Vinyl Banners
Attractively designed vinyl banners advertising your cause or product is a great marketing strategy. A well-designed vinyl is sure to get the attention of passersby. One of the simplest and most effective means of gaining attention from people who are ready to buy, vinyl banners are often overlooked as a means to increase traffic. The Internet is not the only place on earth that can boost business. This fact is all-too-often forgotten.
There are many suppliers who are very good at designing interesting layouts, and they can show you with a wide selection of fonts, special effects, borders and graphics. Your custom-designed vinyl banner comes in different design themes, colors and textured surfaces. Because of its flexibility when it comes to printing, you can use vinyl banners for almost any occasion including birthdays, weddings, reunions, homecomings, prom nights, sports festivals, store openings, mall-wide sale, tradeshows and groundbreakings, among many others. Vinyl banners are heavy-duty, fade resistant and waterproof, making it the best outdoor banner material you can find. You can also do double-side printing, which is perfect for pole advertising.
Standard vinyl banners are usually 10 oz thick. They come is a variety of sizes, but you can also customize the size and shape. Price varies according to size with a low of approximately $90, to a high of $325 or more. For customized vinyl banners, give an allowance of 12 days before delivery. The pricing and delivery policies of different companies, however, can vary widely. Some companies, for example, may offer faster than twelve-day delivery.
Banners provides detailed information on Banners, Custom Banners, Church Banners, Vinyl Banners and more. Banners is affiliated with Neon Signs.
The “M-Word”
It was a real eye-opener to hear the perceptions people have about what it means to market professional services, as well as the anxiety the “m-word” (marketing) conjures up. It reminded me that, just because professional service providers have a lot of expertise in their chosen field, it doesn’t mean they have the same level of understanding about the business of growing a practice.
As a matter of fact, expertise can get in the way of being a good marketer. As a highly-trained professional, it’s easy and natural to communicate about what you know and how you do it. But it falls on deaf ears and glazed-over eyes when you use words, images, and language that are about your expertise, not about the problems you solve for your target audience.
What Marketing Professional Services Is Not
The most common misperception is that marketing is about wowing prospects with your expertise using slick brochures, advertising, websites, logos, press releases, flyers, networking, and “communications programs.” You are wasting your firm’s time and money if your approach to marketing starts and stops here. Why? Because unless you’ve clearly nailed (and tested!) your message to intended clients, investing prematurely in these things will only accelerate how much you’ll confuse them!
Logos, brochures, websites, and ads are mere tools that help you communicate your message in a way that builds and sustains relationships with your target market. The expensive and frustrating mistake I see professional service firms make over and over again is that they jump to develop the tools of marketing before they’ve clearly identified the right things to say, to the right audience, with the right timing, in the right combination of ways, using the right tools.
It’s actually a bit more complicated than that, since each of these tools should be thought of as a strategy (i.e., your online strategy, your networking and referral strategy, your direct mail strategy, your PR strategy). All of these strategies, then, get woven together in a sequence and combination — an integrated system — that makes sense for your firm and your market, based on your business objectives and your resources. More on that later, but first, let’s look at what marketing your professional services really is.
Marketing Professional Services IS…
…all about building trust. Getting people to buy your expertise as a professional service provider is an intangible sale. As sales guru Harry Beckwith says, it’s “selling the invisible.” Sure, you may have “consulting services” or “IT services” or “financial planning services” that seem pretty tangible to you. But for your intended client, it’s about trusting that your firm is their best choice — out of all others offering the same service (so it seems from your client’s perspective!) — for solving their problems. Period.
So how do you do this? Through a 2-phased approach to creating a “system of strategies” that reaches out to, learns from, and educates your target audience. Do it right, and you’ll create a buzz that attracts more clients to your firm than you ever thought possible. For specific tips on what to consider in building your firm’s system of marketing strategies, keep reading…
Here’s what you need to consider before you spend another dime on brochures, business cards, a website, or flyer (ditto for the time you spend networking or giving talks — these tips apply to any method of communication, written or verbal!).
Think of this in two phases: Phase 1 is about building the case for your intended clients to trust you, as a basis for deciding that your firm is the best one to solve their problems. Phase 2 is about building relationships through the strategies that makes sense for your firm, given your unique goals, needs, resources, etc. This month, you’ll get tips on Phase 1…next month, we’ll look at Phase 2.
During Phase 1, you must…
* be crystal clear about who your intended client is and is not. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, the more niched your services are, the easier it is to communicate with them in specific ways, and the faster you’ll attract clients. If you try to sell your services to “small business” or “homeowners,” guess what…so are a lot your competitors. Look different through your clients’ eyes by defining your unique niche. Linda Falkenstein’s “Nichecraft” is a great book to learn more, also available on our website, under Books.
