Advertising Does Work
by Dera DeRoche-Jolet

You’ve probably heard many people say that "advertising doesn’t work." They’ll tell you that they have tried everything and got nothing in return. That’s only true when you walk blindly into the advertising world. Advertising will always work, but only if it’s done the right way.

Finding the time to plan when you are already working 60 hours a week and wearing more than one hat is difficult. But it’s the most productive time you’ll spend because of what you’ll accomplish. A properly researched advertising plan will:

* Help you better serve your customers
* Help customers with product and service selection
* Save you money.

Buying advertising can be one of your biggest business expenses and have the greatest impact on your bottom line. Everyone in business should advertise, yet many alarm dealers, and in fact most business owners, have little or no knowledge of advertising. With the abundance of advertising choices available, including TV, radio, newspapers and even the world wide web, it’s hard to know where to begin.

First, you must know exactly whom you are trying to reach. That sounds deceptively simple. You might say, "I’m trying to reach people who don’t own an alarm system or who need to upgrade."

That might be true, but who are these people? Are they residential or commercial? Are you selling high end or low end systems? To get this type of information, you need to ask your customers. You’ll be surprised at what they tell you about their likes, dislikes and preferences. Find out which TV channels they watch, what radio stations they listen to and what magazines and newspapers they read.

Your local library can also provide you with a wealth of information. Ask the librarians at the Information Desk about the people in your area. Research is their business.
I can’t emphasize enough that your customers do not know as much as you do about security. Keep in mind that they probably know less than you think they do. That’s why you should choose your words carefully. Don’t use words or phrases that your target audience isn’t familiar with or doesn’t understand. Keep your message simple.
Advertising is really just communication. Listen to your customers. Ask them what they think and want. Every time you mention a feature of your product or service, talk about the benefits the feature offers to your customer. They want to know what your company and system can do for them that other companies and other systems can’t. Tell them how it will improve their life.

Know your competition. Pay attention to their ads. What works for them? Once you realize your strengths and weaknesses and those of your competitors, you can pinpoint your unique position as an alarm company and you’ll have an advertising message that will set you apart from your competitors.

There are quite a few advertising options for you to consider. Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, the internet, direct mail, bulk mail, consumer shows and special promotions such as sponsorship of an event or a little league team are just some of your choices.

Your decisions depend on your goals. Make sure you write down specific, clear objectives. Then use strict criteria to decide where to spend your advertising money. Ask yourself:

* Am I reaching the people I want to reach with my advertising?
* Am I advertising in the best places to reach my goals and objectives?
* Am I getting the best per-dollar results?

Measure your advertising’s effectiveness. Don’t continue to advertise unless you see it’s generating either sales or leads. Set up a system to keep tabs on what advertising is working. Ask callers where they heard about your company.

Your budget must not only account for advertising space or time, but also for producing advertising and any support materials. For example, when your newspaper ad results in inquiries, you could choose to mail brochures. Brochures aren’t your only choice, you might even send a videotape. Be creative.

You may also want to set aside a part of the budget for the costs of hiring an advertising agency, public relations consultants, graphic designers and other types of communication professionals. If you don’t walk blindly into the advertising world, in the end you’ll save money, increase revenue and achieve better results.