It goes without saying that advertising isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the good ol’ days when posting advertisements meant running a simple piece in the local paper or going door-to-door to get people interested in your product or service.
Today, advertising has moved significantly into the online space. It’s not enough to just tell the locals about what you have to offer — if you want to beat out the competition (which we’re sure you do), you have to step out of your comfort zone and start reaching out to consumers around the country (or even the globe) with useful information about your specific products and services.
If you’re new to the exciting world of advertising or are simply looking for ways to mix things up a bit, we’re here to help! In this guide, we’ll go over some of the best advertising techniques that actually work. This way, you can focus on what really matters — your business!
When you hear the term advertising, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Do you think of pop-ups and banner ads on some of your favorite websites? Or what about those hilarious Super Bowl commercials? Radio ads? Perhaps you think about the massive billboards along the highway. While most of us have a pretty good understanding of what advertising looks like, it’s a little harder to nail down exactly what it means — and how to do it well.
From the age-old printing press to colorful pop-up ads, advertising has certainly changed with the times. Despite this, though, the need for advertising still remains the same, and neither have the best practices and techniques that make for quality advertising.
You see, good advertising is designed to be extremely memorable, influential, and, at times, even a bit risque. It breaks through the noise and clutter of the everyday grind, disrupts the user’s attention, and demands their focus. Whether on the back of a restaurant menu or on a billboard high in the sky, advertising can go to work for your company in a variety of ways:
Advertising can also be executed in many different ways. Billboards, branded t-shirts, social media endorsements, and radio commercials all count as advertising.
Although they are often used interchangeably, advertising and marketing are not the same. Are you a little confused? We’ll explain:
Marketing is the big picture of how a business plans to raise awareness of its brand while convincing them to make a purchase. Advertising, on the other hand, is the process of creating persuasive messages around these broad goals. Simply put, advertising is a subset of marketing, which is the umbrella term for communication with your audience.
A company’s overarching marketing strategy, however, will typically include an advertising plan. The advertising portion dials in on the specific process of creating and publishing persuasive messages to get your audience to take action.
Capturing the attention of others isn’t always as easy as waving your arms around. For advertisers, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out because the volume of ads is tenfold compared to what it was only a few years ago — and that number is only going up.
For some ad agencies, this may mean that the information that the ad is providing is less important than the *way* it’s actually being provided. You see, the best ad agencies, like MuteSix, for example, understand that nowadays, it’s all about technique.
Here are the best advertising techniques that work:
One of the best and fastest ways to launch your sales into the stratosphere is to get an industry influencer or celebrity to endorse it. That’s why super-successful companies like Uniqlo and Under Armor partner with athletes from Steph Curry to Rodger Federer to promote their products. Barilla (the pasta company) even works with ski-superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, getting their name directly on the podium and in front of their audience.
As a budding local business, you might not have a direct line with the world’s superstars, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t implement this type of advertising effectively. Instead, put together a list of entrepreneurs in your industry or influential social media stars. Look for people who have a following of 10,000 or more, to begin with. However, if your brand is more established, you can target individuals with a larger following.
If you need help finding the best content creators that are interested in your industry and fit your brand’s aesthetic, MuteSix can help.
These days, it’s really challenging to visit a webpage without having a little pop-up on the screen asking you to buy a product, learn more, or subscribe. Why? Well, for starters, these pop-ups — regardless of how annoying they may be at times — are extremely effective at catching a visitor’s attention.
When adding a pop-up to your website, it’s important to first decide what your main call to action is. Do you want people to purchase a specific product or service? Do you want them to sign up for your weekly email newsletter? Do you want to inform them about a special you’re running?
Whatever your main goal might be, feature that in your pop-up. Use creative advertising lingo to get users engaged. An emotional appeal, for instance, can drive a user to complete your call to action. Avoid weasel words like “cutting edge” or “leading” that don’t really have a meaning. Instead, stick with language to explain succinctly why a potential customer might want what you’re offering.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what words to use or how to create the best eye-catching pop-ups; that’s what amazing advertising agencies like MuteSix are here for!
Case studies, reviews, and testimonials are known as social proofs. They are essentially examples of why your service or products are so useful. They show potential customers why existing customers can’t get enough of you. These persuasive — yet effective — techniques can also help customers to discover new ways to use your service or products that they may not have originally thought of.
The best way to think of this technique is to think of it as a form of street cred — it basically sums up why people love your products and why others will too. You can use feedback tools like product reviews, email follow-ups, and surveys to inform your testimonials and case studies.
Using these different advertising techniques will help immensely to launch your business and take it to new incredible heights. From Google and pop-ups to influencers and social media, there are so many different ways to support your digital marketing efforts to boost sales and revenue. However, it’s not always easy…
Consider hiring an award-winning advertising company like MuteSix that can help to create value for the digital age with breakthrough creatives, targeted media buying, and data-driven analysis leading to proven results.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Check out MuteSix today!
Sources:
https://www.success.com/10-ways-to-overcome-fear-and-break-out-of-your-comfort-zone/
MuteSix is now part of the Lunar Solar Group! Learn more about the future of MuteSix here.