Do It Yourself And Save?

That’s right! You too can create your own advertising! You’ll save hundreds, even thousands of $$$$! All you need to do is…

… objectively research your prime target market to find out what turns them on! … correctly evaluate and dissect your competition’s marketing strategy and positioning!

… cleverly establish a unique position that drives customers toward you and instead of your competition!

… carefully position your products/services in front of your ideal customers!

… correctly sort through the barrage of media reps to make the most cost-effective and wisest placement!

… insightfully purchase the correct media that will result in the highest percentage of response for the least amount of money!

… see your products/services from the customer’s perspective and entice them accordingly!

… develop a unique, motivational creative strategy that immediately engages and intrigues your target market!

… write the most impactual headline and body copy that communicates your immediate advantage and demands action! … create a dynamic, unforgettable visual image that can be tied to your business and no one elses!

… understand what advertising ideas might actually hurt the image and sellability of your business!

… coordinate the production, application, timing, positioning and placement of your advertising efforts flawlessly!

It’s easy! Its fun! And best of all, It will SAVE YOU MONEY!

The real question is: Will your “money-saving” efforts actually make you as much money as you would have made by having specialists do it right the first time? Every day, I grab the morning paper and see hundreds of ads that thoroughly miss their mark. Ads that were obviously created in-house, pub-set (created for by the newspaper), or slapped together by a “cost-effective” designer who knows little about effective advertising). And there is the final ad, buried amongst the grey-matter of other unnoticed ads, silently waiting on an expensive square of paper real-estate, watching the parade of readers pass them by.

In turn, resulting in the business owner (who saved a buck or two) complaining that the paper was an ineffective advertising vehicle for the company. Is there a polite way to say “the ad sucked”? As a budget-conscious business, the LEAST you could do is pass your ad by a recommended ad person for an objective evaluation.

I know, your assumption is that you will not get an objective evaluation because they will want your business. In some cases, true. To resolve that concern, give them your business – in the form of a 1-2 hour consultation request. Many advertising brains are proud of what they know and are proud to show it. Simply ask them to evaluate your ad, identify what may be wrong, and what it would cost to have them fix it.

Even if you still insist on doing it yourself, this small investment will go a long way toward a more effective ad. This holds true with any type of advertising communication. Realize that a couple hours of what a good advertising service knows is a huge investment. There are countless assets a good advertiser can provide (see list above for just a few).

Whether through a skilled and honorable graphic designer or full service agency, the benefits of having an expert’s assistance will ultimately save you money by making you so much more.