5 rules for effectively advertising online

Many companies think that buying advertising online is pretty straight forward. You fill out the forms, pay, and viola! Success! Then they wonder why their sales didn’t increase, or why customers haven’t come into their stores. They spent the money, right? They spent 5 minutes creating the banner, right? That’s all you need to do, right? A little bit of research and a little bit of strategy can help your online ad efforts go a long way.

Here are some rules you should stick to.

1. NEVER just buy ads everywhere online to see what sticks.
   When your campaign resonates with your audience, STICK TO IT.
   Don’t get caught up in creating something new with every campaign, if your customers don’t get it, they will abandon you.
2. ALWAYS stay consistent
   Your banners, your social media photos and graphics, your videos. All of these things must feel like they go together. Consistency is key to get consumers to recognize your brand. BONUS! Each part of the campaign will receive a higher ‘share of attention’ if it’s at once recognized as part of a larger campaign.
3. PROFILE your consumer, CREATE the purchasing funnel, TARGET
   You need to know exactly who you’re targeting. You need to make sure you’ve put your purchasing funnel in place, and have extensively tested it. Use a focus group if possible. Once it’s done, TARGET them.
4. ADD VALUE with your ad (but only if you want engagement)
   Your campaign should ALWAYS reflect your target audience. It should always be relatable, PERSONAL and self-relevant. If you add this value to your marketing, customers will not be able to resist interacting. QUICK TEST: Show your ad to a potential customer and see if they react with “That’s me!” if they do, then you’ve got it!
5. RICH MEDIA is ALWAYS more effective
   Vines, Youtube, Vimeo, etc. If you want your online marketing have the highest levels of effectiveness. You will want to move away from static ads and more towards a multimedia strategy. Just remember to keep em’ short, interesting and easy to process. Use the KISS principle. Place them where they can get picked up organically and where you can maximize exposure.