“Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.——亨利·福特

Businesses of every shape and size have often pondered the value of advertising. 但很少有企业是默默无闻地繁荣起来的. There is always a reason to advertise, and most smart and successful companies do. We used to live in a simpler time where TV commercials, 广播点, 打印广告, and billboards were the preferred (and only) vehicles for advertising messaging.

但互联网改变了这一切.

事实上, it seems like every time we try to count the number of advertising channels available, 我们失去了计数, 或者我们的头开始旋转, 或两个. So, to help a business get started with a marketing and advertising plan, 简化总是最好的.

也许是一个超级碗广告?

Okay, few have the budget to advertise during the big game. So, figure out what your budget is and decide what is motivating your desire to advertise. These reasons could be inclusive of growing your business, 改变看法, 宣布新的服务或产品, 接触新受众, 提升个人形象, 或者提升品牌形象. 最重要的是, 当消费者想要做出购买决定时, 你会希望你的业务是最重要的.

It’s important to know that most advertising campaigns have one of three goals in mind: awareness, 订婚, 或转换.

Awareness is a campaign that, to put it bluntly, is meant to raise awareness. A well-designed ad that says “hey, we’re here and we’re awesome. 请浏览我们的网站.“它应该引人注目. 有创意的. 强大的. 让你笑，或者让你流泪. 它应该能够打动消费者去感受某些东西. 你希望你的广告能吸引他们. 它应该很容易回忆起来. 人们甚至可能会告诉其他人. 很酷的.

Engagement takes things a step further now that awareness is out of the way. 当你吸引消费者的时候, 他们可能会订阅时事通讯, 或者给你打电话, 或者进去看看. 他们感兴趣的. 有点像第一次约会.

Conversion is the ultimate goal – to get a customer to buy your product or service. They’ve seen your ads and have researched your product or service enough to know that it’s right for them. They pull out their wallet and give you a credit card number. 任务完成.

Leap-frogging to conversion usually doesn’t work because most people aren’t ready to buy yet. 这就是为什么大多数广告活动都是长期的.

So, what types of campaigns are geared for these outcomes? 我们以为你不会问.

Here are four types of campaigns that Kenosha area businesses should consider when devising a marketing plan.

1. 品牌宣传活动

这种类型的活动是最常见的. 这是一个纯粹的意识游戏, and usually features some kind of campaign theme like “No one out-pizzas the hut” or “one call that’s all.” It’s intriguing, eye-catching, and meant to get what people in the ad biz call “impressions.” When someone sees your ad, that’s called an impression. The number of impressions you get is directly proportional to the amount of money you can invest in the campaign. Great brand campaigns peak curiosity and drive traffic to your web site and social media channels.

2. 有针对性的活动/重新定位

The digital marketing revolution has allowed the ad biz to do what’s called “hyper-targeting” – finding people who may be most interested in buying your product. This type of campaign involves identifying a specific audience you are trying to target and then crafting messaging that speaks directly to them. 这样的活动可能包括社交媒体帖子, 数字广告, 登陆页, 也许还有一些行之有效的策略, 比如直接邮寄.

重新定位有点不同. When you visit a company’s web site and start seeing ads for that company while you are on the internet, 你被“重新定位”了.” When you go to a web site the internet assumes you are interested in that company’s product or service and starts serving ads to you. It’s like a constant reminder that you should buy that pair of shoes or visit Montana or see John Wick 4.

这些并不是直接针对消费者的努力, business to business companies have had great success hyper targeting and re-targeting potential customers.

3. 目的导向的活动

Organizations are finding that more and more consumers are buying products from companies that share their personal values. And if a company demonstrates that they are doing good things in the community, 致力于可持续发展, 有环保意识, 或者使用当地农场的食材, 人们的反应是积极的. 倡议 like this fall mostly into the awareness category, but could quickly shift to conversion once the campaign gains traction and companies build favor with their audience.

4. 互动活动

The word “interactive” has come to mean a lot of different things over the years. But in advertising and marketing, it is used to describe an ad campaign with numerous working parts. This type of campaign usually includes 数字广告, 社交媒体的努力, 登陆页, and a specific call to action to get consumers to engage and convert. It could involve tactics like a coupon, giveaway, or unique experience offered by the company. These types of campaigns are usually done as an extension of a larger brand campaign.

To execute any one of these types of campaigns requires three things: Strategy (what message are we saying and to whom), creative (how are we saying that message) and implementation (where we are saying this message). If you’re looking for a marketing and advertising firm, ensure that they offer all three and have a track record of doing work that gets results.

Advertising can be a powerful vehicle to elevate your company and your brand. To do it effectively requires vision from both agency and client. 这也是一个应该仔细考虑的成本. But in a crowded and competitive consumer landscape, the cost could transcend the monetary. Companies that fail to advertise risk falling behind, descending into obscurity. Something a successful businessman like Henry Ford just would not allow.

由James Pellizzi和Nick Pipitone共同撰写， 皮利齐公司.