Recently in Advertising Agencies Category

Advertising On The Radio - Keep It Simple

By M. Bruce Abbott

Let's say you spent good money on a brochure. Several pages filled with features, benefits, facts, figures, call to action, contact info...oh yeah, paragraphs about who you are, what you do....the different services you provide, your product offerings...and the list goes on and on. Everything you believe a potential client would need or want to know about your business. Now you are interested in advertising on the radio.

Here's a great radio advertising tip -

Don't let your radio commercials end up like your brochure.

Advertising on the radio works best when it is simple and effective.

First...a given. If you are going to advertise on the radio, make sure you have a product that has demand. In another article we discuss the topic of Direct Response Radio Advertising Mistakes: A Product No One Wants. With that said, lets move on to advertising on the radio assuming there is demand for your product or service.

Simplicity is the key to effective direct response radio advertising. Face it, when you are buying fifteen, thirty, even sixty seconds worth of radio advertising, you don't have the time to create an audio brochure. Radio advertising is a powerful advertising medium, but can it work for you?

Yes it can. You just need to make sure your direct response radio advertising campaign is just that...DIRECT. When advertising on the radio, get right to the point. What is the problem your potential customers face? What is the solution? (Hopefully this is where you have inserted your company name). What benefit does your company provide that solves the problem? And most important of all...what would make me choose your company? Here is where the irresistible offer comes in. Direct response radio advertising is rooted in a foundation of "what's in it for me". Give me reason to call. A free offer...free sample...free estimate...deep discount...money back guarantee...whatever your feel is important to your potential customer. This offer helps "grease the skids" and provides a strong incentive to call or click.

And speaking of calls and clicks - If you are advertising on the radio, you must make your call to action clear, concise and memorable. In other words, if you are driving to a toll free number, make sure you are not advertising some random ten digits that are difficult to remember. Use vanity phone numbers. Vanity phone numbers provide sticking power in the listeners mind. What will you remember more - 1-800-I-ATE-A-BUG or 1-800-428-3228 (plus the extra useless digit)? You can use a combination of vanity numbers or words and number for tracking purposes. If you are directing your radio advertising campaign to a URL. Make sure it's a simple domain name. No long URL's with dashes and slashes and long strings of weird variables. Simple works better. And again, you can use a variety of simple domains for tracking. And make sure you mention your number or URL at least a couple of times throughout the radio commercial.

So what have you learned here?

When advertising on the radio, keep it simple. Get directly to the problem, the solution, the benefit, the irresistible offer, and the clear call to action. Keep this simple structure in mind, and your chances of success when advertising on the radio dramatically increase.

Call Tracking Is Easy and Produces Great Results

21 Feb 2010 • 07:08 AM • Business

Tracking business incoming and outgoing phone calls helps companies in many ways, is easy and inexpensive to set up, and provides proven results in several areas. Many different businesses from a wide range of markets are using a call tracking service. Realtors, hotels, mortgage companies, and lawyers have used the system and increased customer loyalty as a result. Working with available technology can be of great benefit to large and small businesses alike.

Using this call tracking system permits the company to maximize investment returns and change mere leads into increased sales. It also measures customer response to the various advertising techniques being tried, breaking it down into data that can be managed and compared, line by line. Doing these things will support decisions based on cost per lead and avoid waste. Another benefit of this strategic tracking is to measure staff performance. The owner can easily listen to sales pitches given by workers to increase constructive criticism for improvement. This can multiply motivation and productivity within the company, and also eliminate staffing problems.

Capturing data from phone system usage is easy and requires no special equipment. This does not require changing your phone service, either. Simply request the toll free numbers you would like to use and insert these numbers in your print media, website, TV spots, coupons, and radio advertising. Next, when customers respond to your advertising the calls are smoothly forwarded to the business owner and the ad and call data is collected without any involvement of the proprietor. Then, when it is convenient, log into the account, listen to calls, analyze data received, and make better decisions for your company.

All of this provides the results you need. Easily follow trends in your industry, identify issues with employees, see which ads are the most profitable, know where your calls are coming from, and receive an email alert when you have missed a call. These gain the trust of your clients and improve your conversation ratings. Generate more effective leads and stop wasting money on campaigns that don't work, all while using the same equipment you've always had. 

Call Tracking software comes with toll-free vanity 800 service.  Set up a Custom 800 number, like 1-800-NEW-CARS, which is easier for people to remember than a numeric toll-free, access call-tracking data, and improve your overall advertising campaign performance and easily monitor your ROI.

