You’re having a good day at work. Then the phone rings. It’s the local magazine rep with a once in a lifetime discount offer.
A full page ad costs $3,000, but because the magazine is going to print in 3 days, they are willing to give it away for $1,000.
“Many of your competitors are in this special edition. Customers won’t see you if you’re not in it. You’ll miss out. We need a decision now,” says the rep.
Now you’re under pressure. Emotions and numbers fight in your head. You’ll be saving $2,000. Everyone else is in it. What to do?
You decide to give it a go.
“Great,” says the rep. “I’ll email the paperwork…. Oh, and we need to have the artwork by tomorrow.”
Artwork! You don’t have any artwork. You don’t even know what to say! The emotional pressure builds.
That phone call cost you $1,000. It cost you hours of valuable time. It caused you emotional stress. Will it deliver a result? The odds are NO.
If you buy media when the phone rings, you don’t have an advertising strategy.
If you don’t have a strategy, your advertising will not deliver greatest returns.
If you don’t have a strategy, you’ll spend more on advertising than you can afford.
If you don’t have a strategy, you’ll waste valuable time.
If you don’t have a strategy, you’ll suffer emotional stress.
What to do.
- Media selection is the last decision you make. Not the first.
- First, you need to uncover your core message. What will you say to prospective customers?
- Next, work out how much you are willing to invest in advertising for the next 12-months.
- Now you can look at media delivery vehicles.
TIP. You should buy media once a year. Not be sold weekly or monthly.
Having an advertising strategy makes it easy to make decisions when media reps call. If the discounted offer is not on your strategy, it’s not on.
Be polite and say, “Thank you, but no, I’ve already booked my advertising for the year.” End of call.
Now you can get back to work helping your customers and growing your business.
I help courageous business owners on their quest for profitable business growth. The price of entry is high, the work is hard, and the adventure is not for the faint-hearted. But the growth and rewards you'll receive are spectacular.
Join me if you dare.
- Can You Concisely Define “Marketing” Please? – Garry W - April 9, 2021
- Grow Your Business With a Courageous Offer - March 25, 2021
- 9 Things to Remember When Scheduling Media for Business Growth - March 10, 2021