For someone to use or buy the products or services your company offers, they have to know about your company. Successful advertising should bring more customers to you and all but retire the “who do you recommend for…” conversations. It should put you at the forefront of the customer’s mind and draw them in. Even if they don’t need your product or service right then, it’s important to advertise to them so that yours is the name that comes up the moment they’re in need. But here’s the deal, advertising is such a large umbrella…what’s included under it and what’s most successful?
Advertising mediums
As a business owner, what comes to mind when you think of forms of advertising? Television commercials? advertising agencies? Let’s break it down a little.
Digital/Social Media
This is obviously becoming the go-to form of advertising. It may include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, or even websites. You might find it beneficial to work with a marketing company that can help your business grow through Search Engine Optimization and all things digital. So when people search for you or anything relating to your business, your name will show up and you’ll get more customers.
Radio
For a while, everyone thought radio was “dying off”, but it seems that it’s sticking around. People usually listen while driving in the car, so advertising during peak driving times is a good way to reach a few thousand people at a time. It’s also a good way to reach those who may not actively read newspapers, magazines, or their social media feed.
While this form has somewhat decreased in popularity, it’s still effective for many types of businesses. Print advertising includes newspapers, magazines, mailers, and phone books. Many times, print can be a less expensive addition to the other forms of advertising you’re currently using. It’s especially effective if you’re able to offer a coupon or discount that the customer can cut out, and if you have a colorful, eye-catching logo that will stand out.
Television
This is a tricky one since many people record shows and then fast forward through the commercials. A TV ad must be catchy to keep people’s attention, but also needs to inform them just enough about who you are and what you offer. Consider who your target audience is and then find out when that audience is watching TV. Advertising during a news broadcast will be different than advertising during a new episode of a hit TV show, and the pricing will reflect that too.
Outdoor Sign
If your business depends on customers coming to you, then all the other forms of advertising are practically useless if you don’t have a visible and eye-catching outdoor sign in Birmingham, AL. An outdoor sign can mean your own monument or pedestal sign, digital or otherwise, or channel letters on the building itself. Reliable Sign Services can provide any outdoor sign you need right here in Birmingham, AL and beyond.
What’s most effective?
There’s no one right way to advertise your business’s products and services. Much of it will depend on who you’re trying to reach. It’s so important to focus your advertising and not throw money at every opportunity. Find your key demographic, then find out what they’re reading, viewing, or listening to. The right formula is a combination of a few different things.
There is one thing that will for sure get everyone’s attention and is a must-have for advertising and even for being informative– an outdoor sign. One thing is for certain, if you want people walking in your storefront or office, it must be clearly marked with a sign. There’s no point in having a television commercial, even if you include the address, without a bright, eye-catching sign so that people can confidently walk in knowing they’re at the right place.
Similarly, say someone is new to town and needs to find a new dental office. They drive past your office and see a classy monument sign that looks professional and they make a mental note to call you for an appointment. You got a new patient from your sign. What if someone has a baby that needs daycare for the first time? They’re driving down the road and see your colorful, bright daycare sign complete with a digital scroller of open registration dates. An outdoor sign often times your first impression, which is why it needs to be exactly right for how you’re wanting to portray your business.
Reliable Sign Services is here to help you design, fabricate, install, and maintain your outdoor sign in Birmingham, AL and surrounding areas. Contact us today to get started! We look forward to helping you get your business, name, logo, and information out to your community!