How to advertise my business?

Advertise smarter, not harder.

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"17 ways advertising companies can ripp you off!"

Do you advertise your business as 'Permeate Free'?

Why not? The milk companies and big retailers are making a fortune out of it.

Why?

Well, it's because of 'Conscious Consumerism'. People are getting very aware of the additives that go into their food - and they feel uncomfortable about that.

They have a problem - unknown food additives.

The smart marketers caught on to the problem and advertised to make their customers feel safe. 

"Our milk is Permeate Free".

Now up till recently none of us knew anything about permeates in milk. Now, we are made conscious of a possible threat to our safety and we react by buying 'the safe milk'.

But some of the public has caught on. ALL milk is 'Permeate Free'.

But others still buy the 'Permeate Free' - just in case!

How to advertise my business? What has this got to do with my advertising?

 Stay with me for another story - you'll be surprised.

Do you remember companies advertising that their chickens are 'Hormone Free'?

Food expert Rosemary Stanton compares the 'Permeate Free' situation to the marketing of hormone-free chicken. "There was a program, years ago on television, claiming that children were reaching puberty early because of hormones in chicken," she said.

While this was traced back to factory discharge in Mexico, marketers are still using it to sell chicken.

"That led to some clever marketer saying ‘I’ll sell my chicken as hormone free’ … when no chicken in Australia has — now or ever — had added hormones," she said.

The clever marketers recognised that their consumers had a problem. They feared food additives and hormones sounded bad for you. So, they wanted to feel safe and bought the one advertised as 'Hormone Free'

Here is one last story to convince you to relook at your advertising wording.

My local butcher found that the moment he put a true sign in his window that said that his sausages were 'Gluten Free' that his sales of sausages went through the roof!

Why?

People with children who were diagnosed as 'Gluten Intolerant' had a problem. They struggled to find food to feed their children that was not going to cause a bad reaction for them.

 My butcher leant forward and told me  "ALL sausages are Gluten Free!"

Because he recognised that his target market had a problem, he told them what other butchers didn't.

So he got the business!

Advertise my business?

"Yeah, but I don't sell chicken or sausages." I hear you say. "What has this to do with my advertising?"

The smart marketers in the stories above recognised a problem that their potential customers had and told them they had the answer to their worries.

What problems do people in your target market have?

A talk-back radio programme had people calling in about the problems they have with tradesmen and small business generally. One caller summed it up with "They spend all this money advertising to get us to call them - and then they don't answer their phone! That's crazy!"

Do you answer your phone?      Really?      Good. 

If this is a problem people have with people in your industry, then tell them you will fix this problem. Insert in your ad "I answer my phone".

I know it sounds dumb, but do it and watch how you pick up on all the work the other 'slack' businesses let go.

Here's another problem you could address.

People feel safe when they do business with a local business. 

"I advertise in local media - wouldn't that be enough to tell people I am local?"

Well, no. insert this in your ad "the local blokes", and watch your enquiries soar. (I know, I've proven it works)

People feel safe when they know you are insured (I know you have to be but they don't.)

Current Affair type TV programmes are always investigating 'shonky' tradesmen and small business. They highlight the damage they do to people's homes and lives.

People are understandably fearful of getting 'ripped off' and being left with expensive messes to fix up.

People have a problem with feeling unsafe.

They don't know you have $20 million in Public Liability insurance cover. Insert in your ad "Feel safe with us - we have $20 million in Public Liability insurance cover"

Yes, I know most business like yours have $20 million Public Liability cover but the general public don't know! Nobody tells their potential clients that.

Relieve their fear of loss. Tell them.

Yes I enjoy this advertising stuff after so many years in the industry. Feel safe - see my Bio here.

Business people get me to come in and create advertising campaigns for them. Click here. and let's talk.

Paul Johnson

Missing Piece Marketing