Advertising is an expensiveway to attract business. It is an investment of time, resources and money thatdemands a return.
Most dealers cannot affordthe expert advice of an advertising agency, so they handle the creation andplacement of ads themselves. And, more often than not, they make many commonmistakes that prevent their advertising from working.
A few common pitfalls toavoid:
• Emphasizing featuresinstead of benefits. Focus on the "why" instead of the"what." Yes, you sell tires – why should someone buy your tires?
• Focusing too much onprice. While price is important, what else does your dealership offer beside"the lowest prices in town"? You want long-term repeat customers, notone-time-only price shoppers.
• Failing to differentiateyour business from the competition. Why is your dealership the best bet? Whatdo you offer that’s unique or important?
• Failing to track theresults of your advertising. Try to determine how much business your adsgenerated. Coupons or special offers are an easy way to track results.
• Making changes to your adstoo frequently. Most newspaper ads aren’t seen the first time. Give your adtime to make an impact. Experts say readers need to see an ad seven timesbefore it begins to register in their minds.
• Focusing too much ongaining new customers and neglecting the old. Existing customers are valuable,and replacing them is expensive. Address existing customers with specials orsales.
• Discontinuing advertising.Rarely does an ad on Monday generate 1,000 sales on Tuesday. Ad experts agreethat most businesses need to advertise for a year or more, and havewell-thought out, attention-getting ads. Be patient, and make sure you’re doingit right before you call it quits.
• Not asking for help. Mostnewspapers offer the creative and placement help you need to develop a successcampaign. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
• Choosing the wrong media.Billboards aren’t for everybody. Neither is radio, TV, newspapers, magazines,etc. Find the right media – or combination of media – that works best for youand your budget. Blowing your entire ad budget on one month of TV spots isn’t agood idea if that same budget will get you 12 months of newspaper ads.
• Placing all you ad dollarsin the Yellow Pages. Yellow Pages ads work, and are important. But most peopledon’t use the Yellow Pages unless it’s an emergency purchase. A consistentcampaign in other media will pay bigger dividends than a bigger Yellow Pagesad.
– Source: Tire ReviewBusiness Toolbox