* develop language to talk or write about your firm that focuses on your intended clients’ problems, not your services, or worse, the processes you use. This solution-based language is the foundation for any packaging and promotion you do verbally (i.e., during sales meetings, telephone calls, networking events) and in writing (i.e., online through your website and newsletter; offline through brochures, direct mail, etc.).
* for every single encounter you have with your target market (i.e., through your written materials, online, in person), answer the questions “where is the reader or listener’s head right now? what’s in it for them to pay attention to us? what is their burning problem right now that we can help resolve?”
* develop a core “solution statement” that tells who you serve and the problem you solve. This becomes the “magnetic north” of your marketing strategy. For example, ours is “TurningPointe Marketing helps professional service firms attract more clients, stabilize their business, and take their practice to the next level.” Whether it’s at a networking event, on my website, this core statement drives everything we do and keeps us focused.
Whether it’s in a letter of introduction, how we introduce ourselves, who we do and do not consider a prospect, where we spend our time, it’s all about helping professional service firms grow their business. By the way, this core statement usually gets an “interesting…how do you do that?” response, which gets the conversation going. Notice we don’t say “We do marketing strategy.” That more typical response is about us, not them, and does nothing to invite further dialog.
* articulate and demonstrate your “case” for why intended clients should trust you. This is done through articles and talks that share your expertise, case studies illustrating your results with clients, third-party recognition in the press, awards, testimonials, and so on. These things become the building blocks for strategies you’ll use in Phase 2.
* “productize,” package, and price your services in ways that make it easy for your intended clients to buy from you. High-end consulting services is only one way to work with big companies. What other smaller, less expensive, short-sales-cycle offers can you make?
Next month, we’ll look at what’s involved in Phase 2 of your “system of strategies” to market your professional services. Remember, the key is to see marketing professional services as a relationship-building process, not tactics, that begins with a client-centric mastery of how you communicate with your target audience. Like any solid relationship that lasts, your relationship with intended and current clients must be based on trust. Start with that objective in mind, and the m-word you’ll start to enjoy is “more” in the form of more clients, more results, and more return on your marketing dollars.
© 2003 TurningPointe Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. We encourage sharing and publication of Your Monthly TurningPointe in whole or in part if copyright and attribution, including live web site link and email link, are always included. Please let us know where and when it will appear. Thank you!
(c) 2004 TurningPointe Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Marketing educator, Kelly O’Brien, is creator of the “Create a
TurningPointe!” Marketing Bootcamp. To learn more about this step-by-step
program, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and 20-page marketing
guide, visit http://www.turningpointemarketing.com
Knockout Yellow Page Ad Design That’ll Knock Your Competitors Out Cold!
“My Yellow Page ad just isn’t bringing in the calls I need!” I’ve worked with Yellow Pages advertising (in one form or another) for 30 years and of all the complaints I’ve heard about this unique medium, this is by far the curse most often thrown at them. It’s no surprise. Flip through your directory and you’ll see why. Same dusty ads… telling the same tired story… to the same undefined audience (everyone). Of course prospects aren’t responding – these ads speak to NO ONE powerfully!
Blame “the message” dear friends, not the messenger! When every ad speaks the same tired phrases to the same “generalized buyer,” prospects have no reason to choose one ad over another, and your competitors are just as likely to be chosen and called as you are. Poor ad response is the inevitable result. But not to worry! Learn to speak to the prospects needs and fears and you’ll bring competitors to their knees, while plumping up your wallet for the next 365 days.
Want to speak to the prospect? Well, who are you trying to persuade? Exactly who do you want to call you? I know, I know… you want as many calls as possible, so your answer is “everyone in town”. The problem is, Yellow Page ads that try to persuade EVERY reader wind up motivating very few. People are looking for someone “special” who genuinely cares about solving their specific problem… someone they can truly trust. Speaking specifically about these needs as a specialist will allow you to connect powerfully with your target audience and create these warm, fuzzy feelings – carving a unique place in the market for your business.
Here’s an example. Let’s say your baseball obsession has left you with a painful arm injury and your doctor tells you that chiropractic care may help ease your pain. Soon, you’re flipping through the chiropractor heading in your Yellow Page directory. Your eyes quickly glaze over as you’re bombarded with a boatload of ads that look and say basically the same thing… “Are You In Pain?” Uh no, I’m browsing here because I have a thing for chiropractors! Don’t waste precious space telling your prospects what they already know!
