The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo | The Genuine ScLoHo aka Scott Howard

6 Keys To Successful Advertising

by Scott Howard | Jul 15, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

6 Keys to Successful Advertising:

Most businesses don’t really understand how advertising works. Even the ones that are advertising successfully are not understanding the why behind their advertising success and so they just happen to be doing enough of the right things to counter the wrong things that they shouldn’t be doing.

First off, we have to understand the purpose of advertising and that’s summed up easily:

Advertising is paid invitations to invite people to spend money with your business.

Some business people say that Word of Mouth is their best form of advertising, which is sort of correct except you don’t pay for that. Word of Mouth is the organic messaging that happens when your business has a good reputation and one person tells another about your business.

The problem with Word Of Mouth is that it is slow and most businesses can’t survive let alone grow if they only rely on this organic word of mouth messaging to bring in enough customers to sustain a business.

That’s where paid advertising plays a part in amplifying your messaging of inviting people to become your customers.

In todays terminology it’s the difference between a regular social media post and a boosted social media post.

One more important bit of information to share before I dive into the 6 Keys of Successful Advertising is Expectations.

If you expect that when someone sees or hears your ad, that alone will make them buy your stuff at that moment, your expectations are wrong. Only a very few companies are successful with what is know as direct response advertising

The True Direct Response Advertising I’m referring to is usually set up as a profit sharing arrangement between the business and advertising medium. Instead of paying for the ad, the business and the advertising medium agree that a set dollar amount or set percentage of sales attributed to a specific ad is what the advertising medium receives.

I’ve worked with one company where we get 50% of the sales as our advertising fee instead of a set price per commercial. This is a national company that I work with and they already have a brand name recognition so the people who respond to the ads we air for them are in the final stages of the consumer journey to buy this product and if they use the special promo code exclusive to us, we get credit for the sale and are paid accordingly.

99% of advertising works to create Brand Awareness. Even though the ads mention prices and sales and stuff that are trying to get us to buy now, all they are really doing is reminding us as consumers of their brand.

Why do I say this?

Because advertising is only one side of the equation.

It’s the invitation to you and me to spend money.

You and I have to have a reason in our lives to spend the money and it has very little to do with the specific ads we see and hear.

If I just stuffed myself with a delicious meal and I see an ad for another one of my favorite foods, but I’m not only not hungry but I’m stuffed, there is no way I’m going to make myself sick by eating more no matter how much I normally would enjoy that other food.

Same goes with nearly anything we do.

We are not going to respond unless we have a need or desire.

However, the more we are exposed to something, our brains retain that information and it builds up to create a brand preference. Then, sometime in the future if we need or want something that we’ve already been exposed to because of advertising, we will often have one or two places that come to mind to spend our money with. That’s Top Of Mind Awareness and when organic Word Of Mouth referrals for your business come about, it’s because your business is Top Of Mind.

Now with all of this as a foundation, here are the 6 Keys to Successful Advertising:

Define your customer. Not everyone is going to be your customer. What are the characteristics of the people you want as customers and that you can successfully serve with your business.
Define your brand. Too many businesses are not unique in the way they present themselves. Family owned with 56 years of combined experience is pretty generic and doesn’t really mean that much. I have a client that has been using the branding statement, On Time, Done Right, Or It’s Free for years and while they are a family owned multi-generational company with years of experience, it’s their branding statement that defines them.
Invite your desired customers to get to know your brand over and over again, consistently over time. Pick an advertising medium that allows you to make that connection and be patient. Know the buying cycle of your business. We eat every day. We may buy a roof once or twice in our lives. Make sure your invitation to me is there so when I’m ready to start the buying process, you will stay Top Of Mind with Me.
Your Message has to be focused on your Customer, not just you. It’s the What’s In It For Me as a consumer principle.
Plan for a long-term investment in your advertising. If you expect instant results, you’re being foolish, or just fooling yourself. When I was 42 years old, I had central air installed in a house I just bought and the two companies I called are ones that I remembered from 25 years ago. I never was in need of an HVAC company but when a triggering moment came in my life, I got quotes from the two companies that were Top Of Mind from my youth. One of those companies got nearly $20,000 of my money.
Remember it is impossible to be 100% accurate when you attempt to track your advertising investments. Even if you ask me as a new customer why I am spending money with your company, I won’t remember all of the ads I’ve seen or heard. And Google is not the right answer, that’s just how I found you online to get your number.

And here’s a bonus key to success…

Most any form of advertising can help if you do it right and have realistic expectations. However, the ad is only the invite. It’s up to you and your business to close the sale, not the ad.

The Message vs The Media

by Scott Howard | Jul 8, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

This weeks article is from a recent Sound ADvice newsletter that my subscribers received this summer. If you would like a free weekly subscription, email Scott@WOWO.com.

In the never-ending maze of online media, on-air media, outdoor media, direct mail, and print media, business owners often ask, “Which media works best?” or, “Which media platform will give me the highest return on my investment?”

If you ask an honest and knowledgeable media person, they will tell you that the media isn’t necessarily the most important criterion when it comes to effective marketing. The truth is, there is no media that will not produce results; there are only messages that do not produce results.

