Gas Station Advertising

Here’s a question to ponder: If a company could allocate all of its funds to payroll and production, what would be the result? In truth, even if the business made a revolutionary product that would help millions of people - and kept its employees happy - it would likely fold in no time at all. The reason for this is fairly obvious. Without a feasible marketing strategy, no one will know about what the company can offer.

The types of advertising strategies you use are a matter that shouldn’t be taken lightly. As an example of effective marketing, take a look at Apple’s corporate image. This huge conglomerate has marketed itself in such a way that it is looked upon as a “friendly little company that could” by many students and young professionals—although in light of several recent incidents, many people would say that Apple is the new “Big Brother.” On the other hand, Wal-Mart markets itself as a store that caters to the American everyman. How would you like people to view your company?

Here is a picture of another great campaign by Pacific Media and thier GAS STATION ADVERTISING.  You can see the obvious advantages of having this medium directly pointed at your customer for over 5 minutes.  Take advantage of some great fall specials happening right now. 

If you’ve ever turned on the television late at night, you’ve probably noticed an abundance of infomercials. While you might find these extended advertisements annoying, the underlying fact is that they work. If they didn’t companies wouldn’t continue to purchase the air time. But what makes this type of advertising so profitable, especially when the goods being marketed are nothing special.

The answer lies in a technique known as direct response marketing, which encourages people to make buying decisions by creating a sense of urgency. A clock counting down the seconds until the offer expires is just one example. Advertisement techniques like this have proven effective across all mediums—from radio and TV ads, to print and even online.

It’s no secret that print publications across the country are struggling to stay afloat, and it isn’t just independent papers. Household names like The Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek have been forced to restructure and rethink their business models in order to find funding. As you probably know, the main source of revenue for virtually every print publication is advertising. Unfortunately for papers, many people are looking to advertise on the internet, where space is unlimited and ads are cheap.

Of course, by exclusively advertising online you risk being drowned out by the myriad other companies trying to carve out their niche, especially if you are a small business. While some may consider print advertisements antiquated, they can be quite effective for the right business. Since papers are desperate for advertising, ad space is cheap. And if you are focusing on a local demographic, you can certainly find print publications that cater to your precise target market.

Many small business owners believe that they don’t have the time or money to conduct an advertising campaign, but as the old cliché goes, they can’t afford not to. Without a concerted effort to build your visibility and credibility in the community, specifically amongst your target market, your enterprise is destined to fail. And while small business promotion may seem complicated, if you make small, consistent steps, it can actually be quite easy.

Start by taking out ad space in weekly local papers; this is cheap and a great way to highlight introductory offers and target customers in your immediate vicinity. In the beginning, word-of-mouth is one of the best ways to attract new customers. To that end, consider implementing some sort of referral system or loyalty rewards program. This will encourage people to promote your business to their friends and persuade return customers.

For generations, the types of advertising were limited by rudimentary means of communication. In our modern world however, there is a plethora of avenues for advertising. Some of the modern types of advertising include:

~Social Media: Sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace provide companies an affordable and effective means of reaching their target demographic.

~Outdoor Advertising: Gas pumps, bathroom stalls, billboard and adverts in other areas with high levels of foot traffic are ideal, especially if you can find options that also have a captive audience.

~Product Placement: Also referred to as covert advertising, product placement is the process of placing merchandise in movies, TV shows and other media without overtly pushing it.

No company recognizes commercial success without an effective advertising campaign. Even if you are utilizing free methods and word-of-mouth, these are still forms of advertising. When implementing an advertising strategy for your business, one of the main factors to consider is where you are going to advertise. Inevitably, some of the money you spend will go to waste; the key is to minimize the waste by advertising effectively.

When contemplating where to advertise, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of your product or service as well as your target market. If you are watching a sporting event, you are bound to see advertisements for beer cars, while commercials during Oprah typically feature makeup, jewelry and other feminine products—this is no coincidence. In order to be successful, you need to accurately analyze your target market and find advertising methods that are catered to those people.

Great ideas are recycled every day to tremendously lucrative effect. Just consider the recent success of the Transformers movie sequel. Consumers develop an affinity for certain products once they know what to expect. For them, a level of predictability is actually comforting rather than frustrating; they can walk into the movie theater confident in the fact that they will see some glorious explosions.

Fast-food restaurants flourish because of the same principle. McDonald’s patrons in London are ensured the same products as those in Baltimore, more or less. Although a few regional dishes might be available, the menu is meant to appeal to travelers who long for a touch of familiarity. While familiarity is the name of the game when it comes to your product line, in order to get the attention of consumers, you’ll need non-traditional advertising. This will ensure that your message doesn’t get diluted by the hundreds of other that people are exposed to everyday.

You can further your not-so-big entrepreneurial venture in myriad ways - from changing the way you look, to dealing with customers, to handling paperwork, and to reducing expenses. Here are a few small business tips to heed if you want to increase your efficiency and stay successful:
 
1. Be professional.  This refers not only to one’s physical appearance but encompasses all transactions and forms of communication.
2. Know exactly who your intended clients are.  This way marketing efforts and expenses are not wasted.
3. Learn to prioritize.  Deal with your customers first or with more pressing work-related concerns before answering personal calls or emails that could use up precious time.
4. Set goals and implement small business advertising strategies to achieve them.
5. Be accessible.  Make sure clients and potential customers can reach you by phone, fax, and email or via any other means provided.
6. Implement a good filing system.  Doing so lessens the paperwork and prevents unnecessary and time-consuming pile-ups.
7. Outsource to save money.  Instead of a full-time secretary for instance, you can opt for the services of a VA or virtual assistant.  A VA can handle multiple tasks like writing letters, sending fax, and recording data as competently as any trained secretary but at a much lower cost.
8. Get a knowledgeable accountant - one who understands a lot more than just taxes and can offer you sound financial advice. A good start would be to ask for referrals from family, friends and colleagues.

Identifying the next media craze is a combination of luck and exceptional foresight. Correctly positioning your company to take advantage of the current trends is essential to staying ahead of the competition. While social media is the current craze and your business should probably utilize it in someway, you should also be trying to identify emerging developments.

However, there are always going to be some proven advertising principles that will never go out of style. Of course, you want to be able to reach a wide customer base that will pay attention to your advertising. The best way to accomplish this is by tactically positioning your advertising in highly frequented areas where your customers are likely to take heed.