You're Going To Need To Advertise Eventually -- Why Wait?

Advertising is no longer limited to weekly sales flyers and newspaper ads. Instead, successful advertising is an ongoing process that keeps brands in touch with their customers. Personalized online advertisements can help keep customers in constant communication with the brands they love, and can help create a positive relationship between the two. Year-round advertising across a variety of platforms gives competitive companies the top-of-mind advantage they need to be selected when potential purchasers are making buying decisions.

Advertising is Key to Finding and Keeping Customers

 From letting potential customers know that an innovative new business is on its way, to making sure that as many people as possible hear about your biggest promotion of the year, advertising is a key factor of success. Advertising is key because it’s how you introduce your brand to new potential customers, and also remain top-of-mind to those who are already familiar. Through targeted TV and digital advertisements, you are able to find and connect with new customers. Online advertising, which is expected to reach a global total of over $375 billion by 2021, works hand in hand with television and other types of digital advertisements to reach as many potential customers as possible. With the help of a media partner, you can best direct your ads to those in your target audience. Whether you are trying to attract new business or bring customers back for another purchase, advertising will help you to find and keep customers.   An attractive ad can set a company apart in a customer's mind and increase their interest in purchasing from the company in the future. 

Stay Top-of-Mind to Increase Your Sales

Competition is a major factor in the business world as startups go head-to-head with well-established companies to gain top-of-mind awareness among potential customers. Top-of-mind awareness is the idea that consumers automatically associate a particularly popular brand with a certain category of products. For example, many consumers name Starbucks first when thinking about where to get their morning coffee or Apple when deciding on what brand of new computer to purchase.

Apple, Starbucks, and other major brands stand out largely because they are visible. It can be difficult to scroll through social media without seeing an ad for the latest iPhone or Starbucks' new seasonal drink. Because these brands are always advertising, they are constantly in the consumers' view, ultimately creating top-of-mind awareness. This means that customers are often more likely to choose the brand that they see advertised many times over instead of a less notable brand that they are rarely exposed to.    

Don't Limit Advertising to Holiday Gifts and Seasonal Items

Although holiday promotions and other seasonal sales often account for significant portions of a company's annual advertising budget, it is important to remember that people do not typically make the decision to buy a particular gift, decoration, or other items the very first time they see an ad. Instead, many people spend several weeks or even months thinking about possible gift ideas and comparing products and prices to get the best possible deal. In fact, approximately 90% of customers have not decided exactly what they want to buy before they begin browsing. This means that much of a company's advertising needs to be done well in advance of the holiday season.

Rather than waiting until December to begin promoting seasonal sales on popular gift items, for example, many of the most successful companies begin planting thoughts of holiday purchases in their customers' minds as soon as early fall. Creating awareness of your brand from the start means that your product is more likely to be in customers' minds when they're ready to make a purchase decision.    

Consistency is Key

Holidays will always be major sales periods, and increasing advertising to promote seasonal items is always a good idea, but that doesn’t mean you should put advertising on pause once those seasons are over. Once you start advertising, don’t stop.  Whether you're celebrating the grand opening of a new location, getting the word out about a new company, or alerting customers to a major sale, new product or promotion, there's always something your company can be advertising. Use the in-between periods to continue to establish your brand identity, strengthen your market position, establish more credibility, and keep your customers in the know. Don't limit yourself to certain sales or times of year, as this mindset will cause you to miss out on valuable opportunities to attract new customers. Once you stop advertising, you are putting your business at risk of losing the momentum that you’ve built. Instead of seeing it as a down time after a busy season, use that momentum to continue to advertise your brand in a different way so that you’re able to become that go-to company for a certain product or service that your target audience needs.

Connect With Customers

Advertising from the beginning means that businesses see an overall increase in sales when companies take every opportunity they can to advertise, rather than limiting themselves to certain times of the year. Companies that are always thinking about their next move reach more people, build brand loyalty, and achieve the ever-important top of mind awareness when new and returning customers are making purchase decisions. Advertising in a variety of ways is also important, as each platform has different benefits. Advertising is not something that should happen occasionally; instead, diligent companies begin advertising at the beginning and are always creating new ways to connect with their customers.