A piece of advertising that can not be tracked is a complete waste of money.
What do I mean?
Well let me put it this way, running an ad without the inclusion of discount codes, coupons, unique response telephone numbers or any kind of tracking tactic would be similar to driving a car without a gas gauge.
How would you know if your tank was full or empty?
Everything would left to a guess, or even worse, pure dumb luck! That’s no way to invest your hard-earned money.
Advertising can be expensive. At the hourly rate I charge to develop advertising, I would feel like a fugitive if I didn’t provide my clients with a method to track their ad’s success. Without tracking, I wouldn’t know when to pull the plug on a dud, or mash the throttle on ad that’s converting at record levels. They would have no idea if what I designed, and what they paid for, was earning them a return on their investment!ROI, retutn
Think of the last advertisement you ran. Maybe it was radio, newspaper, magazine or a good old fashion piece of direct mail. Were you able to track your profit boosts as a result of that ad? I hope your answer was a resounding yes!
If it wasn’t, and you have no idea if your advertising investment converted into increased sales, you might want to consider implanting one of the following.
1) Discount Codes
Develop a discount code that a customer will use to save 10% on their next purchase. This tactic works well for e-commerce sites that provide an online checkout option. Prior to submitting payment, the buyer simply slaps in the discount code when prompted, and is instantly rewarded with a percentage off their purchase. The code is tracked, and then reviewed for number of uses, total profits garnered from the sale, and then the advertisement investment is subtracted from that number. The code provides the business with quick data which proves their advertising was effective.
Or if you instructing people to call in with the keyword or discount code, simply ask the person who answers the phone to reply like this…
“Thank you for calling XXXXX, if this call is in response to our ad, please provide me with the discount code or keyword so I can best direct your call.”
2) Coupons
Coupons have been used for a long time! They often become addictive, and if you’ve been watching the old boob tube lately, there are several shows detailing how some families are able to purchase several cart loads of groceries for under $20! Now that’s the extreme, by my point is that each coupon can be used to capture a customer’s contact information. Try designing a coupon that is disseminated using the local paper. On the bottom half of the coupon, the buyer is instructed to present it at the time of purchase in order to receive their discount. In addition, they must fill out the contact information form attached to the lower half of the coupon.
Everybody wins! They receive instant gratification by saving money, and you garner their contact information for future marketing campaigns.
3) “Mention this ad and receive 10% off your next purchase!”
This is a great way to track your ad response if you are using radio to promote your business. Even better, have a little “discount survey” on hand at the register, and when a customer reports hearing your ad, ask them to fill out the card detailing what time of day that heard it, and how many days it took them to come in and take advantage of the discount. Finish up by asking them to supply their email address for future sales specials, and presto! You have now killed about a dozen birds with one stone! Not only do you know your ad is working, but you know what time of day is most popular for listeners, and you know the time delay between hearing the ad and making the purchase.
That stuff is like marketing heroin!
4) Facebook Advertising
Facebook’s advertising setup provides you with an insane amount of vital information. They break your ad down by number of impressions, link clicks, page likes and a ton of demographic insights. I’m a huge fan of advertising on Facebook! It’s cheap, it’s easy and it works fast. The wealth of information provided allows the advertiser to quickly pause an ad that’s losing it’s luster, and re-start it at a later date to avoid overloading your target with a single message.
You can also make changes to your ad on the fly! No need to re-submit an image to a designer, or request changes from a large ad agency. All modifications can be made in the Facebook Ad Manager page.
I know. Sounds complicated, but that’s why I’m here to help!
5) Ad specific telephone numbers
I like this tracking method a lot! It’s kind of old school, but people still feel comfortable calling an actual telephone number, and speaking to a real life person on the other end of the line. Be sure to use a specific phone number a customer will call to receive more information about your product, receive an instant discount, or sign up for your FREE report. Be sure it’s a line dedicated to that ad only! When that line rings, you know instantly it’s someone responding to your ad. Note the time and date of the call, and be sure to capture the callers contact information.
There are a few websites out there that help simplify this process, and at the low-cost of $49.95/month, they can provide you with the information needed to plug the leak of wasted ad dollars!
In a recent search, this company stuck out as one of the best. I haven’t used their service yet, but I am going to give it a try, and get back to you with my findings.
Ifbyphone.com is a Chicago, IL based company, and supports a wide variety of ad tracking services.
There are some ideas to get you moving in the right direction. Tracking your ad is the smartest way to reduce waste, and increase positive exposure for your brand. Target the individuals most likely to make a purchase. Use the information you derive from your advertising to focus in on the group of people who present the greatest demand for your product
And then watch the money roll in!
P.S. Do you want a FREE Ebook filled with over 100 profit boosting tactics, and have it delivered straight to your inbox in less than 30 seconds?!
Who wouldn’t want that!
Simply slap your first name and email address into the blank spaces on the top left corner of this screen. I will then email you the link to one of the greatest marketing books ever written!
The Very Best of Bent Business Babble: Volume 1. ~Andy #themarketingguy
photo credit: Matt McGee via photopin cc