Bull's Eye Advertising
By Rick Priolo
For years you have been thinking about some day starting your own business. Then you finally decide that the time is right, and you start the wheels in motion. Business name, financial backing, location, federal and state paperwork, insurances, and employees are just a few of the many hurdles you had to go through. Then, because you have put your heart and soul into getting the business going, you make sure that you are going to be sure the public knows about your company, so you spend the money to design some nice letterhead and business cards, and put up a nice expensive looking sign over your business. Now you are ready to open your doors. Two and three months pass and you can’t understand why you aren’t getting any customers. Your business isn’t producing the revenues you had hoped for, and in the back of your mind you know that if something doesn’t happen soon, your business may fail. What is happening? Why can’t the public see the value of the product or service you are providing? After all, you did everything right. Or did you? Then you decide that you should start to advertise, but when you start looking around you become confused on how to advertise. Print, television, radio, and billboards media companies are telling you that their way is the only way. Then there is the cost. Wow, that much to promote my business you think. One media tells you to zero in on certain demographics, another tells you to reach as much of the local population as possible using TV or radio, even though at any given time they may not be watching TV or listening to the radio, and another stresses reach people as they are driving their cars, hoping they will take the time to read your billboard ad. What to do? One way of looking at advertising is to think of the game of darts. The idea of darts is to place as many darts as possible into the bull’s eye for the highest possible score. You can use the "throw all the darts at once" approach hoping that at least one of them hits the bull’s eye. The most popular and effective way is to throw one dart at a time. This is because you can take your time, aim the dart, and if you don’t hit the bull’s eye, adjust your throw on the next dart. Effective advertising is the same. First, define your bull’s eye demographics. Second, find the type of media (the dart) that can reach your bull’s eye demographics, and third, make the necessary adjustments to your ad and type of media to successfully get a bull’s eye. Using bull’s eye advertising is an effective and normally affordable way to get new customers. Shop around for the various media sources in your area, then determine your advertising budget and select the way of advertising that will help make your business successful. Don’t be fooled by high-powered advertising sales people that make false claims. Be sure to do your homework! After all, it is your business that is at stake if you forget the rules of Bull’s Eye Advertising.
Rick Priolo is the publisher of Today's Senior Magazine at www.todayssr.com and he can be reached at rick@todayssr.com. Today's Senior Magazine is the most read senior publication in their areas of distriubtion
