Here are 10 steps that will help you build a better, more sales-oriented ad campaign.

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10 Steps for Building a Great Ad Campaign

If crafting a great ad campaign was easy, every advertiser would be able to do it. But no one out there would argue that most ads are marginal at best, with many being a total waste of money.

If you’ve been having trouble getting your campaign to drive solid results, I invite you to stick around as this video will discuss the steps needed to build and launch a sales driving campaign.

Step #1: Develop your plan. Every battle is won BEFORE it even begins.  Start by asking yourself What do you want the campaign to accomplish? Who is your target? What motivates them?  Which medium will best deliver your message? How much money are you willing to spend?   You know the cliche.   If you fail to plan – you plan on failing.  So start with a plan.

Step #2: Kick the scientists out of the room. Great ads are part science – but mostly art and you can’t predict the results. Too many marketers want to talk metrics. Metrics won’t make the sale – a compelling message will.   

Which leads us to Step #3: Create a clear, concise and motivating message. Without question – This is the most important component of your campaign. You need to tell your story in a way that makes consumers sit up and listen. Strip away all of the extraneous details until you find that one reason why someone should choose you.

Step #4: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat…. Repetition is the 2nd greatest force in advertising. With so many marketers trying to win the attention of consumers, a few ads a week won’t do the trick.  So start with a compelling message.  And bang the drum as long and as loud as possible.

Step #5: Deliver ONE message at a time. Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal customer. They need what you sell. You have what they need. They walk in your store and your sales rep starts talking about all of the other things you sell. Consumer tunes out, walks out, no sale is made. This is what you do when you crowd too many messages in your ads.

So resist the urge to load up up ads with a bunch of messages.  Keep it simple. And keep it meaningful.

Step #6: Get everyone on board. Make sure anyone with the potential of customer interaction knows about the campaign, what’s being promoted and what the offer is. You’re guaranteed a very bad review if the consumer knows more about your products, services and what you’re offering than your staff does.

Step #7: Keep a good ad running. Most advertisers feel the need to “freshen-up” their ad after it’s run a while. If your ad is working — leave it alone. If results are slipping (and there are no other factors in the marketplace that would account for this), try a variation on your ad. Did the new ad result in an increase in sales? If yes, make the switch. No change or worse yet, a drop in sales? Go back to the old ad.

Step #8: Measure everything. Phone calls, walk-in leads, visits to your website, and of course, actual sales volume and market share. You’ll never know what’s working if you don’t measure it.

Step #9: Be true to yourself. Your ads should reflect the personality of your company. Let that personality shine through your ads. Consumers will be confused if you look like one thing on TV and something very different after they walk through your doors.

Step #10: Beware of intruders. Isn’t it amazing that everyone in your company along with all your friends are “experts” when it comes to advertising? Since you’re the one actually listening to your customers, follow your own instincts about what makes your business special to the customers you value the most.

So there you have it.  10 steps you should use to build a successful ad campaign.