The posting: Secrets of Successful Advertising, certainly attracts attention, in part because of the alliteration in the title. Well, Brian Williams isn’t really sharing secrets as the news about effective advertising strategies has been out for as long as advertising has been known. But these points are still worth remembering:
What’s the secret to successful advertising? Is it about paying an ad agency lots of money for something clever and “creative?” Is it about cute, monosyllabic frogs obsessed with a particular brand of beer? Is it about sexy models and witty catch-phrases and fancy photography? No. No. And no. Advertising whether it’s in print, over the airwaves, or via computer is about presenting a special benefit-laden offer to your specific target prospects. It’s about making a successful sales pitch to the right people, and convincing them to make a purchase. That’s the whole concept of advertising in a nutshell. How do I know? Well, although 1 won’t profess to be the world’s foremost expert on advertising, I have spent the past 5 years studying the lessons of some of the best advertising minds ever.
If your business is selling advertising, of course, you need to know what works to create the value the client is truly seeking. “What works” of course varies depending on the target audience and media. A limited distribution pubication serving a niche business-to-business market might establish value through a variety of non-advertising networking relationships; the paid ad, essentially, is just an entry point or consulting fee for the relationships the publisher can offer. But you wouldn’t want this to be the primary indicator of success if you are seeking to sell to mass retail markets.
Nevertheless, whether the audience is large or small, specialized or diverse, the ideas in Williams’ posting are worthy of consideration and embedding in your mind.