By Leonel Dunn

Courtesy of Ezine Articles

Everyone becomes a consumer at some point in our complicated lives. We share the same experiences when it comes to buying products and services. We may get dissatisfied at times with a specific product or service, get confused on how to use a product or we may just simply want to know more about a particular product or services.

When we are having these experiences, what do we do? Our first instinct will be to contact the company or their customer service department and raise our query, concern or whatnots - basically contact their toll free number, right? Wouldn't it be very inconvenient for us if we have to memorize a lot of numbers if we have different concerns? For instance, if our concern is about "how to use a product", we have to call a certain number, or if our concern is about billing then we have to call another number. Wouldn't it be confusing to memorize a lot of different numbers? It's not only time consuming but it's also frustrating on our part - consumers part that is.

Toll free numbers are the best reward a company can give to its target consumers. Why? Because they are easily remembered, like vanity numbers for example, where in we don't have to memorize a number, we just have to remember the name of the company or anything of that sort. Companies who get vanity numbers, more often than not, receive more consumer response than companies who don't have the former. Being a consumer, I feel that companies give me more importance by making use of these vanity numbers. It just means that they care for their consumers.

By Jon Rognerud

Courtesy of Ezine Articles

You are driving to work in rush hour traffic, half listening to the news on the radio. You hear the date and realize that today is your sister's birthday. Mildly panicked, you grab your cell phone to order flowers. What number will you dial? If you are like most, you will dial 1-800-FLOWERS. Most people do not have the local florist on speed dial but everyone can recall 1-800-FLOWERS.

A toll free vanity number combined with strong branding statements can help your company stand apart in a competitive marketplace. Sit N'Sleep Mattress maximized their memorable slogan, "We'll beat any advertised price or your mattress is freeeee" with a 1-800-FREEEEE vanity number.

Toll free vanity numbers optimize advertising efforts by providing an easy to recall number for customers to follow up which facilitates direct response. There are three types of response times in advertising:

1) Immediate. Customers hear the advertising message, want what is being offered and buy it.

2) Delayed. With delayed response, the customer hears the message but is too busy to take immediate action. They want what is being offered and plan to take action later.

3) Long Term. You hear or see the marketing message and you are interested but may not take action for a week, month or even a year later.

Vanity numbers provide an effective follow up solution for all response types. Customers will remember how to reach you whether they need your services today or long after they have heard or seen your advertising message.

The immediate customer can effortlessly move from hearing to buying with a vanity number. The delayed response customer does not have to hunt for pen and paper or stop their activities to write down a phone number. A customer in need of flowers will remember 1-800-FLOWERS even if responding hours later.

By Cyril Bird

Courtesy of Ezine Articles

From a marketing perspective, it can be said without fear of contradiction that any advertisement - be it on electronic or print media - a toll-free number is sure to attract a larger response. Businessmen who use toll free numbers are fully aware of the benefits of it, but others are blissfully ignorant how much business they are losing by not using the toll-free number.

Marketing professionals are convinced that advertising with a toll-free number can bring in 30% more orders than advertisements that carry no toll free number. Additionally, statistics show that product return rates can be decreased by as much as half. Interestingly, it is learned that customers call in to resolve their problems after buying rather than return the goods if a toll free number is provided.

There is no denying that numbers are a great boon for the business community. The 800 number by itself motivates consumers to readily respond. Vanity numbers - in other words, the toll-free numbers that spell out a word or words associated with a product or brand, are far more productive though some may consider it not cost-effective. A market survey was conducted to compare the impact of numeric toll free numbers versus toll free vanity numbers in radio advertising. Half of the ads mentioned a numeric phone number, and the other half mentioned a vanity number. The results: The vanity number received a whopping 14 times more responses than the 800 numeric.

Here are some valuable tips on how to fully take advantage of toll free numbers:

1. When you print sales promotion materials like - business cards, pamphlets, brochures, and catalogs, make sure to prominently print your toll-free number preferably in a couple of places.

2. Make a habit of coloring or bolding the words - "toll free".

3. When you advertise in print medium, mention your toll-free number and preferably use the phrase "Contact us TOLL FREE at...".

4. Customers must be firmly reassured that the phone call to your business will cost them nothing.

5. Make sure you display your toll-free number on your website in several areas and be sure to include your email address so customers have two options for contacting you.

6. If your business can afford it, create a vanity number, so that people easily remember your business and contact details.

