Advertising and marketing are not the same.
Marketing encompasses many different strategies. Your blog, website and social media platforms are all types of marketing. So are your email and direct mail campaigns, the booth you set up at a trade show and the sales pitch you give the guy you met in line at Starbucks.
Advertising, however, is a standalone component of marketing. It’s a part, not the whole.
If you’re looking for a super-technical definition of advertising, you can find about a million of them with a simple Google search. For our purposes here, we’re going to loosely define it as “spending money to promote your small business.”
More important to know: Advertising is necessary. Here’s the role it plays in your small business.
Advertising Increases Awareness
If no one knows you exist, you’re not exactly going to have a line out the door. Sure, you’ll get a few people who stumble upon your website or trip and fall into your brick-and-mortar store. But that’s no way to build a business.
By paying to get yourself in front of not just any audience, but the right audience, you’re making sure you’re able to connect with the people best suited to patronize your small business.
Advertising Breeds Familiarity
Pop quiz: If you have an annuity and you need cash now, what phone number should you dial?
Everyone who has watched more than 12 minutes of daytime television knows the correct answer is 877-CASH-NOW. Why do we know this? Because their peppy jingle has been worming its way into our earholes for what seems like forever.
Annoying? Yes. Effective? Same answer. That’s the power of advertising. The more often people hear your message, the more familiar they become with your brand. And the more familiar they are with your brand, the sooner they’ll think of you next time they need a bit of what you’re selling.
Advertising Shows Why You’re the Best Choice
Even the most niche small businesses have competition. Advertising gives you a platform to acknowledge that competition and show would-be patrons why you are the better choice.
It allows you to address what you offer that your competitors don’t, whether that’s a lifetime warranty, all-natural grass fed beef or an app that automatically mobilizes a team of tire-changing otters to your location when you get a flat.
Advertising Retains Customers
Have you ever purchased something online and never patronized the site again, regardless of how satisfied you were with their product or service? It happens all the time for a variety of reasons — but with proper advertising and retargeting, you can significantly reduce the occurrence.
Advertising draws customers to your small business, sure. But it also helps you keep them there. With a good advertising strategy, you ensure that you remain at the top of the customer’s mind.
Advertising: The Marketing Strategy You Can’t Afford NOT to Employ!
There are plenty of free ways to market you small business, but advertising isn’t one of them. In this case, you’re going to have to spend money to make money. And although advertising is just one of many marketing strategies, it’s one that you can’t afford to ignore!
At Mischa Communications, we understand what goes into a successful advertising campaign. Are you ready to put our chops to the test? Let’s get started!