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Chicago’s Brand Development, Website Design and Search Engine Optimization Specialists

222 Merchandise Mart Plaza
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Chicago, IL 60654
Tel. 773.664.5819

Digital advertising mistakes

There are reasons why your digital advertising is not performing.

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Since the rise of internet marketing, small business marketers have found a fantastic resource for getting a leg up on the competition. Before widespread internet advertising print marketing and direct mail were the only real options for mid-range budget marketers trying to get the kind of visibility their big brand competitors achieved with television and billboard advertising.

Today mom and pop brands and startups alike find a valuable resource in online advertising that not only gives them the visibility they need, but also targets their message to just the right audience.

But small business brands also find that simply posting an ad on Facebook or running a Google Adwords campaign won’t be the secret sauce they dreamt it would be without several key strategies set in motion first. Online shoppers and client prospects want a bit of white glove treatment that assures them your brand is the right fit for their needs.

Don’t make these common mistakes when developing your own business’s digital ad initiatives:

1) Using a Perfunctory Tag Line That Doesn’t Address Your Customers’ Needs:

Bland and uninteresting ad titles do little more for an ad campaign than placeholder text. Your online ad has about a millisecond of time to grab a reader’s attention. Use that time to meet the customer where they live: their need.

Addressing their need with the quality and resources your brand brings to the table does two things: (1) it gets their attention by providing what most people want online, a solution; and (2) it distinguishes your business through its unique brand value with phrases like “Chicago’s top handyman service,” or “5-Star Yelp Rated,”. Using that tag line to engage you customer in that millisecond gets them thinking. And that encourages them to click on the ad and visit your site and your offer.  Tag lines that engage readers best are typically posed as questions? (i.e., Are You Looking for a Reliable Handyman Service that Won’t Break the Bank?)

2) Not Including  Compelling Offer:

Online ads work the same way traditional advertisements have worked for millennia, offer them something of perceived value and they’ll buy.

Online shoppers and potential clients want to attract quality products and services, to be sure. But everyone loves a deal. And if you can offer a little bit extra, that adds not only value to your advertisement but also a sense of urgency. A limited-time-only discount or seasonal offer won’t have the same cheapening effect of low prices, but it will have the same benefit and that sense of urgency will get those on the fence off the fence in short order.

3) Not Creating a Custom Landing Page:

Whether you create your online advertisement on Facebook, local ad farms or Google Adwords, you should never link the ad back to your business’ home page.

Traditional home pages serve as the general repository of information about your brand. From there people can explore your site to find services, rates, history, testimonials and any other bits of information you publish about your business.

Unfortunately, when people click on your online ad they don’t typically want to explore. They want a specific subset of information about your business, your services and your rates. In other words, they need all the information necessary to make a solid decision to proceed further with your product(s) or services.

Make it easy for them to find everything they need on one custom landing page and add a clear call to action so they know just how to contact you or proceed.

The quickest way to send a prospect packing when they click through your online ad is a home page that has a lot of choices to link out to next but not a lot of real helpful information.

If you would like help developing a powerful digital advertising program for your business, call one of our consultants at 773.245.7226. We love helping small businesses get a leg up on the competition.