From our experience working with computer repair shops across the globe, we’ve found that while consumers respond to the marketing campaigns we provide to our Windows Renew partners, the platforms in which they respond to vary from region to region. In other words, a 3 month newspaper ad campaign may bring in a flood of new business in Arkansas, but may fall on deaf ears in Michigan. That same ad, or marketing message, when placed on Craigslist in Michigan, may bring in the flood of business that Arkansas experienced with the newspaper ad.
We’re excited to announce that the January 2011 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine is on newsstands across America, and our company, Windows Renew, has a new ad out. Here’s the ad:
This presents a great opportunity for us to discuss the advantages, risks, and rewards of advertising your business. From our experience working with computer repair shops across the globe, we’ve found that while consumers respond to the marketing campaigns we provide to our Windows Renew partners, the platforms in which they respond to vary from region to region. In other words, a 3 month newspaper ad campaign may bring in a flood of new business in Arkansas, but may fall on deaf ears in Michigan. That same ad, or marketing message, when placed on Craigslist in Michigan, may bring in the flood of business that Arkansas experienced. This is due to the fact that consumer habits vary from region to region. New Yorkers may prefer their news on their mobile devices, where as someone in another part of the county may prefer a physical newspaper in their hands.
The point is, in advertising, you must always test.
There is no way to ever know for sure what will work or not work. The only way to know ahead of time would be through divine inspiration, and you and I both know that is not possible. The best way to approach advertising is to make the best educated guess you can based on the consumption habits of your local market, and go out with a test campaign.
At Windows Renew, we’ve had the privilege of testing campaigns, strategies, and varying messages across 150 different markets around the globe. Our past experience and test campaigns have led us to a solid understanding of what will work and what will not work. That helps our partners a great deal; however, the task of testing and measuring never stops. The market is always changing and it is critical to run stride for stride with your target market.
This brings me to my next point:
When you test, you must measure obsessively until you find the “code breaker.”
It’s not enough to simply launch an ad and track the sales. You must measure every step of the sales process. Consider measuring the following through an excel spreadsheet each week:
- How many people saw your ad? What is the circulation of the publication/platform?
- How many phone calls did you receive each week as a result of your ad?
- How many emails did you receive each week as a result of your ad?
- Are you asking every prospect that emails or calls you how they heard about you?
- What is your sales process? How many times do you follow-up? Via phone, email or both?
I cannot stress enough the importance of measuring each step along the way, because you may find that your ad is not what is failing you, it may be your sales process!
Your ad may be generating enough leads to produce an ROI (Return On Investment), but you may not be following up properly. You may not be following up enough times. Your prices may be too high, or worse, too low. You may not be effectively communicating the value of your services to the prospect and, as a result, you lose the sale.
Another common problem I see is when companies that advertise fail to have a cohesive brand across their marketing, website, and other points of contact with prospects.
I cannot tell you how many times I see an ad, then go to the website, and the website is completely different from the ad. The colors are not the same, the fonts are different, the over-all feel is not the same. This inconsistency is confusing and will cause prospects to write you off as “unprofessional” and continue looking elsewhere. You may actually be driving a lot of traffic to your website (which you will only know if you measure your analytics) but prospects may leave due to your confusing, boring, or inconsistent brand.
That is why measuring is critical. You must track each step of the sales process to determine where you are lacking, where prospects are falling through the cracks, and then hunt down and correct the culprit.
Continue to test, measure, and tweak the entire sales process until you generate ROI (Return On Investment).
Once ROI is achieved, you duplicate the campaign on a larger scale to gain more business. This is what we refer to as the “code breaker.”
I have one final lesson for you when you advertise: Never give up too soon.
Most advertising takes repetition to sink in with your target market and generate sales. I can remember getting phone calls from individuals who cut out our newspaper ad 6 months prior and were finally calling us to schedule an appointment. The thing about any service-based business like computer repair is that both you and your target market never know when they are going to be in need of your services. You can’t predict when a computer is going to be infected by a virus or experience a system crash. Your ad may be hitting home with your target market, and you may be producing “top of mind” with them, but they may simply not need your services at this precise moment.
That’s ok. It is to be expected.
That is why you must stick it out and give yourself at least 2-3 months of regular, consistent advertising. You are better off running a 1/4 page ad 4 times per week and running a full page ad just 1 time per week.
As for our Entrepreneur Magazine ad, time will tell whether it’s effective or not. We will test and measure until we know the precise results moving forward. That’s the only way a company can grow.
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