Advertising for Small Businesses
Mike Catherall
January 10, 2006
Let's face it: Anyone who has the guts to go out and start their own business has to be commended. Without that kind of pioneer spirit the world would never change, inventions would never be realized and North America, Europe and anywhere that such vigor is rewarded, would never evolve.
But entrepreneurialism is a part of our DNA, and as a consequence, there are the brave ones who strive out, pick their area of expertise and do their best to make a solid living out of it.
Sometimes these entrepreneurs are very successful. Look no further than Steve Jobs, or Bill Gates or Henry Ford. To quote the eldest, ?Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.? And so forth. There you go. It's achievable.
There are plenty of people out there following their own entrepreneurial star. Good on them. But one of the first things any small business owner should realize before they work themselves into the ground is?
Know when to allocate duty.
Charles Schwab once said that his greatest skill was surrounding himself with people smarter than himself. It makes sense. Find people who are gifted in what they do, and let them do their thing.
It takes a little faith. But if you trust your gut, it is bound to pay off.
While entrepreneurs may have a realm of expertise in their product, in the sales surrounding their product, in the management of those who can make such a product successful, in the excitement and fantastic appreciation for the unique and glorious attributes of their product; Rarely, very rarely do they understand the intricacies of mass communications and the way to tell other people about their product without being intrusive, or abrupt, or overly excitable.
This is where the advertising agency comes into play. The advertising agency knows people. Every angle you have thought of to make an ad distinct, ?Don't buy this. Don't call this number. This product is the best.? Has been tried, experimented on, and frankly, been seen, to death.
Advertising agencies have been around a long time. This is their business: The business of bait. It is an easy feature to condemn and ridicule, because it's true. Most ads ARE terrible.
But there is a saying in the ad biz. Clients get the ads that they deserve.
And it is usually cold-footed second guessing that puts most of those terrible ads out there.
Why should your business, your baby, be painted with the same plain, beige, boring brush?
If you've read this far it's saying something. I'm not really sure what it's saying, but it couldn't hurt if you gave us a call.
But entrepreneurialism is a part of our DNA, and as a consequence, there are the brave ones who strive out, pick their area of expertise and do their best to make a solid living out of it.
Sometimes these entrepreneurs are very successful. Look no further than Steve Jobs, or Bill Gates or Henry Ford. To quote the eldest, ?Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.? And so forth. There you go. It's achievable.
There are plenty of people out there following their own entrepreneurial star. Good on them. But one of the first things any small business owner should realize before they work themselves into the ground is?
Know when to allocate duty.
Charles Schwab once said that his greatest skill was surrounding himself with people smarter than himself. It makes sense. Find people who are gifted in what they do, and let them do their thing.
It takes a little faith. But if you trust your gut, it is bound to pay off.
While entrepreneurs may have a realm of expertise in their product, in the sales surrounding their product, in the management of those who can make such a product successful, in the excitement and fantastic appreciation for the unique and glorious attributes of their product; Rarely, very rarely do they understand the intricacies of mass communications and the way to tell other people about their product without being intrusive, or abrupt, or overly excitable.
This is where the advertising agency comes into play. The advertising agency knows people. Every angle you have thought of to make an ad distinct, ?Don't buy this. Don't call this number. This product is the best.? Has been tried, experimented on, and frankly, been seen, to death.
Advertising agencies have been around a long time. This is their business: The business of bait. It is an easy feature to condemn and ridicule, because it's true. Most ads ARE terrible.
But there is a saying in the ad biz. Clients get the ads that they deserve.
And it is usually cold-footed second guessing that puts most of those terrible ads out there.
Why should your business, your baby, be painted with the same plain, beige, boring brush?
If you've read this far it's saying something. I'm not really sure what it's saying, but it couldn't hurt if you gave us a call.
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