Prospecting – How Often Should You Advertise?

2014 Prospecting – How Often Should You Advertise?

If you’re going to invest in advertising, make sure to employ a 24-Touch Annual Campaign. A “once in a while” approach may be a waste of money. Thomas Smith a nineteenth-century London businessman offered the following advice to advertisers in 1885. It’s still applicable today:

The first time people look at any given ad, they don’t even see it.
The second time, they don’t notice it.
The third time, they are aware that it’s there.
The fourth time, they have a fleeting sense that they have seen it before.
The fifth time, they actually read the ad.
The sixth time, they thumb their nose at it.
The seventh time, they start to get a little irritated with it.
The eighth time, they start to think “Here’s the confounded ad again”.
The ninth time, they start to wonder if they may be missing out on something.
The tenth time, they ask their friends and neighbors if they’ve tried it.
The eleventh time, they wonder how the company is paying for all of these ads.
The twelfth time, they start to think it must be a good product.
The thirteenth time, they start to feel the product has value.
The fourteenth time, they start to remember wanting a product exactly like it for a really long time.
The fifteenth time, they start to yearn for it because they can’t afford to buy it.
The sixteenth time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future.
The seventeenth time, they make a note to buy the product.
The eighteenth time, they curse their poverty for not allowing them to buy this terrific product.
The nineteenth time, they count their money very carefully.
The twentieth time prospects see the ad, they buy what its offering.

In other words, if your ad campaigns aren’t showing a return after six weeks, don’t give up hope!