Forget that you own a business or that you work for one and think like a customer while you answer these questions, and please be frank:
- How many of the names and businesses that push out ads on a frequent basis did you come across before you seeing their ads?
- For the ads you clicked on and the outcome was not impressive…. how many times (later) did you go back to check the site?
- How many times have you recommended a website based on their ads?
The plethora of ads we come across on a daily basis can be overwhelming. Websites are flooded with them. Social media isn’t void of them. The roads are decorated with billboards and digital signages, and streets are covered in posters and littered flyers.
In this part of the world where it is hard to trust just any advertising (like those boldly painted phone numbers of electricians and house maids plastered on public walls), it is necessary to define who you are, what you do and who you are talking to beyond your website ‘about us’ page. Create content that resonates with your target audience. Supply information that is valuable to your public. Be visible wherever they are. Producing content, then pushing out ads will promote brand recognition and remembrance. Also, producing content first before ads helps:
- 1. authenticates your business, especially if you write about things you have done for previous or existing customers
- 2. positions you as a business that is constantly thinking about the needs of its target audience
If it’s too much work for you, hire a blogger or simply quote credible sources and hyperlink your sources as a way of giving credit.
#FoodForThought