Imagine for a moment that you are about to build your dream house. In order to get it built, you will need to hire an architect to make your dream home reality. Now, imagine going to the architect saying: 

“Just build me a house. We’ll worry about zoning regulations later. The whole blueprint thingy isn’t really necessary, so let’s just skip that. We’re really not sure what type of house or what it should look like, but, we will know it when we see it. By the way, we really don’t have a budget, so just let us know how much it will cost to do it.”

That sounds preposterous, doesn’t it. But, these are the type of requests advertising agencies face every day. Granted, an ill conceived brochure won’t topple on an unsuspecting crowd causing mass hysteria and public scrutiny, but the lack of planning of our advertising strategy can hurt the long term success of your business.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you approach an agency that will help you make sure you are getting the most efficient bang for your marketing buck.

          1. Create a Differentiator

Think about what makes you better than your competition. It should be the thing that will make you the obvious choice for their need. Keep in mind friendliness, longevity or the fact you are family-owned are not tangible differentiators that will set you apart. Odds are your competition has some pretty nice people working there as well. You have to find the one thing your competition cannot, and never will be able to say. That is real differentiation.

          2. Have a Budget

If you don’t have a dollar amount in mind, cost can get out of hand in a hurry. Our job as your agency is to do whatever it takes to make you stand out and look as good as possible. But, if you can’t afford specialty printing or an expensive photo shoot, we need to know that in advance. That way we can help you find the most creative solution to get your message out so we can maximize your budget.

If you need help to get a ballpark amount, the industry recommendation is 10 percent of your gross yearly income. However, that recommendation coming from me is like DeBeers telling me that I should spend four months’ salary on a wedding ring. Psh-yah, right. Just use 10 percent as a guideline to help you figure your budget. From there, adjust as you deem fit.

          3. Plan for the Long-Term

Brand building does not have instant gratification. It takes time for your message to resonate with your customers, especially if you have a limited budget. Planning for the long-term will allow us to help you with a year-by-year strategy for everything you will need to connect with your customers. Plus it will help keep the look and message of your communication pieces consistent.

          4. Have an Open Mind

You probably don’t think about advertising every day. We do. Therefore we will be able to recommend new solutions to get the word out. Plus, we will be able to advise you if a form of media you would like to use would really reach your target. Also, the creative we present may seem different. We do that on purpose. If your competition is doing something, or looks a certain way, we will always recommend things a completely different way. This is done all is the name of standing out.

We know that planning is not sexy. It would seem more interesting and more fun to go directly to execution and just give you a brochure to react to without planning. Doing so, we are more likely to miss the mark and go through multiple rounds of changes that will rack up a large bill. If you plan ahead, you will be able to avoid any frustration and, in the end, will actually make the process a smooth road to travel.

Note

Nothing kills good advertising like a bad product. Advertising can only take you so far. So, before planning your marketing, make sure your product or service is the best it can be.