What is your
advertising definition?

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Reacting to advertising today has become an essential part of being a consumer. Advertising is everywhere and everyone has an opinion.

It's bad when it blatantly intrudes on someone's lifestyle.
And it's great when it informs. (Click for more advertising insights)

We all need goods and services to function. And advertising is the primary way we hear about new things and reinforce our knowledge about what we already know.

"Marketing is all those factors which go into the sale of a product or service such as price, distribution, wholesale and retail support, plus advertising and promotion," says Don E. Schultz in his book Essentials of Advertising Strategy.

His advertising definition: "Advertising is simply the communication of a sales or persuasive message designed to affect attitudes or behaviors toward the advertised product."

He continues, "Advertising consists of only two basic parts, the creative product or message and the medium or method used to get the message to the audience.

"We know the primary goal of advertising is to get the right message to the right audience at the right time," Mr. Schultz says. It is advertising that communicates the selling message.

• Creative

The best creative messages must sell the product or service. David Ogilvy, said it well in his landmark Ogilvy on Advertising book, "When I write an advertisement, I don't want you to tell me that you find it 'creative'. I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product."

• Media

It's no secret that the list of media available today is broader and wider than ever before. Consequently, how to make your small business advertising message stand out has become even more of a challenge.

The standard historical options of mass market newspapers, magazines, direct mail, yellow pages, radio, and network TV, are still there. And selecting one or more media options was relatively easy compared to today.

When you add the new choices of everything internet (including e-mail, web pages, virtual marketing, etc.), cable television channels, speciality magazines and publications, signs, four-color post cards and more, its a jungle!

Modern printing technology has lowered both price and quantity restrictions so that small businesses can actually afford smaller quantities. Imagine being able to print on pharmacy bags, or a limited number of restaurant place mats, or wrapping your business vehicle in an advertisement.

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Imagine what you want to do with your advertising. You can find someone who does it well. Your difficult choice is which medium or combination of media to select.

That depends on your primary market and how it makes purchasing decisions. You have to go looking for basic market research.

Today, this is the advertising definition for small businesses: more creative and more media opportunities. It's almost too many choices. So you need to keep track of results from each ad venture.

Our advice? Pick the top one, two or three media and concentrate your efforts there!

• Find out how to proceed in our free e-course "FIX YOUR ADS and Get More Customers"

• For over 40 original small business advertising articles go to our article listing and site map page.

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