So you're a business owner. Now what? You might be wondering, "How do I get people to my business?" You can just open your doors on any Main St., USA, and people will start lining up at the door, right? Wrong. People have to know about you before they can come buy from you. So, how do you get the word out? Here are a few tips and ideas to get you started.
First, determine your audience. What kind of customers do you want to attract? The correct answer is: people who want to spend money and buy your product. That is pretty much…everyone. You are not going to turn someone away because they have a tattoo or a nose-ring. Money is green everywhere. But what is the best route to communicate my business?
Let's break it down. There are two types of media: active and passive. An active media is something that is intrusive. Active media can influence your potential customers without them realizing it. Take TV and radio, for instance. The television and/or radio can be on in your home. You might be in the middle of a task and stop in front of the ol' boob tube because you're captivated by what is being shown. You heard the local DJ talk about a topic from the next room over, so you run to the next room to hear what it is.
Maybe you're doing dishes during a commercial break and you hear a message from a local mortuary. No one thinks about using a mortuary until it's time for one. When the day comes, you will remember you heard an ad for this particular mortuary. That's just the point of advertising, isn't it? To fill a need for your customers when they desire you most. They heard you consistently over time, now they need your services. Top of the mind awareness is key.
Ever wake up singing a song but unsure where it came from? Or why is it that you can remember the words to a stupid radio jingle but you cannot remember the password to your social media account? This is because radio and TV are active media. You do not have to be in front of the device to be influenced by it. Advertising on radio and TV is like having all of your friends tell everyone about your business without you doing all of the work yourself.
Now let's focus on passive media. Passive medias are any kind of print: newspaper, magazines, billboards, social media, websites, and more. How many "Likes" do you have on your social media account? Do "Likes" equal money in your pocket? Probably not. Can you name the last billboard you drove by? Can you recall ALL of the billboards in your area? I sure can't. The point is, you have to know a newspaper ad exists in order to be affected by one.
Bottom line: Media mix is not always the best way to spend your marketing dollars. Ask yourself what will be the most effective. Ask yourself how you can influence the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time. Do you desire to be the solution to someone's problems when their moment is right? Of course you do. Choose a media that makes your business work smarter, not harder. Less really is more in the game of advertising.