Should You Hire An Advertising Specialist or Generalist?

This article is for the business owner who is regularly being asked to buy advertising and really needs a little help deciding what to do. (Or perhaps a LOT of help.)

Today, we are going to talk about the pros and cons of advertising agencies, advertising sales people and marketing consultants and what you really need for your business. There was a story in Mediapost that touched on this topic and we’re going to get to the heart of the matter for you.

Should You Hire An Advertising Specialist or Generalist?

You see I’m a bit of both.  I’m a big picture marketing guy who has expertise in several specialties.

Start with the basics:

Why advertise?  To attract and retain customers.  It’s that simple.

Then why is it hard to pick what kind of advertising you and your business should be involved with?

Because there are so many options and all these advertising salespeople who tell you their advertising is the best, whether it’s true or not.

So I sell advertising, what makes me, Scott Howard different?  Let’s start with a quote from one of my online profiles:

This is the Big Picture of Marketing, Advertising, and Media, down to the tiniest detail.

Combining the tools of today with the timeless, proven methods of the past and creating ideas that rely on honest, trustworthy human relationship principles.

This Big Picture concept is what makes me an advertising generalist.  That’s also the term you could apply to most of the advertising agencies that offer a variety of services.  But I’m not an ad agency and I have a unique perspective that’s different than most advertising generalists.

That’s also where the ScLoHo persona comes in.  This unique perspective is that all of your marketing and advertising needs to be based on Human Relationship Principles or if they are not, you better have a very good reason why not.

Human Relationship Principles are the natural, organic ways we communicate with one another that promotes trust, and good positive feelings. You incorporate that into a marketing campaign successfully and your business will grow beyond what you could ever do with coupons and gimmicks.

I know how to do this because I’ve been a student of this for a few decades and there are hundreds of businesses in Metro Fort Wayne and Metro Detroit that were my real-life laboratories.

Along the way I also gathered intensive insider knowledge and wisdom regarding what could be called Advertising Specialties. These include:

1. Print including newspaper, magazine and direct mail.
2. Outdoor including the big billboards, the smaller signage, even the ads we see on city buses. Which brings me to …
3. Vehicle wraps, promotional materials and company branded attire.
4. Television advertising including cable TV.
5. Social Media.
6. Website design and structure.
7. Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing.
8. Email Marketing.
9. Blogging, Vlogging and Podcasting
10. and of course Radio Advertising.

Every one of these specialties I have direct experience in and have served on the board of directors for the local American Advertising Federation to enrich my knowledge and teach others.  I have even taught branding at a local university, won awards from both my peers and from independent, impartial judging panels.  I am not one to blow my own horn and say how great I am, that is out of character for me, but I really want you to know that since I made the transition from being a radio personality to an advertising and marketing specialist over 30 years ago, I have learned a bunch and am continuing to learn.  All I want to do is help you with what I’ve learned.

Some of these Advertising Specialties I continue to do first hand and others I will either outsource, recommend others that I trust or at the very least serve as your marketing coach so that when someone tries to sell you their advertising specialty, you have an experienced professional that knows how it should be done and can help you in the process if it’s really something you should invest it. I, Scott Howard, work for WOWO Radio and we have a whole boatload of advertising and marketing solutions you can buy.  The ScLoHo side of me helps you with the things I can’t sell you but can advise and guide you.

So back to my original question: Should You Hire An Advertising Specialist or Generalist? Why chose one or the other when you can have both in one person?

Let’s talk.