The next time you hear about a hugely successful ad campaign, look at the message. I can guarantee you it was profound and something other than the norm. Seldom will it be the media, but rather the message, that created the results. Of course, the media must be scheduled appropriately, with the right combination of reach and frequency, but it is the relevance of the message that will make consumers respond to a campaign… on any media.

Former Katz Marketing Solutions President and one of America’s smartest marketing minds, the late Bob McCurdy said, “No medium is any more captivating or engaging than any other, as the effectiveness of any medium is largely determined by the quality of its commercial content. If the creative is weak and ineffective, the medium will be thought of as weak and ineffective”.

It’s understood that generating great creative is an art form but there’s some science behind it as well. McCurdy created 14 key creative insights derived from five years of Ipsos Research, spanning dozens of radio commercials and thousands of respondents.

Click here to receive McCurdy’s 14 Key Creative Insights to ensure that your marketing message achieves the results you desire.

I also have tips and insights and the pros and cons of different media options and ad placement etc. that I’ll be glad to talk with you privately about, just reach out.

How Do YOU Give?

by Scott Howard | Jun 10, 2024 | Really? The Personal ScLoHo, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Marketing is more than advertising and your brand is more than your logo.

Despite the rise of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) it’s people that make everything happen still in one degree or another.

The people in your organization interact with others and how ever that occurs, it matters.

Perception is reality in many cases.

One way to create a positive perception is to give of yourself.

Sure, money is nice but you have more valuable resources than just money that you can give.

You have talents, skills, wisdom and experience and if you have some time to share you can make a difference.

I’m going to share my story but it’s only an example of what might be possible for you. This is not about “how great Scott is”.

April 2003 was the month that I returned to radio fulltime in Fort Wayne, Indiana in a role that I had not done before in Indiana… advertising sales and marketing consulting.

Eight years with one group of stations, followed by 3 different jobs in succession that I stuck with 10 months each before joining Federated Media at the end of 2013.

In 2020, I stepped into management and then at the end of 2023, returned to sales.

As a way to balance my life, one of the things I’ve done is to give of my time to organizations that I could help. Returning to sales last year gave me control over my time again that I had lost a bit of while in management.

I’ve served on a couple of boards of non-profits, marketing committees of others and leadership roles outside of my paid work. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to students at several colleges and universities too. Last fall when my position changed and I found myself out in public more, it was fun to meet up with many old friends and acquaintances that I hadn’t seen much of since Covid. Sometimes, it’s simply seeing a need and stepping up to help. Sometimes it’s being available when someone needs help or an ear to bounce an idea off of.

I guess what i’m saying is that you and I have the same 168 hours a week and we get to choose how to spend the hours and minutes of our lives. You and your team need a healthy life balance and perhaps one way to achieve that balance is to do what I’ve learned works for my life and simply give of yourself. Be open to serve and have an impact. Not for the recognition, but because you are needed.

Does this inspire you to evaluate the way you spend your time? I’d like to hear your story. Drop me a note to Scott@ScLoHo.net

Culture is the Key

by Scott Howard | Jun 3, 2024 | Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

The last few weeks I’ve been sharing my Sound ADvice newsletter content on my website and podcast and I’ve got another one to share. This time I’m also going to include content that wasn’t in the Sound ADvice newsletter too. And if you want to receive my free newsletter in your inbox, send me an email to Scott@WOWO.com

It was the famous line from the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come”.

Today, good employees want more than a good paycheck; they want to “enjoy” where they work. So, the new hiring mantra should be… “Make it fun and they will come”.

Attracting, hiring, and retaining good employees is as difficult as it’s ever been. Last summer i reviewed 400 applicants in order to hire 2. Because we are very particular with finding the right person for the openings we have, we also make a diligent effort to keep them and culture is a key component.

If you have a “fun” place to work, exploit, promote, and tell people about it. They will come.

If you don’t, start building the “fun” culture today.

Study after study has proven that companies who put fun into their company culture are more successful.

Here are some startling statistics that may make you want to consider “intentionally” creating a fun and happy work environment:

Companies with happy employees outperform their competition by 20%
Happy salespeople produce 37% greater sales
36% of employees would give up $5000 in salary to be happier at work
Happy employees take 10 times fewer sick days

It only makes sense that happy people are more productive. The obvious rings loud and clear, but the fact is, most companies don’t intentionally create a fun culture. It either happens or it doesn’t.

To put “fun” into your culture, first, start by recognizing it won’t happen on its own. It’s you, the owner or manager, who needs to implement a plan to have fun! Come up with fun or positive events plotted throughout the year, either monthly or quarterly. If you are struggling to come up with ideas, create a “fun idea” team and let them bring ideas to you!

It can be as simple as implementing “Casual Fridays” or “Bring your Pet to Work Day” and can be as deep as paid company trips. Having a company picnic in the summer and a Christmas party around the holidays is not enough in today’s competitive work environment.

In today’s extremely competitive recruitment and retention environment, businesses must make every effort to not only attract new employees but also retain the ones they have.

