Tag Archives: advertising

Ep. 150 – What Is Content Marketing?

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIBP-Blog-NEW-1The way businesses connect with customers is constantly changing. There’s no better example of this than the current move towards using “content marketing” to reach those customers directly. Content marketing is a big deal, particularly in a world where social media has become a primary marketing channel, but is it really that different from traditional marketing and advertising?

As host and business coach Tom Ryan explains, “If you don’t get onboard the content marketing train, you’re going to be left at the station.” As always, Tom is joined in this discussion by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Getting the Most Out of Your Advertising Dollars: Finding Media/Goal Alignment

Posted on by

SIBP-1When you’re spending money on advertising, you want every dollar you spend to yield the maximum return. Unless you’re seriously invested in building brand awareness, chances are that result will ultimately be measured in new leads and increased sales. It’s not enough for someone to see your ad and like it, they need to be inspired to buy.

Here’s where a lot of newcomers to advertising make a big misstep: It’s not just about the ad itself. It’s also about the media the ad is running on. If you want to see great results, the media (also called the channel in this context) needs to match the message. Continue reading →

Getting the Most Out of Your Advertising Dollars: The Toddler Stress-Test

Posted on by

"But ... why?" Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/

“But … why?” Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/

As a business coach, one of the most common frustrations I hear is that advertising just doesn’t deliver the right results. This often comes from a deeply rooted misconception of how advertising works. It’s not enough to simply create an ad and buy some air time, impressions or space on a page. The ads need to be created with a specific purpose in mind.

For any advertising campaign to be truly effective, it needs to be in complete alignment with your business goals. To get the results you want, you need to know what those results are. I’m not talking about a specific number of leads generated or a target number of conversions. I’m talking about the fundamental actions you want the person watching, listening or reading the ad to take. Continue reading →

Getting the Most Out of Your Advertising Dollars: The Power Of The Call-To-Action

Posted on by

Empire CarpetIf you’ve ever lived in the Chicagoland area, like I have, chances are that you know this telephone number by heart: 588-2300. What’s so special about that number? It’s the number of Empire Carpet (now Empire Today), which has been etched permanently into my memory by their jingle-filled commercials.

In time, I may forget many of my experiences as an entrepreneur and business coach. I might forget the names of people I’ve worked with, or even the finer details of big events in my life. But as long as I live, I’ll never forget those seven digits. Continue reading →

Getting the Most Out of Your Advertising Dollars: The Value of A/B Testing

Posted on by

IMG_2329Successful business decisions are rarely the ones with the most dramatic results. While the steep growth curves can be fun while they last, most of the day-to-day trends that can make or break a company come from smaller trends and decisions. No place is this more true than with advertising, where even a seemingly marginal difference in response rates can have huge results over the life of a campaign.

With so many options — from old-media ad buys in TV, radio and print to the various online and email campaigns of new-media — you could easily find yourself with a range of channels with conversion rates separated by a mere fraction of a percent. And even when you find the right channel, how do you know if you’re getting the best response? How can you truly know what kind of advertising works best for your company? Continue reading →

Getting the Most Out of Your Advertising Dollars: Old Vs. New Media

Posted on by

SIBP-1When you’re running a startup or a small business, every dollar counts. This is particularly true when it comes to your marketing budget. There have never been more ways to reach potential customers, and there have never been more companies vying for your advertising dollar. Between old media advertising (print, TV and radio) and new media advertising (online display ads, AdWords, video marketing), it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options.

It’s also easier than ever to get lost in the weeds. So let’s take a step back, and talk about the fundamental problem that advertising aims to solve. For most companies, the deeper question really isn’t “What’s the best way to spend my advertising budget?,” but rather “How can I drive more sales to my business?” Continue reading →