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If only it were as easy as
placing an ad in a publication. It isn't that simple,
however. I can't tell you how many times I've asked
customers about the response to a specific ad they've placed
in the past. The answer I usually receive is "Alice in sales
said there was a huge response". "How many is a huge
response, I reply?" That's when the room falls silent
because no one knows the answer to that question. Why is it
important to know the answer? The reason is simple. A "huge
response" is relative, meaning Alice may think that 20 phone
calls or business reply cards is huge, while the owner of
the company believes nothing short of 1,000 is significant.
By putting together simple
tools to measure the response of your advertising, you'll
know if it's working.
1. Assign a unique 800# and
URL (web address) to your ad campaign. If you want to test
the creative of an ad, assign a unique number to each
creative. If you want to test the response of an ad in a
particular magazine or newspaper, assign a unique number to
each.
2. Keep your unique numbers
and URLs clean. In other words, don't reassign them, period.
Why? Because consumers may have that ad taped to their
refrigerator and are using it three years later. Use the
information consistently for just one purpose.
3. Create an excel spreadsheet
to store the data you receive. Tracking response on a
monthly basis will give you the knowledge to make smarter
marketing and advertising decisions. Be sure to give each
test one-year (with an ad appearing a minimum of 3 times)
before you make any major decisions.
4. Now it gets tricky.
Interpreting the data is the toughest part. I could give you
page after page of "if then" statements, however, why not
email
with your specific questions and we'll go from there. Just
remember, lack of response is not always due to where you
advertise. It could be your creative, message,
call-to-action, or any number of reasons, all of which can
be remedied.
You see them everyday. They
walk into your restaurant, shop, rental company, tour,
attraction. But, who are they and where do they come from?
Most importantly, how do you get more of them. Every
business owner should know their customers. Their likes,
dislikes, travel and buying habits, age; and most
importantly, where they reside. You see, in order to find
more, you must know where to begin. Otherwise, you are
throwing away your money if you think advertising in North
Dakota will bring you more business. I don't have anything
against North Dakota, it's a fine place but not one where
the residents frequently visit the Carolinas. By learning
and tracking information on your current customer-base,
you'll open new doors to information which will help you
make smarter marketing decisions.
Finding out the information is
easy. Create a survey with key questions and ask your
current customers to fill it out. They may need an incentive
to do so, but the information you're gathering far outweighs
the small cost associated. The next step is storing the data
you collect. An Excel spreadsheet is the most affordable way
to go as it acts like a database and can be sorted and even
imported into more advanced database software--when the time
comes.
Finally, use this information
wisely. If you find out that the majority of your customers
are Gen X (born 1965 thru 1978), then you can place your
focus on that group by creating a successful campaign to
attract more Gen X consumers. If you find that most of your
customers reside in the state of North Carolina, for
example, and can further narrow it down to zip codes, great!
This information is invaluable since you can then create a
campaign to target more individuals from these areas.
No matter what your plans--or
lack of plans--it's imperative that you begin collecting
this vital information. You will use it time and again in so
many ways, you can't afford to let another customer leave,
without asking them to fill out a "quick" survey!
End of Season does not mean your
work is finished.
In many areas of the country,
Labor Day signals the end of thousands upon thousands of
tourists visiting our beaches; staying in our hotels, B&B's
or Rental Homes; eating at our restaurants; taking our tours
and shopping in our stores.
Depending on whom you speak
to, this is both a wonderful and horrible thing. The
employees of these establishments think it's the greatest
day since Hurricane Floyd gave them three days off from
work! The owners, however, know this means the long stretch
until next season. Owners, in many cases, don't plan their
spending to take them through an entire year. Frequently,
business owners spend the money when they've got it and do
without when they don't. They may have stockpiles of
supplies from their purchases in the summer months; or they
just go without until business picks up. An easy way around
this predicament is to plan your marketing for the entire
year and create a budget.
Often times if asked, the
owner will tell you, "It's the way it's always been".
Whatever you do, if you are a business owner who relies on
tourists for support, DON'T fall into this trap! This way of
thinking is close-minded and will only bring about slow or
even stagnant growth for you and your company.
If you want and need customers
in the off-season, go out and find them! There are numerous
ways to do this:
1. Partner with other similar
businesses for some inexpensive co-op advertising. Co-op
advertising is basically you and a group of other businesses
buying a certain size ad and sharing it. Your ads can be
unique, your just sharing the space.
2. Before you decided to
advertise in a publication because you "like" it on a
personal level, do some research. Where do the off-season
guests reside? What do they read? Ask these questions and
more--not of yourself, but of your customer. Don't fall into
the trap of putting your likes and dislikes into the mind of
your guest.
3. Create an exciting travel
marketing offer to
bring off-season visitors to your doorstep. Make it
something unusual that will pique their interests. Don't
fall for the same old 20% discount--It will get lost in the
trash quickly.
Don't be fooled by perception,
people do visit your area when the crowds have gone. It's
your job to find out all you can about these off-season
travelers and build a rapport through creative marketing and
advertising.
I just finished a proposal for
a rental guide. These guides are the most expensive
marketing tool used by Vacation Rental Management (VRM)
companies, except, maybe their websites.
In doing my research, I found
out that the design and print company that did the guide
last year has sole ownership of all images, graphics,
photographs, content, etc. etc...you get the idea. This
brings me to my first blog title.
You see, the VRM could have
easily taken their "workable" Indesign or Quark files to
another designer if they so wished and would have probably
paid significantly less for the 2007 design because they
wanted very few changes. Instead, they are being held
captive by the company that performed this "service" for
them last year. They will probably perform it again this
year at a higher price!
Getting the files and rights
may cost them some money, but it would be worth it in the
long run. They can also try to renegotiate their contract
and ask the company to include those items. Whatever the
outcome, it's important to REMEMBER you need to read and
understand the contract. Don't think you can't make any
changes if you don't like something, you can. A contract
presented to you the client is designed to protect the
vendor! Many times, clients are lulled into a false sense of
security because they've been working with a vendor for
years! Don't be fooled.
This scenario is much too
common in the VRM world and there are plenty of companies
ready to take full advantage. Let's face it, we're all
incredibly busy. Many times, VRM's, in order to save time
(not money), sign on the dotted line without fully reading
or understanding what the contract says. Take the time to
review it carefully. Highlight anything you don't understand
and meet with a lawyer. This $150 - $200 could save you in
the long run. This is true with any designs including,
print ads, websites, brochures, billboards...anything you
hire out. It's important that you realize you are paying not
only for a service but also should be paying for the
ownership and rights to use those files in any way you, the
client, sees fit.
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