Sending email is free, creating a Facebook page is free, Twitter reach is free, cold calling is free, advertising is free, referrals are free, and advertising costs money.
So why, even with all these wonderful free and low-cost ways to promote your business, do I argue that you should make advertising one of your top lead generation tactics? (Actually, one could argue if something is free, but the items listed above have no direct cost.)
Advertising tells customers if a company aligns with their values
Consumers are getting more demanding with the companies they choose to support. Research shows that corporate responsibility is very important to people, especially younger ones, and they want to buy from companies that align with their values. Advertising tells consumers who a business is and what matters to them.
The way a company represents itself can attract customers or repel them. There are many examples of businesses running ads that failed. In 2017, Dove uploaded a short video of a black woman lifting a shirt over her head and appearing to transform into a white woman. This woman then removes her shirt, revealing a Middle Eastern woman. The intent of the ad appeared to be representation, but consumers were not happy and Dove apologized. This isn’t the first time Dove has run into trouble, proving just how essential ads are to a brand’s reputation.
Retain existing customers
Customer retention is the foundation of business growth. You need loyal, repeat customers – people who love your brand, send you word-of-mouth referrals, and are likely to spend more money on your product or service when fully engaged.
Effective advertising generates repeat business by keeping your customers’ attention on you. As such, you can use ad campaigns to retarget members of your target audience, including those already in your customer base. Regularly reminding customers about your brand, perhaps by offering new products or discount prices for loyal members, encourages them to feel connected to you and buy from your business rather than the competition.
( Improves goodwill:
Advertising is essential to increase the goodwill of the company. It introduces the manufacturer and its product to the people. Repeated advertising and the best quality of the Products generate more reputation for the manufacturer and enhance the goodwill of the company.
Advertising is educational and dynamic in nature.It familiarizes customers with new products and their various uses and also educates them about new uses of existing products