Can Anyone Truly Measure Advertising

[Joe Marconi]

No one can argue that advertising is necessary, but how do we measure how effective advertising is? I have found that advertising to my existing customer through direct mail, newsletters, reminders and emails work great. However, when trying to reach out to new customers we often don’t hit the mark. What form of advertising works best? Different companies need to explore and track what works best for them.

[Martinelli]

No one can argue that advertising is necessary, but how do we measure how effective advertising is? I have found that advertising to my existing customer through direct mail, newsletters, reminders and emails work great. However, when trying to reach out to new customers we often don’t hit the mark. What form of advertising works best? Different companies need to explore and track what works best for them.

 

It is impossible to judge the effectiveness of advertising. Advertising/marketing should not be disected to one thing; it is the culmination of all activities. For we don't disect a stew to see what we liked, for it is all the ingrediants that make a good stew.

 

Most people do not make snap decisions about trying a new product or service. We usually require repeated exposure to a new concept before we even remember it, much less decide to buy it. We need to become familiar and comfortable with it before we invest our time or money in it.

 

This is true in all areas of life. It's a basic fact of human nature. So, when we're promoting our product or service to people, we can't expect them to jump on it the first time they hear about it. (Wouldn't that be nice!)

 

The more information they have about our servies and the more time they have to consider it, the more likely they will begin to trust it and us. Remember, good things take time. Our best customer relationships do not happen overnight.

 

don't put a microscope to your marketing activities and expect to see results. Step back and watch what happens over time.

 

When you try some new marketing activities then give them time to work. And watch your overall sales for the products/services you are promoting with the new marketing. Factor in any normal seasonal fluctuations and any other changes that might affect sales.

[Cummings]

Great points. But do you agree that advertising needs to be consistent and continual? Coke and Pepsi know that people won’t jump off the couch and run down to the deli to buy a soda every time they see an ad on TV. But what they do know is that the constant bombardment of branding pays off over time.

[Martinelli]

Great points. But do you agree that advertising needs to be consistent and continual? Coke and Pepsi know that people won’t jump off the couch and run down to the deli to buy a soda every time they see an ad on TV. But what they do know is that the constant bombardment of branding pays off over time.

 

You couldn't have picked a better example of branding, well maybe Kleenex, Xeorx, etc. What all these companies did was make their brand name the product name. Kleenex is tissue, but we call all tissues Kleenex. And we don't make copies we make Xeorx. We don't order cola, we order Coke (at least in the north east).

 

This idea of branding is most commonly associated with products, but the idea of constantly having your name out there works. So consistancy is very important. People have very short term memories and it dos't take long for them to forget you. With advertising we are trying to reach those that don't use us. If they have a problem with their current shop they may say, you know I heard about so-and-so, maybe we should try them. Hersey a few years ago thought their name was synonymous with chocolate and didn't need to advertise as heavy, well they learned the hard way when sales fell. They returned to advertising very quickly.

 

Someone has a problem I want them to think of my shop. Something I have noticed over the years, my customers never call my shop by its name, they say "my kid broke down, I said call Bill's." I hear it over and over, to the point I was just going to call my shop Bill's, because that is what they call it. But as long as they think of me, that is all I care about.

[DUFRESNES]

No one can argue that advertising is necessary, but how do we measure how effective advertising is? I have found that advertising to my existing customer through direct mail, newsletters, reminders and emails work great. However, when trying to reach out to new customers we often don’t hit the mark. What form of advertising works best? Different companies need to explore and track what works best for them.

 

I agree when marketing to your own customer base, you can immediately tell if it works or not. We track every piece of marketing. If it breaks even or better, we keep doing it. For new customers, we buy a list of new movers in our area, then cleanse it against our regular data base. We send a 1st letter with a magnet. Two weeks later our 2nd letter goes out and then 2 weeks later our 3rd letter goes out. You must create urgency. With our 2nd letter, we also send a coupon page with12 coupons with a little longer expiration date. They must bring in the letter to claim their service. We can then track how many came in each month and how much they spent. We have been doing the same letter with different inserts for about 7 years. Very few come in on the 1st letter, more on the 2nd letter and most come in on the 3rd letter and sometimes we send a newsletter for the 4th. You have to track your numbers to see if it works.

