Mistakes Clients Make: Part 3
Written by 5ivecanons Staff
Previously, on the 5ivecanons “Mistakes Clients Make” blog…
We’ve discussed “Thinking Everyone is your Target Audience” in Part 1, and “Thinking There is Plenty of Time Before the Deadline” in Part 2. This week for Part 3 we’ll be discussing… (drumroll, please…)
“Thinking Change Happens Overnight.”
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Don’t be absurd, of COURSE I know change doesn’t happen overnight.” I’m gonna let you finish, but let me stop you right there with a simple reminder… everyone is reasonable before they write the check. Think about it. Bridezillas, dinner party hosts, people on meal plan diets… you get the idea. When it’s just a plan, it seems great. No problems at all. But once that check is written, clients oftentimes expect you to simply ask “How high?” when the original conversation was, “Can you take a walk to the mailbox for me?” A brisk walk does not involve the kind of strenuous activity required in multiple leaps and bounds, just like the original scope of work often details far LESS than what the client ends up expecting to be included.
That being said, once money has been spent, the ads have been designed, and the media has been bought, clients will want to know, ‘what happened to all the money we spent? How many people are going to engage? How many sales are we going to get? What are the results going to be?’ And we get it, 100%. But as a simple reminder, as we stated in a previous blog about social media growth… any advertising agency that guarantees results is lying to you. The simple matter of fact is that there are no surefire hits, no formula to go viral.
Many times the reason a campaign underperforms isn’t the improper placement of media, but with boring messaging. A client may be afraid to venture out of their comfort zone with messaging and imagery unfamiliar to what their consumers have seen in the past. While this does keep the brand very consistent (maybe too much so), it also means that the target audience is seeing the same or similar messaging over, and over, and over again. Nothing new, no new clicks. Now for some places, this works. Take McDonalds for instance. Sure, they launched the McRib, and Shamrock Shakes, but it’s still processed junk food. But for McDonalds, it doesn’t matter. They are SO overreaching and large and downright cheap that people would buy there even if the quality got worse. I mean, geez, just look at Walmart. But your company isn’t McDonalds or Walmart. And chances are, your consumer wants to see something fresh, not processed garbage.
Scenario two: the creative is great, your small base of customers loves the new (product/service/ad/offering), and can’t say enough nice things about you. But, they’re the same customers you’ve had since day one, and it isn’t really growing. This is where the Thinking Change Happens Overnight comes in. How long does it take? Couldn’t tell ya. But I CAN tell you, the #1 way to grow your business and to make new sales, the MOST effective marketing strategy, is word of mouth. Referrals from friends, colleagues, other people that use what you’re selling. If you can get great reviews from people that will literally do the marketing for you, then you WILL be a success. So you need people talking about you and your products. And the best way to get people talking is by ENGAGING them with effective messaging.
Think back to all the ‘one hit wonders’ bands have had over the years. If your company sees some sudden and unexpected growth, chances are that flame is going to flicker out faster than it was lit. True growth and long-lasting results come from years of positive referrals from peers, strong brand messaging, and most importantly, trust between you and the consumer. Nail those, and your company will grow. And if you want to know more about what you need to do to get started, just give us a call. We’re experts at building great fires.