If YOU make it fun…they will come and Stay!

If you’d like to start putting more “FUN” into your business culture, click here to read 12 Ways to Create a FUN Work Environment.

P.S. If you are currently looking for better success with your recruitment efforts, reach out to me, Scott Howard. I can help guide you on how to target better-qualified candidates.

Some of the additional information beyond what was sent in my Sound ADvice newsletter is based on some conversations I’ve had recently and a special training session that our company, Federated Media conducted this summer.

Culture is more than fun and games, it’s also the interaction between staff and particularly between employees and their bosses. In 2013 the company I worked for had a management change in the department that I worked in. Within 5 months, I decided to return to radio because of conflicts. But it wasn’t just me. Within 18 months the entire digital marketing team resigned due to bad management including a couple of my co-workers who’d been with the company 10+ years.

This year, I’ve had conversations with a half dozen people who had similar situations. They were happy in their jobs and then management changed and it was not a good match. That led to career changes for the employees and their former companies had to find their replacements.

Federated Media’s C.O.O. Brad Williams brought back an advanced training program that he personally presented to all the full-time staff at our company. It took several meetings as we were limited to 20 participants each. This was an adaption of a program from Wilson Learning on Social Styles. End goal was for each person, no matter what their title or position to be able to identify their own style and that of others so we could improve our relationships with each other. This was a full day investment for everyone and for Brad, multiply that by at least 5 days, one for each group, plus travel and preparation.

Culture is the Key to attracting and retaining your team. Are you purposefully creating a culture that works?

Compounding Your Brand

by Scott Howard | May 20, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

This month I’m featuring articles that were sent to subscribers of my weekly newsletter, Sound ADvice. If you’d like a free email copy send me an email to Scott@WOWO.com.

Albert Einstein said, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it earns it… he who doesn’t… pays it.”

But what does compounding interest have to do with marketing, advertising, and your brand? As it turns out, a lot!

They work under similar principles. If you invest even a small amount of money, over time, it compounds. While it may be small, it still grows. If you invest in your brand, over time, it grows too. While it may be small, it still builds. The more you invest, money or marketing, the greater it works and the more it compounds.

In branding, he who understands it earns it; he who doesn’t pays it. You see, in every business category within every market, there is only so much “branding” or “TOMA” (Top-Of-Mind-Awareness) to go around. In nearly every case, the share of mind you own is equivalent to your brand, which is equal to the percentage of business that you capture within your category.

Building and compounding your brand isn’t just for large national companies. It works exactly the same in every market.

There are several key areas to building and compounding your brand, but the most important element is consistency. Not only does this mean being consistent with your message, colors, sounds, and logos, but also with the way you approach business internally and externally. Like your customer service, return policies, guarantees, warranties, the physical appearance of your office, vehicles, and every other thing that represents your business.

Like compounding interest in money, if you stop and start, you lose or stall the potential that could have been compounding. Be consistent, be repetitive, and the compounding of your brand will take care of itself and build with time.

As your brand becomes larger, the more well-known it becomes and the more TOMA you create. From there it continues to compound. The more people know you, the more people they tell.

How important is a brand? A study conducted by Fleishman-Hillard for the World Economic Forum showed that 3 out 5 chief executives believe their corporate brand and reputation represent more than 40% of their companies’ market capitalization.

Whether you are planning on starting to brand your current business or a new business, click here to see nine tips to help get you started on building and compounding your brand.

Once in a Lifetime Eclipse

by Scott Howard | Apr 29, 2024 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Really? The Personal ScLoHo, ScLoHo's Fort Wayne, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

It’s been a few weeks but on April 8th millions of us in the United States were in the path of a solar eclipse.

Here in Indiana, the main event was shortly after 3pm as the moon blocked the light from the sun for a few minutes.

Where I live, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, we were in the 99.9% of total blackout and I was going to attend a rooftop viewing party locally.

However a few days before, my daughter who lives in Colorado told me she and her husband and kids were making the trek back home to witness it first hand and they were going to a rural spot south of Ft. Wayne where her in-laws lived and could we join them?

Yes was the answer and like many others we made a drive to see the world go dark in the middle of the afternoon.

It was a cool experience and likely the last solar eclipse I will witness first hand in my lifetime considering the next one for where I live is in 2099 and I’d be well over 100 years+ old.

There were plenty of crazy people predicting the 2nd coming of Jesus, or the rapture, or other things that most of us ignored. For the most part, this was an event for the masses without any political division or any other of the things that can divide people.

Instead, it was a day where all people could enjoy the same thing without a lot of spin. Oh there was a lot of hype and some news organizations went overboard warning people to be prepared for the worst.

But it really was nothing more than a natural, predictable occurrence that was available for anyone to witness first hand either in person like we did or on screens like many others did.

And that my friends, was a refreshing change from the multiple divisions this world seems to foster.

I’ll toss in a marketing tidbit… Be honest about how you promote things in your business. Once in a Lifetime can only occur once every 75 years or so. And remember the old adage of Underpromise and Overdeliver. This year’s eclipse was like that for me and hopefully you too.