Most Advertising Doesn't Work

Despite what Advertising Sales Managers have told me in every country I've ever worked in it is true .....Most Advertising Doesn't Work. It doesn't matter if the advert is in the local paper or a national daily; on radio or TV; in the cinema or or the sides of building most adverts are just a waste of money.

Of course statements like this does tend to upset a few people ..... especially people selling advertising. But that is probably because they are not listening to what I have said. It is not that advertising doesn't work as a brilliant marketing medium ....... it can and it sometimes does.

It is just that most advertisers haven't a clue how to write an advert; don't understand which media or title they should place it in; fail to write compelling headlines that make readers want to buy; talk all about themselves rather than the benefits the buyer will get from their product........... well I could list 100s of reasons why most adverts don't work. Some advertisers even forget to put their contact details on their advert!

Of course advertising sales executives will keep call you with lists of your competitors that are advertising with them ......... they will try to pressure you into buying because your competitors are buying. The chances are that your competitor is only buying because they were given the same story!

When your advert doesn't work and you phone and complain the Advertising Sales staff will try to convince you to buy more space on the ground that people need to see your advert many times before they respond. Your complaint is their chance to sell you more! Of course every advert should sell just as good the first time as any other but the sales person is often more interested in their commission than your sale. They will never explain to you that some positions in the paper are better than others and that you should never advertise on a left hand page.

They will probably also phone you from time to time and try to sell you that one last space they have left ...... they'll offer you huge discounts. But they never tell you why they only thought of you when they were desperate to off load their last space!

They will also never tell you why you should never ever pay rate card prices for any advertising.

If you want to know how to ensure your advertising always works then visit my website and sign up for my free Marketing Tips Newsletter - http://www.stefandrew.com/