More and more I meet with business owners who take what I call Onesie Syndrome.
Def: Putting an ad out or partaking in a marketing activity once and expecting a flood of new clients and or work.
Marketing requires testing, tweaking and consistency in order to produce a good response. Business owners waste money on marketing activities that are thrown together out of desperation or because they are perceived to be a silver bullet.
Think about the products and services you purchase. Do you respond the first time you see or hear an ad? What about the second time? Probably not unless you have an immediate need. Experienced marketers have proven time and again that consistency is a must with all marketing activities. Many sources report that after five times of seeing your message you are “alive” in the consumers mind. However, other sources report that its more like 7-9 times.
As a business owner you may feel as if ad “contracts” are just to get you to spend more. Not the case. Publications know the business and one ad simply is not going to produce or be worth the reach. Hence, buys are usually done in 3, 6 or 12 runs. Mailings are better scheduled in a series of 3.
Marketing requires time and focus in order to produce the results you need. As you look towards marketing your business for 2010 (and the remaining months in 2009), make a commitment to consistency. If you are tempted by a one-time marketing activity, take a second and maybe third look – you may spend more time and money than it’s worth.
You are absolutely right! Advertising and marketing takes time and spending too much time, resources and capital on a campaign that doesn’t generate prospects erodes ROI. It’s also a psychological impediment to the overall marketing plan. I can’t stress how right you are about testing your advertisements. Even using free forums or other Internet means to test and track your message before spending money is extremely helpful. Good piece.
Frankie