Brand Development – Why Advertising Doesn’t Work For the Small Business Owner
When developing a new brand, most entrepreneurs tend to think that advertising is the most important way to promote it and get it into the minds of their target customer. Logically, this seems like the most appropriate thing to do – after all, we see advertisements all day long on TV and the Internet, in newspapers and magazines, and even while driving. We are bombarded by advertising in every aspect of our daily lives.
But as any successful small business owner will tell you, advertising is not the key to success – and in fact, it is often a waste of time, energy, and money when starting down the path to build your brand. Why? There are two very important reasons:
- As the amount of ads we see on a daily basis increase, our tolerance for advertising is decreasing. We are noticing (and applying action to) advertisements less and less these days, and it usually takes something truly obtrusive for us to finally notice. But do you really want to deal with a company that is obtrusive and forces you to look at their advertisement while you are trying to do something else? When was the last time you clicked on an ad while browsing the internet? Do you really sit though all the commercials you see on TV?
- Unless you’ve got millions of dollars to spend on advertisements, don’t waste your time. Your competitors (especially the largest ones) have already invested years and likely incredible sums of money to establish themselves as the market leader in the minds of your customers. Nothing can change that perception, and you would be foolish to spend your money on advertising thinking that you can change the minds of the masses – even if your product truly is the best on the market. The fact of the matter is, unless you are bringing to the market a product truly revolutionary and nothing that the consumer has ever seen before, you are facing an nearly impossible battle with the well known mega-corporations. Those big brands have already established themselves as the “best” in your consumer’s minds, so it will take time for you to get noticed and accepted by the masses. A simple ad campaign or two just isn’t going to do it.
So, if advertising is considered a losing proposition for the small business owner, how do you promote your brand without it? Very simply, you need to get people talking about it. Here are three things you need in order to do that:
- A good product (obviously) – without this, you have nothing from which to build from. A good product will generate repeat customers and free word-of-mouth advertising.
- Persistence – As a small business owner, you have to wear many hats. One of the most important hats is that of a sales person and/or promoter. Talk about your business. Write articles about it. Attend trade shows. Write a blog about your products and the ways that your customers are using them. Use any opportunity you can to promote your business – without making it sound like a sales pitch. As soon as you start sounding like a salesperson, people stop listening.
- Patience – it took years for your competitors to establish themselves as market leaders, so don’t think that you can change public perceptions overnight. If you believe in your brand and your business, your customers will too and your persistence will pay off.
As a small business owner, your time will be much better spent developing your brand in an organic and non-obtrusive manner. Your goal should be to get people talking about the brand, and recommending it to their friends, family, and business partners. Obtaining a customer base like this is very difficult to achieve through advertising alone – but it will be your most asset as you build your brand.
Mark Wilson is a content writer for Norebbo.com, which sells exclusive royalty-free illustrations and graphics focused on business, financial, and technology concepts.
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