Small Businesses (under 100 employees) in the US account for almost 98% of all businesses according to the US Census. They employ about 50% of all private sector employees in US according to the Small Business Administration. So, why do they keep shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to print advertising effectiveness? Because they do not know how to make advertising effective!
Consider these examples that all appeared in a Weekly newspaper:
An ad that said “Log on Constant Contact…..for sale info.”
Many of us use Constant Contact for email marketing. This is the first time I have ever saw or heard of someone being directed to “Constant Contact” for information.
What is wrong with this approach?
- Log on to Constant Contact with what URL?
- What is the password and user ID?
Conclusion: A big waste of money and time
An ad titled “Fall & Spring Cleanups”.
It went on to list services that cannot be performed in the snowy northeast during the Winter.
What is wrong with this approach?
- It is Winter, not Fall or Spring.
- 6 of the 7 services offered cannot be performed in the Winter.
- The one relevant service, “Snow Blowing/Snow Plowing” was the third item listed. It is pretty unlikely I would ever get that far into the ad when reading irrelevant information.
Conclusion: A big waste of money and time.
An ad where the headline was “Save this Ad!”.
What is wrong with this approach?
- I do not know what the ad is about, so why would I save it?
- The lead was buried “Young man with van looking for work!!!” was the next line.
Conclusion: A big waste of money and time.
The Takeaway
Small businesses can and should project an image of professionalism and attention to detail.
Over to you. Those are my thoughts. Please comment below.
1. Would you contact, much less conduct, business with one of these firms?
2. How do you employ print media in your business development efforts?
3. What advice would you give these small businesses?
If you would like to contact me, you may do so by visiting my LinkedIn page, following me on Twitter, or e-mailing me at rcberman2 (at) yahoo (dot) com.
