Most, in fact more like 99%, of local, small business advertising simply doesn’t work.

Advertising about you and your company, your logo, your image, your computer, your office, the companies you represent, your fancy letterhead, your years in business, your professional designations, your association memberships, ads that scream: “I’m great!” “I’m the best!” “I’m the biggest!” “I’ve been around the longest!”…

Does— NOT— Work.

Forget about clever ads, puns, funny, cute tag lines, amazing photos, and all those slick, glossy brochures and fancy websites.  Ad agencies and marketing firms are masters at creating beautiful ads and stroking your ego so you stroke them a check.

But have you ever wondered why the Ad geeks love to give themselves awards for everything except…

Did the freakin’ ad sell?

You’ve been sold a bill of goods. There’s this advertising and marketing buzzword floating around called “branding”.  The idea is that people will buy from you because when they see or hear your name, they get this predictable, positive, warm, fuzzy, glow.

Yeah, that kinda works … if you’ve got millions of dollars to buy the glow.

But, the issue isn’t whether to brand or not.  You see, you can’t help branding yourself and your business

• You either deliver on your promises … or you don’t.
• You treat clients right … or you don’t.
• You honor and back your work … or you don’t.
• You keep up with the latest innovations and trends … or you don’t.
• Your office is clean, neat, organized … or it isn’t.
• Your staff is professional, courteous, helpful, responsive … or they aren’t.

Branding happens as a result, as a measure of how congruent you are – how well your actions and words match up. There is no hiding – it’s simply a reflection of how you do business. Especially in today’s transparent social media driven On-line World.

Now the million dollar question is:

Does it make sense to invest and spend money pre-branding yourself to the great big market out there, to all those people who will never be your prospects?

Or…

Is it smarter to target your brand message to your Ideal Prospects while you sell and deliver, at no additional cost or effort?

Unless you are McDonald’s, Coke, or Home Depot with a billion dollar ad budget, you can’t afford to throw money away sending feel- good messages into thin air.  You must laser- target your message to your Ideal prospects.

You must talk about their problems, their desires.  You got to get into the conversation going on in their heads.

Why?

Because they don’t care at all about you.

They care about themselves and their problems, their dreams.

To enter this conversation your prospects have going on in their heads, to understand what they care about, and to use the precise approach and words to get them to notice what you can do to help them …

Starts with first understanding exactly who they are.

Understanding exactly what’s going on … their thoughts, feelings, motives, dreams, and desires.

When you understand and define your Ideal Prospect -your “Right Market” – then you are ready to woo them.

P.S. Check out Vince working Woo Power with the Slap Chop. A classic direct response ad, that, yes, does work and sells. (even if you think it’s silly and don’t love Vince’s nuts.)

Flickr Photo Credit: Don Hankins