Marketing P.A.I.N. - Part 8, Message Frequency, Media Choices, and Tracking

Marketing P.A.I.N. is a step-by-step guide to more effective advertising. I've made reference to the P.A.I.N. acronym, and since this is the last post in the series, I'd best explain it.

1. Pinpoint your prospect's specific pain to create a salient message.

2. Acknowledge your prospect's buying mode for credibility.

3. Increase message frequency in the medium which best suits your message.

4. Note and track all outcomes.

In the first six parts of this series we increased the salience of your advertising by matching your message to your potential customer's pain.

In part seven we persuaded her to act. We added a strong dose of credibility to your ads by acknowledging her pain mindset.

Today we'll wrap up with the final two elements in the Marketing P.A.I.N. concept - matching the media (and determining how often to run your ad), and keeping records of your results.


One repetition of any message is seldom enough.

Have you ever helped a child to learn the multiplication tables? Then you already know rote memorization requires massive amounts of repetition.

3 x 4 = 12
3 x 4 = 12
3 x 4 = 12

You already had the child’s attention. How many repetitions would it take if you were trying to implant “three times four equals twelve” in the minds of casual bystanders?

Similarly, your message is more likely to persuade customers to call when at least half of the audience has been exposed to your ad three or more times (in a seven day period). You’ll see this referred to as an average frequency of “3.”



This doesn’t mean purchase three ads.

Different people use media differently. It takes a lot more than three ads for the average reader/viewer/listener to be exposed three (or more) times in a seven day period.

Most people don’t read every page of the newspaper. If your ad is in the Real Estate section, and they only read the Sports section, they miss it.

No one can watch every television channel. If your ad is on the ABC six o’clock news, the person watching the M*A*S*H re-runs on Lifetime won’t see your ad.

People see outdoor ads (billboards) as they drive at different times to different destinations. Your board at the corner of Main and Second will be missed by everyone who takes the bypass.

And radio? Most people listen in their cars, while they drive at those different times to different destinations. Your 7:20 ad will not be heard by people who don’t get in their cars until 7:30.

Any message in any medium?

Mass media exists to communicate with large groups of people at one time. Though all media are capable of carrying any message, each excels in a different area.

And at each stage of pain one medium becomes more efficient and cost effective.

Your message position suggests the best medium to deliver that message. What follows is a guideline. Always do the math and keep track of the return on your investment.


Stage 1 Media:

Television, radio, newspapers, and outdoor signs are, by their nature, the most expensive media, and thus require more staying power. Use them when you have the potential to convert huge numbers of the public into customers.

Television – If your message requires a demonstration, there is no better medium. Your production quality (film vs video tape, actors, lighting, etc) will be compared to national advertisers who frequently spend as much as a third of a million dollars on the production of their ads.

Newspaper – Sometimes your message requires written detail, illustrations, photographs, maps, or lists of prices. Newspaper is an excellent medium for Transactional appeals, but it can also be a great way to build image. If your weekly ad looks like editorial content, such as a regular column, your reputation as an expert will grow each week.

Radio – Reach shoppers emotionally through radio’s theater of the mind. Don’t be concerned about getting a deep voiced announcer. Sincerity, that is, perceived sincerity, is much more important than vocal quality.

Outdoor – The most effective use of a billboard is for directions, like a huge “Turn Here.” Outdoor signs also make an excellent reminder medium for additional frequency.

Stage 2 Media:

At Pain Stage 2 your prospective customer will begin to notice signs, brochures, and topics of conversation that formerly had her eyes glazing over.

Signage – Illuminated signs attract more attention. Simpler type fonts and very large letters are easier to read and understand when people are driving. Use attention-getting colors if they reflect well on your image.

Newsletters – Frequency, great imaging, the ability to position you as an expert, and the ability to let potential customers get to know you and your staff as people, all make newsletters a powerful tool. Don’t do fewer than four, or more than twelve issues per year.

Brochures – Create a separate brochure addressing one single pain for each product or service you offer. Don’t limit placement of those brochures to your lobby or showroom. How many other local businesses have customers who could benefit from what you sell? Work out a deal to leave your brochures in their lobbies and showrooms.

Specialty Advertising – Refrigerator magnets, calendars with your name (and picture), paperweights, or pens will be useless without three important ingredients:

1. Invest in something people will want to keep on their refrigerators, their desks, their dashboards.

2. Include your message, as well as your name. It’s not enough to “get your name out there.”

3. Don’t be clichéd. (Bent pens for chiropractors were novel fifty years ago. Today they are just sad.)

Public Speaking – Put together a 17-20 minute talk about the problems your company solves. Local service clubs need 40 to 50 speakers per year for their weekly meetings. The business owner who shakes more hands will grow his company bigger, faster.

Stage 3 Media:

Stage 3 is the most profitable message position for most small businesses. Potential customers have considered several options, but haven’t purchased a solution yet. Your message may involve comparisons between your company and alternatives. These presentations do well in writing, but be sure to include illustrations, charts, or photos that reinforce your message.

Direct Mail – Highly targeted, geographically limited, and response easily tracked, direct mail is the Stage 3 medium of choice. Like other media, direct mail needs frequency in order to maximize return. Most business owners try one mailing and give up. It's not uncommon for the second mailing to the same group to get a better response than the first.