 

If we should have a slow day starting out, we shoot an e-mail for that day a low ball offer oil change and immediately fill up the bays. You can control how long it will run or like we do just 1 day, the next day a little more and then something for the next 10 days. You control the schedule.

[EASAUTO]

I agree when marketing to your own customer base, you can immediately tell if it works or not. We track every piece of marketing. If it breaks even or better, we keep doing it. For new customers, we buy a list of new movers in our area, then cleanse it against our regular data base. We send a 1st letter with a magnet. Two weeks later our 2nd letter goes out and then 2 weeks later our 3rd letter goes out. You must create urgency. With our 2nd letter, we also send a coupon page with12 coupons with a little longer expiration date. They must bring in the letter to claim their service. We can then track how many came in each month and how much they spent. We have been doing the same letter with different inserts for about 7 years. Very few come in on the 1st letter, more on the 2nd letter and most come in on the 3rd letter and sometimes we send a newsletter for the 4th. You have to track your numbers to see if it works.

 

If we should have a slow day starting out, we shoot an e-mail for that day a low ball offer oil change and immediately fill up the bays. You can control how long it will run or like we do just 1 day, the next day a little more and then something for the next 10 days. You control the schedule.

 

 

The one marketing program that has worked for the best besides our direct mail to out current customer base is the internet. If you have a good website and a good company that will have you at the top of the search page in YOUR area (10 miles or less) you will see results and ones you can measure. It works great for getting new customers, also we use a weekly email blast to all our customers and constant contact to build our email list. Also we have cut out all yellow pages and most local advertising and shifted that money to the internet , improving our website and direct mail.

[DUFRESNES]

The one marketing program that has worked for the best besides our direct mail to out current customer base is the internet. If you have a good website and a good company that will have you at the top of the search page in YOUR area (10 miles or less) you will see results and ones you can measure. It works great for getting new customers, also we use a weekly email blast to all our customers and constant contact to build our email list. Also we have cut out all yellow pages and most local advertising and shifted that money to the internet , improving our website and direct mail.

 

 

How do you track the Internet customers for new customers? We always ask each customer how they heard about us? What else are you paying for beside the updated website. We also updated ours and can track where people come from to it and how long they stay on each page. Sounds like you have a good program working for you.

[RobMax]

 

 

How do you track the Internet customers for new customers? We always ask each customer how they heard about us? What else are you paying for beside the updated website. We also updated ours and can track where people come from to it and how long they stay on each page. Sounds like you have a good program working for you.

 

An old thread but worth while adding some information that might help someone.

 

Manual tracking is very error prone and inaccurate. Customers forget where they noticed you and employees forget to ask when busy. Try to automate as much as possible to get the best data.

 

One way to track new internet customers is with phone tracking numbers. They are very reasonable for the extremely accurate data they provide. Use a different local number for each website or online ad people can contact you from. Only caution is to not use a hard (text number) tracking number on your main website. The tracking number should be in an image that hides your actual phone number in text. This way 'people' see and dial the tracking number and search engines only "see" your true phone number which matches your NAP (business name, address, and phone) and citation for SEO.

 

You should also use a unique email address on your main website Contact Us form. This way you can count number of emails enquires your website generates. Do not place this email visibly on your website or use it anywhere else. This way every time you get an email at this address you know it came from your website. You can also do the same for your website appointment form and estimate request form.

 

Basically every method people have of contacting from the internet should have a unique source number or email so you can track what is working and what is not. Website analytics only tells you about traffic and website use patterns. This is good for SEO purposes but does not tell you what is making the phone ring or where customers are coming from (what advertizing is working).

 

Hope this helps,

Doug