Mad 4 Blog

Typically, when companies are putting together a campaign to pull in new business, they want their brand to be at the forefront of their efforts. They not only strive to promote their iconography and key messaging, but also want to provide plenty of “about us” details so that potential clients or customers can make an informed buying decision. This is especially true for new or rebranded companies trying to step into the public spotlight.

However, in many cases there is a cost for this kind of dedicated brand promotion. And it is often the expense of conversion. Although you may accomplish the brand awareness that you set out to achieve, it doesn’t mean that you’ll convince each informed viewer to buy your product or services. This vital element of marketing is too often overlooked when companies are busy emphasizing their own self-promotion. When doing so, it’s important to ensure that all copy and materials relate information to incentives.

A key strategy for smart marketing is noting that your audience never wants to be told what to think. Instead of stating who you are and why you’re the greatest at what you do, you’ll want to help potential buyers come to such conclusions on their own—simply by explaining how your products and services can help them. Smart marketing actually ties these two concepts together; for example, pointing out what sets you apart from your competition while simultaneously explaining why the customer wants or needs it. Tell them what you can do to solve a problem or make their lives a little easier in terms of cost, quality, special services, etc.

You must ensure that each selling point addresses the consumer perspective, targeting any perceived concerns or interests from this point of view. Once you drive home how the customer will benefit, a strong call to action should seal the deal. And then you can tell them how to access more information. By then, if you’ve done your job right, they will be more than willing to find out more about your company by calling or visiting your website. All you need to do is point them in the right direction.

With a comprehensive marketing campaign that points out your company’s strengths while highlighting features that are relevant to the desires and needs of your audience, you will successfully achieve both brand awareness and customer acquisition.

Want to keep your business relevant with modern marketing? You don’t have to be a super-savvy website guru to do it. But there is one trick you must master: Balance.
Balance is the key to building a strong, successful advertising campaign now and in the future—no matter how the face of media may change. While everyone else is scrambling to keep up with the latest trends, you can build a solid and multi-dimensional campaign that will withstand the latest fads. Here are 5 ways to stay current and stand out:

1) Balance targeted, consistent messaging with multiple approaches.
Hit the same audience over and over with the same message—but from different sources. It’s not enough to use online analytics to geo-target web users without matching that data with local print and/or broadcast ads. Surrounding your prospects on all sides not only enhances brand awareness, but creates an aura of accessibility. Point-blank exposure then graduates into familiarity, leaving room for relationship growth in the future.

2) Balance traditional and non-traditional media.
Break up a series of weekly magazine fliers with a guy in a gorilla suit outside your door. Attention-grabbing techniques create a buzz which can be followed up by more conventional means of communication. Or use out-of-home opportunities (such as a billboard or bus stop ad) to remind passersby of an ad seen earlier on TV. By employing both classic and alternative tactics, you can appeal to more markets. Going all one way or all the other may create an unbalanced tone for your brand—or worse, you may miss out on one audience entirely.

3) Balance analytics/research with creative (be smart but stand out).
Many companies rely on number-crunching and perfectly placed ads to carry their message into the right market. But all the visibility in the world won’t help if you don’t have the compelling concepts and engaging visuals to back up your brand and catch the eye of potential clients. In the increasingly competitive world of marketing, it’s more important than ever to complement strategy with creativity when building a successful campaign.

4) Balance customer retention with customer acquisition.
All of your amazing, cutting-edge advertising across varied media with perfect placement and alluring creative won’t help if your message is simply aimed at new clientele. It’s important that you reward prior and current business with gratuity and acknowledgement, and devote a large portion of your advertising budget to customer retention. It’s much harder to woo a client once they’ve moved on than it is to nurture an existing relationship. Remember: satisfied clients have friends–and so do dissatisfied clients.

5) Balance accessibility/transparency with alluring content that draws return.
Everyone knows how important it is to be straightforward in today’s market. Potential customers expect businesses to be highly visible and transparent about products, services and goals. This is especially true of social media, where accessibility is paramount. However, putting it all out there doesn’t mean that your business shouldn’t have a hint of mystery and allure. Teasers about future deals and further information are a classic that will remain consistent even in the advancing world of marketing.