Further, toll free numbers attract customers to your business because they give it an air of professionalism. They also increase the customer's confidence in the security of financial transactions with your company. You can also create a virtual office in your home-based business. A huge benefit of your toll-free number is - calls can be forwarded to your cell phone, pager, email address, and even you home phone - thereby no longer tying you down to your office desk. Its numbers also carry a lot of features including audio conferences, professional voice announcement feature, call screening, call recording, call forwarding, auto attendant etc.

By Clarence Well

Courtesy of Ezine Articles

If you're a businessman, you surely know the value of your business name. This is how people know you, remember you and think of you enough for them to buy something from you. In other words, as long as people know you're around, there is a possibility that they will consider you for something they need which you offer.

In other words, when you want to compete in a market where similar products and services are offered by different vendors or providers, you have to stand out with your brand name. Anything you do that strengthens your market presence by way of strengthening the impact of your brand name on consumers is called branding. Of course, you've heard about the multimillion dollar branding campaigns of such multinational companies such as Coke or Gillette. And you've heard about the advertising agencies who are notorious for their insanely and exorbitantly priced services. What if you were to get as much branding edge for a comparably negligible price? What about a vanity 800 number?

A vanity number is a regular toll free number except that you have your business name spelled out on it. Or you can have any term relevant to your business spelled out on it. So instead of your number being 1-800-1234567, it could be 1-800-FLOWERS if you're in the floral business or 1-800-COMPUTE if you're dealing computers. Imagine how much easier it would be for people to reach you just because your vanity number is so much easier to remember. Now imagine if that vanity number were all over your radio, TV, print and online ads. That's great branding edge for so much less expenses.

If you're convinced you need a vanity number, it's not that simple getting one, though. In fact, it can get a little serious. First, you need to research which companies offer the cheapest 800 numbers. You also need to look into how you will be billed. Some will charge a flat amount while others can give you more freedom by charging per amount of time used.

Vanity numbers also have different features so you need to look into each one to know what you need or don't need. This way, you avoid spending for something unnecessary. And then, of course, you need to consider the quality and accessibility of customer service you can expect from the company that provides you the vanity number. This is essential because if and when you run into problems, you should be able to resolve it as much as possible. Some companies will give you a free trial for a certain period, say, 30 days. This is for you to decide whether or not you would like to continue their service. Obviously, it's wise to take this trial and see for yourself.

By Noel Peebles

Courtesy of Ezine Articles

The results I have seen achieved from newspaper, phone directory and web site advertising, have been nothing short of amazing. It has all been accomplished using simple, but powerful, strategies.

Whether you are running web site advertising or any other kind of advertising - it still needs to get results. Your advertising will cost you the same, regardless of whether it pulls in two sales or does 1000% better and pulls in 22 sales.

So, how do you make your advertising work like crazy?

Your first task is not to get your prospect to read your advertising. You first need them to notice your advertising. I might be old school but, from years of "hands on" experience, I know that EVERY written advertisement needs a powerful headline. That goes for mail order, phone directory advertising, web site advertising, newspaper advertising etc. Every advertisement needs to grab attention with a powerful headline.

When I sort through my mail I do it next to the wastepaper basket. Unless it is something important, or a bill I need to pay, most of it gets trashed.

If I spot an eye-catching headline, I might be tempted to read a couple of paragraphs to see what it is all about. The same goes for web site advertising; if the web page doesn't immediately grab my attention, I will move on to the next web site.

So, the first job of any advertising is to get attention. The second job is to keep the reader interested in what you have to say. You just have to get the person to read the first sentence, then the next sentence, then the one after that, and so on. Keep them interested and you may start to create a desire for what you have to sell.

Take just one step at a time. Get their attention and then keep them interested. Create a desire. Then, introduce a call to action and ask them to buy.

It is really important to work through the process in the correct order. There is no point in asking for the sale if you haven't first grabbed their attention and created the desired.

That is why so many advertisements fail to pull in satisfactory results. A lot of advertisers put their company name at the top of the advertisement (boring!), and expect that to grab the attention of a reader. The business owner might like to see his or her company name big and bold at the top of the ad, but the average reader won't have the same interest. The reader is more interested in "what's in it for me."

We are all interested in ourselves and want to know how we can benefit in some way. This is an important point all advertisers need to understand if they want better results from their advertising.

Now, before I go, take another look at the headline of this article. You will see it includes a benefit, which is exactly what I have just been talking about. If you have read this far, then you must have been interested in what I had to say. Hopefully you now have the desire to improve your advertising. However, I will stop there and not ask for a sale, because that is not the purpose of this article.

The important thing is that you understand the important sequence of the AIDA process - Get Attention, Create Interest, Generate Desire, and then Call for Action.