Business 101: Improve advertising results by narrowing the focus of your message

ANDREW VAN HORN

By ANDREW VAN HORN
Business Columnist

Editor’s Note: Willisburg-based business coach and consultant Andrew Van Horn will be writing columns for the Nelson County Gazette offering tips and strategies for business owners and entrepreneurs. Send your business questions to him by e-mail andrewvanhorn@actioncoach.com or call  (859) 940-5517.

Monday, Dec. 19, 20111 – “My Life in Advertising” by Claude Hopkins talks about what advertising can do for a company. Although the book is an old one, (published during the turn of the last century) its principles of advertising remain the same. The main differences between then and now is the method consumers use to read and make buying decisions.

With the inventions of new technologies people have moved from print, to radio, to TV, to computer internet, and now into mobile internet. Despite the changing medium, the person we advertise to still looks for the same thing: “How is that product going to meet my needs?”

Our advertisements need to focus on meeting that need. People will look at an advertisement or visit a webpage and make a decision in less than four seconds about buying what we sell. This means that we have one chance to grab that person’s interest. We do not have to be clever writers. We do need to have a simple Unique Selling Proposition, or USP.

A USP is a simple one or two sentence statement that differentiates us from our competitors. This statement needs to be simple, easy to remember, and state what it is you offer. National chains use this constantly. Here are some example:

• “You will be in and out in minutes.”
• “You get rid of dandruff.”
• “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.”

Without really thinking hard on it we most likely put the company to the USP.

Your USP need to tell people the need you fill and claim that no one else can meet the need just like you can. The key to a good USP, and any successful business is meeting the needs of the consumer. Once you have established the your unique selling proposition and start using it with all advertisements, your marketing will become far more effective. More effective marketing translates directly to increased profits.

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