretty much a waste of your valuable time. By researching every prospective customer, you can hone in on those most likely to respond to your call. When you are selective with your prospect list, you set yourself up for more frequent success, and this will keep you energized and focused.
2. Don’t be shy. During the initial contact especially, adopt an attitude of quiet confidence versus timidity. Avoid phrases such as “I hope I’m not interrupting,” or “Could you give me a few minutes?” You have something they need and will truly want, as long as you can get that basic concept across to begin with. Confident does not equal annoying, however. Be persistent and straightforward.
3. Follow up. Here is another chore that most marketers tend to avoid. Always follow up a lead, strong or weak, and keep detailed notes so that you will remember how the first conversation went.

From Dina Rabiner of BKLYNER

Dina’s tips focus on how to create an ad that gets results. Check out her suggestions for ways to optimize your marketing plan and the fine points on putting together a superior ad.

1. Make it local. Especially if yours is a franchise or multi-location business, take care to create an ad that speaks to each local population. This means researching the demographics of the area and fine-tuning the ad’s language and graphics so that they are in harmony with your target audience.
2. Be provocative. Add a question or a call to action that will drive your reader to the next step. A good example is the “flipper” ad, which allows you to ask a question, such as “Want more?” When the user hovers over the question, it “flips” to an answer or your brand.
3. Use video. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is without question invaluable! Video ads can be very effective, especially for service-oriented businesses such as healthcare facilities, children’s camps or charity organizations.
4. Be brief. Perhaps the most important facet of any ad is its brevity. The purpose of an ad is not to thoroughly describe your business, but to give the reader an incentive to click through. Keep in mind that at least half your viewers will be using a small phone screen. The best marketing campaigns are always those that can be grasped in a single glance. Remember “Just do it!” whenever you sit down to write an ad, and you will never be wordy again.

Victory Is Yours to Grasp!

The three experts who provided the excellent tips for this article all have something important in common: They take marketing very seriously. Your approach to this vital facet of doing business can literally spell success or failure. In a planet full of competitors, your best bet to surge ahead is to create an initial contact with prospective clients that leaves them breathless for more. Craft your marketing plan with care, and the results will make you as happy as your new customers