Odds are there isn’t a single message that makes a personal, emotional connection with YOUR specific problem. But what if you came across an ad with the following? (Headline) “Quick, Gentle Relief For Your Sports Injury…” (Subhead) “From the Chiropractor Professional Athletes Rely On.” The body copy goes on to explain how this chiropractor has earned a glowing reputation with the local sports teams AND it even includes a few of their testimonials. The ad’s large, unexpected graphic (a batter smashing a ball into space) reinforces the ad’s headline and conveys the benefit of calling this doctor (regained mobility). So, are you going to call one of the many chiropractors that promise pain relief for “everything under the sun” (including migraines, ear infections and scoliosis) or are you going to place your trust in a sports injury specialist who you perceive to be a sports nut, just like you?
The more tightly focused your ad is, the greater response you can expect to achieve. It’s far better to persuade 10% of the audience 100% of the way, than 100% of audience only 10%. Speak only to the people you most want to attract and they WILL answer you. You’ll differentiate your business from all the rest in a powerful way and basically eliminate the competition!
Speaking of being different. What kind of graphics are you using in your Yellow Page ad? Does your “unexpected” image grab the reader’s eye and set you apart from the rest in a meaningful way? Or are you running the same yawn-inducing, expected images everyone else is using? The image you choose should leap off the page, reinforce your headline concept (benefit) and highlight the “solution” to the prospects problem, NOT the problem itself.
It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many chiropractic Yellow Page ads depict sad, aching individuals clutching their backs in agony! What are these doctors thinking? Probably the same thing personal injury attorneys are thinking when they place horrific car wreck photos in their ads. Or plumbers who show a panic-stricken homeowner standing in knee-high toilet water!
The image you choose for your Yellow Page ad must be positive and make your prospects feel comfortable (and safe) about calling you. There are exceptions of course, but unless you’re a Yellow Page direct response ad design expert, steer clear of any images that could carry negative connotations. Show prospects an image that reinforces the reason to call you (the solution to their problem) and they WILL be much more likely to notice your ad, read it entirely, and call you!
How about the overall visual impact of your Yellow Page ad? Does your ad stand head and shoulders above all the clutter and “invite” readers in? If not, you’re wasting money. Learning the secrets of effective ad design will make your ad leap off the page and draw readers into the meaty content they’ll need, in order to make an informed decision. Successful Yellow Page ads usually contain 4-5 main elements. They are: a powerful headline (and possibly a sub-head), emotion-based body copy, a striking visual and a compelling call-to-action. The way in which these key elements are presented and interact with one another will largely determine your success or failure in the Yellow Pages. So hold on… Yellow Page ad design primer straight ahead…
Your primary objective in the Yellow Pages is to get noticed amidst a slew of competitors. After all, they won’t ever read your content if they don’t even notice your ad. Don’t worry, it’s not that difficult.
- Run your headline BIG and bold at the very top of your ad.
- Use a large, unique, unexpected graphic that grabs the eye and reinforces your main headline concept.
- Keep your body copy fairly small (9 to 11 point) to conserve space for your large, eye-grabbing graphic and headline.
- Watch your white space! Empty space in your ad is just as critical as the content because it makes your message stand out that much more. Ample white space also makes the layout easier to navigate, giving it an uncluttered and inviting presentation.
As you lay out the main elements of your Yellow Page ad, try to create a logical visual “eye flow” that directs the reader’s eye from the “point of entry” (your main headline) at the very top, to the body copy in the middle and then gently deposits them at the call to action, which should appear at the bottom of the ad. Make note that the visual point of entry can also be your unique graphic image. Whatever your eye-grabber is, just make sure it helps identify your target audience, commands attention, conveys the solution and makes the reader want to continue reading.
These are just a few suggestions to help make your phones buzz big time. There are dozens more on the way, so stay tuned! Contrary to what most Yellow Page marketers claim, there really are no “secrets” to successful Yellow Pages advertising design. High-performance Yellow Page ads contain a few key elements that are put together using established, time-proven strategies. Incorporate them into your very next Yellow Page ad campaign and you will reap stellar results. If you could use a few pointers along the way, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
John Morana is president of MaxEffect Yellow Page Ad Design and has specialized in print advertising design for over 3 decades. He has developed advertising for Bausch & Lomb, Kodak, Time Warner Communications, Xerox, USA Today and thousands of Yellow Page advertisers around the world. For more tips and quick answers to your Yellow Page ad design questions OR to request a free, no-obligation Yellow Page ad design evaluation: Call toll-free 800-726-7006 or Visit: http://www.max-effect.com/