Is Advertising for you?

Writers, are you advertising your book(s), speaking engagements, and classes? Do you find that you’re doing more advertising and not getting back the benefits? One reason is that everyone everywhere is exposed to ads on their phone, laptop, tablet, TV, radio, in your car, even at the gas pump when you fill up. And we haven’t even mentioned social media. Online, ads are everywhere on everything.

Yes, ads are literally everywhere, all the time, around the clock. Advertising is losing its effectiveness because we, you and I, and everyone else simply tunes them out. Unless the ad brings information about something we care about. Ah, that means that unless your ad is targeted to and audience who cares about your ad – it’s a waste of time, money, effort. Of your time, money, effort. No fun that.

So, what to do? Target your ad(s) so that only the people in the market for your produce see the ad. Some advertisers tell you that ads are never wasted because the family of the person you are targeting will see the ad and tell their friend or family member. I do not agree with that assessment. No, I most certainly do not. And I recommend that you not agree with it either.

When it comes to advertising, you can take a lesson from anyone who fishes and, “Fish where the fish are.” Remember, the goal of advertising is to garner sales. And there is no way that you sell anything to anyone unless the people in the market to buy it see or hear the ad. So, get the ad to those persons.