Spend Advertising Dollars Wisely

One of the most common marketing mistakes occurs in the advertising arena. In terms of enhancing profits, advertising can have both a positive influence and a negative influence. The obvious positive influence comes from increased awareness, interest and consumption by customers. The negative influence comes from haphazard placement of ads. Placing ads hoping to attract customers is a lot different than understanding your market(s) and placing ads in mediums that target your market(s) most effectively. One of the first mediums to scrutinize is the Yellow Page advertising that your organization has in place. Some organizations believe that Yellow Page advertising should be their primary advertising medium. And in rare cases, that could be true. But in many situations a disproportionate amount is being spent on Yellow Pages advertising diverting money away from potentially more effective mediums. We certainly don't advocat that you abandon the Yellow Pages since ads placed here can be effective. But we regularly see businesses spending too much on this medium and not enough elsewhere. With any advertising campaign, you must be able to measure results. How much "traffic" is being generated by any of your advertising. Remember that resources are limited and the way you spread your advertising dollars is extremely important.