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Advertising is an important part of your marketing strategy. You use marketing to attract your audience over the long term, but advertising helps draw their attention to your company over the short term.
Knowing how advertising works to build your brand can help you craft ads that are extremely effective, which improves your return on investment (ROI). When you understand the ways that advertising connects with your audience, you can be sure to put those vital elements into each ad.
Let’s take a look at how ads build your brand.
We don’t need to tell you that it’s a wild world out there, with a lot of competitors looking for customers in every line of business. The online world has made it easier to reach your ideal audience, but it’s also easier for your competitors to encroach on your normal sales territory.
Advertising can draw attention to your business, helping consumers realize that there’s another option in your industry. Of course, you want to describe why your business is unique and explain why the consumer should buy from you instead of another competitor.
Getting your name in front of potential buyers is the first step to growing your business, and advertising does a great job at meeting your ideal audience where they already are and displaying your message.
Most sales decisions are made based on emotion first, and then justified using logic. Advertising can create an emotional connection between your brand and your audience, which helps them choose your company more often.
For example, Coca-Cola ads never talk about the formula of Coke or the health benefits. Instead, they show friends having fun at different types of events, all drinking this beverage together. The focus of these ads is to create an emotional connection between fun and Coca-Cola. The next time someone is getting together with friends, they are more likely to grab a Coke.
You can use ads in much the same way. If you’ve been in your community for many years, use nostalgia to connect with your target audience. Talk about how you’ve seen the family through many changes and will always be there for them. Or, if you’re a new, hip brand, use advertising to connect your business with the optimism and newness of youth.
Ads are a great way to build a bond with your audience using emotion.
Ads aren’t just about emotion — you have to include solid, logical reasons to buy from your company as well. When it comes to a small business, it’s all about credibility and accountability.
The good news is that a local business is easier to hold accountable for its work than a national chain or big business. You can take advantage of that in your advertising. Talk about how you always stand behind your work and if they have any questions, they can come to see you at your street address any time. Provide a name to ask for, creating a personal bond between you and the customer.
Credibility is also about a history of great work, which you probably already have. Showcase that in your advertising. This isn’t about bragging — you don’t necessarily want to talk about awards or your years of education. Instead, have happy customers share their stories of how you saved the day when they were in need.
Consider this: A video about your customer who had a pipe leak at 2 am but your plumbing company was able to send an emergency technician so they could go back to sleep with peace of mind. That type of advertising will resonate with a lot of customers and make them more likely to choose your business over others.
Now you’re starting to see how advertising works to build your brand!
Not everyone who sees your advertisement will be ready for your products and services at that moment. However, a certain percentage of them will, especially as you run ads consistently over time.
That means that part of your advertising strategy will include asking directly for the sale. Let the consumer know how to contact you and say something like “Contact us today to find out more about our XYZ.” Or, you could say, “If you want your yard to look this nice all summer, we can help. Contact us today.”
Having a strong call to action is essential in any advertisement. It doesn’t always have to be a sale — it could be an invitation to consume more of your content, join your mailing list, or share the ad with others. There should always be something to do with the information you presented. And at least part of the time, that step should be to contact you for products and services.
Awareness is the first step in building a great brand, but it certainly doesn’t stop there. Advertising is one way to reach your audience and build your brand through emotion, credibility, and an invitation to take action.
If you’re working on building your brand online, we would love to help. We use search engine optimization (SEO) and digital marketing to create a long-term connection between your brand and your ideal audience. Contact us today for more information!
