LOCAL Advertising

LOCAL ADVERTISING

I really have no interest in national advertising campaigns. Sure, I can observe and learn and give my two cents on whether I think they’re going to be effective or not…but really…I couldn’t be less interested in them.

My passion is helping the small business owner. And right now, that happens to be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

A local advertising plan is a completely different ballgame. It’s smaller. It’s more personal. It’s about the local people. It’s about seeing a good business grow right in front of my eyes.

Image courtesy of “Stuart Miles” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’m told “No thanks” quite a bit. But that’s OK. There is nothing more satisfying than the moment a business owner is truly ready to make the transition from “hope and pray something sticks” direct-response/buy now advertising…over to a “change how people feel about you” advertising strategy.

You won’t believe it at first. “We’re going to air ‘these’ kinds of ads on the Radio and people will start liking us and buying from us?”

Yes. That’s exactly what will happen.

Think about humans for a second. What are we? What do we think about? What do we care about? We are emotional beings. Some more than others, of course. For example, my wife has cried while watching Parenthood in every single episode so far this year. Me? Only once. Or twice. By the way – my wife says every parent should be required to watch that show.

But which kinds of local ads do you hear most? The blah blah blah kind, right? The ones that like to emphasize things about a business that nobody cares about… The number of years in business, the friendly staff, the quality service, and a bunch of other stuff that the business owner or the inexperienced advertising person thinks is important. In one ear and out the other.

So, the ads that DO actually get heard (or seen – maybe) and that help a business attract good, new, profitable customers …are the ones that engage humans in things that we care about. These are ads that tell stories and get us to look at something in a different light. These are ads that inform, arouse, delight, challenge tradition, and entertain all at once. And they for sure follow NO rules.

I guess my dream job is to be the guy that works with a team to help a bunch of local businesses get a heck of a lot more for their advertising dollar. I would write, brainstorm, and put plans into action to help good, local businesses succeed.

I would want my team to be sought after when business owners are TIRED of “just getting sold something” by advertising people who are only motivated to make a sale – instead of motivated to make a difference.

Local advertising is uber-different than national advertising. It’s especially nice when one or two people can make decisions, take risks, and “be different” instead of having an ad campaign get stripped of everything that will actually make it work by a board or committee. Local business owners have the advantage of making big things happen. You can make changes and decisions within minutes, instead of months. And don’t be afraid to do that.

So, maybe when I started this blog I should have named it “Non-Fat LOCAL Advertising”???

Just don’t get sucked into the trap of thinking that pretty pictures, your face on a billboard, being clever for the sake of being clever, or humor without any relevance makes for good advertising…

“The words you use and the feelings you stir… are what launches your advertising to the next level of effectiveness.” -Duane Christensen 

Have a great day!

Non-Fat LOCAL Advertising blog

For more great ways for local businesses to get more from their advertising – check out “Take a Bigger Slice” by yours truly on Amazon.

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