Advertising Zen Finding Branding and Market
It amazes me sometimes how some business owners do not think of advertising as a essential part of branding. Give this some thought, if you still watch regular TV and not TIVO, have you ever taken the time to see how many commercials are you watching? Regardless how conditioned you may think you are to ignoring them, if the right pair of shoes are flashed at me, I am there for the shoe sale. The same goes for sites.
Manufacturers are ever wiser, placing product labels clearly visible on to your favorite movies and shows. Like E.T. and Reese`s Pieces and most recently Everybody Loves Raymond and Turkey Hill Ice Cream ( The only reason I know this is because I live nearby Turkey Hill Dairies).
So how do you get smart about your ad dollars and finding your market?
- •Make it clear and present. That logo you paid through your nose for, better be clear and present in that banner. It must be legible and sized so no one has to squint to see it.
- •Clean up your act. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, when you advertise with a company, make sure their layout is not messy and cluttered by other ads so much that your banner is lost. A neat and clean lay out will be worthy of your advertising bucks.
- •Reach and withdraw. Too much of a good thing it`s never good. Just like an annoying person that is always everywhere, an ad that is constantly displayed will become like a plug in fragrance dispenser. Forgettable. Have your ad set to give between 4-5 impression as this has been the proven method for branding effectiveness.
- •Bigger is indeed better. Sorry boys, I am talking about banners. Those tiny buttons do nothing. A 125×125 banner is good but a 468×60 banner is your best bet.
- •Be a prime time queen. Make sure you know when your TARGETED audience will arrive at your banner. Most advertising sites like adbrite.com will tell you what times are best for the demographic you are targeting.
- •Brand the Face. Humans are programmed to recognize the human face anywhere. Even when it`s not really there.(Have you ever looked at the sky and saw a face?) Having a face in your banner specially when the banners are small, it will help you get noticed!
Advertising is indeed a part of branding. Working your money smarter will get you better results. Knowing these tips will not only help you get noticed, but will amount to excellent branding and catching that elusive sale.
