How much money did you spend to purchase your current vehicle?

$5,000?…….$10,000?…….$20,000?……$30,000?

No matter the brand…..no matter how much it cost to purchase…..and no matter how much money you’ve put into it…..all vehicles have one thing in common:  the tires are the ONLY thing that touch the road.  You could drive a $90,000 Audi, but if the tires are bald or you are driving on four spare tires, all the safety features in the world won’t mean a thing in a rain storm because your traction will stink.  On the other side, you could drive a beat up 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier with the best new tires money can buy and, in that same rain storm, you have a better shot at staying on the road than the Audi.

I look at a good advertising strategy as the tires for your business in that, no matter how great your business is, the only thing that comes in contact with your potential customer is your advertising.

Think of the rain storm in the above example as your day-to-day business.  Every day you are trying to take customers away from your competition while they are trying to take customers away from you.  If you have a state-of-the-art store, stock everything your potential customers could want, have ample parking, and provide outstanding service…..but you don’t properly advertise……you are basically driving the $90,000 Audi with bad tires.

By advertising I mean telling potential customers why they should do business with you and current customers why they should stay with you.  Whether it’s radio, television, social media marketing, or something else……a good advertising strategy is paramount to your business.  However, good advertising alone will not make you a success.  Good advertising will get people to think of you when they are in the market for the product or service you sell.  Once they are in the door, it is up to you to win them over, but unless they know about you…..they won’t know how to find you.

Doug Smith is a Senior Account Executive for WREW Rewind 94.9 and www.cincysavers.com in Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky.  You can contact Doug at  (513) 535-9123 or dosmith@hubbardinteractive.com

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