The advertising world gets more complicated by the day. New media becomes available regularly. People gravitate from one social platform to another. Yes, even pandemics confuse the situation. However, if you are going to market your business there are certain basics you should follow. If you avoid these six common advertising mistakes your chances of success will increase greatly. Campaigns Not Ads Advertising is not a one-off. Do not begin advertising thinking you will create an ad and be successful. Advertising takes time and planning. Think in terms of advertising campaigns. Begin by understanding your customers’ sales cycle. How do [...]

Most businesses understand that trying to advertise to everyone is a waste of time and money. Instead they try and identify their target audience to narrow their focus. Experienced marketers know that even that is not enough. If they are able to identify particular groups within their target audience, then they can customize their message and deliver it at the optimum time for maximum effect. That is why you need market segmentation. A restaurant owner might segment her audience into three groups, those who dine in, those who take out and those who dine at similar restaurants but not hers. [...]

I recently noticed some tree branches around my yard that needed trimming. So I borrowed one neighbor’s fifteen foot step ladder and another’s pole saw and set to work. After a few hours I had made some improvements. But it was also clear that to do the job correctly I had neither the necessary tools nor knowledge. It was time to call in the experts. With sales and budgets being impacted by Covid-19 many business owners are exploring doing  advertising on their own. That begs the question of whether do it yourself advertising is feasible, and does it make sense [...]