E-Mail – Unless you have been invited to send e-mail messages to prospective patients, it’s probably best to avoid it. The spam image will be hard to overcome. But get people to opt-in to your mailing list, and you can eliminate printing and postage costs. E-mail is a great delivery system for your newsletter.

Web Pages – Another electronic medium with minimal expense is your website, which has the ability to dedicate complete pages to specific offerings.

Stage 4 Media:

Within hours of experiencing the final trigger, people at Stage 4 will become someone’s customer. When they don’t have experience with anyone in your business category, people turn to the Yellow Pages and local Internet searches.

Yellow Pages – Don’t waste your ad space by using your name as a headline or by talking about the number of years you’ve been in business. Your message needs to scream, “Stop hurting, NOW.” Done correctly, your ad itself may become the final trigger to call.

Local Internet Search – Include the names of the communities you serve in the text on your Internet pages, so when someone Googles “Ft. Worth car stereo,” “Fargo men's shoes,” or “Bakersfield appliance repair,” (whatever your city and business) your page will be part of the search results.

Note too, that branding (or awareness) campaigns tend to work better in early stage media. Later stage media excel at delivering direct response campaigns.


Community variables:

In larger cities, direct mail delivered to a very small neighborhood may be the most cost effective choice for advertising your business. In smaller towns, the better choices may be radio, television, or newspapers.


How much profit are you willing to give up to re-fuel the engine and pay for more advertising? It always comes down to ROI. When you're considering a medium in which to advertise your business, ask yourself:

1. Will your choice of medium deliver a “3” average frequency at a price you can afford?

2. Will that advertising schedule provide your business with enough new customers to justify the advertising?

3. What’s the value of each new customer? How much of that sum is profit for your business?

If this produces a positive ROI, do more of it.

If not, try another medium or a different media outlet.

Keep improving your results by keeping detailed records of what you did, when you did it, and the outcome.

Track the revenue per customer provided by each source. Some techniques bring customers with greater value than other techniques and other customers.

In most cases, your first set of calculations will have to be done after the fact, but should definitely be done before you invest in another schedule.

Also, remember that the size of your community and the number of competitors advertising their companies will affect the time it takes for any marketing to work.


In conclusion:

As a marketing consultant I've seen campaign after campaign after campaign fail from lack of direction and focus.

I created Marketing P.A.I.N. to help small businesses achieve the highest and best use of their marketing dollars. Drop me a note when you're ready to apply it to your own advertising.

It’s my sincere wish that you see solid growth in your marketing ROI.

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Chuck McKay is a marketing consultant who helps customers discover you, and choose your business. Questions about choosing the appropriate medium to carry your advertising message may be directed to ChuckMcKay@ChuckMcKayOnLine.com.

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Marketing P.A.I.N. - Part 7, Tie It All Together.

Thus far in the Marketing P.A.I.N. Series, you've seen the value of talking to your customer about the exact discomfort she's experiencing.

You're able to identify four stages of pain. You can help your customers to identify with your solution at each stage of pain.

You know how to use that identification to help your advertising messages to cut through the media clutter to get their attention. You've learned to propose a solution appropriate for each pain stage.


Is that all it takes to make a sale?

Not quite. Although you now have your prospect's attention, you still have no credibility with her. This is where acknowledgment of her pain mindset comes in. There are only two:

1. People in a Transactional mindset believe they know everything necessary to choose the right solution for their pain. Transactional shoppers are primarily interested in prices.

2. But people in a Relational mindset are well aware that they don't know enough to make an uninformed decision. They’re seeking an expert they can trust.

In every business category, roughly half of the customers fall into each designation. And depending on what it is we're shopping for, we each are already both.

Buy whichever gas is cheapest? Purely a transactional move. Choose to dine at Mario's Spaghetti House because the waitresses all flirt with you? You're as relational as they come - at least when it comes to spaghetti.


No message can appeal to both pain mindsets.

Did you notice that these mindsets tend to be polar opposites? The right thing to say to one is exactly the wrong thing to say to the other.

To get the attention of Transactional shoppers, you could offer reduced fees, promotional sales events, or coupons. If you charge “too much,” you have no credibility with them.

But Relational shoppers want to know you understand them, and that they can count on you to offer informed advice. Anything which indicates you are driven solely by profit, rather than concern for your customers, costs you credibility with Relationals.

Examples:

(click to enlarge)
Either can be a profitable customer base, so it comes down to the kind of business you’re comfortable running.

If you enjoy a fast-paced, “Wham. Bam. Next.” (oh, and “thank you”) style of operation, you may be able to compete on price to reach Transactional shoppers.

But a more methodical, slower-paced, “get to know the customer” style of business necessitates appealing to Relationals, who are willing to pay higher prices, and are more likely to continue being profitable customers over the long-term.

There’s an added benefit to getting the attention of Transactional patients. They contribute to “buzz” about you in the community. Relational customers are responsible for the more slowly growing “word-of-mouth.”


Let's tie it all together.

Multiply four stages of pain by two pain mindsets, and it becomes obvious that there are only eight possible message positions.

Look at how much more credible the message becomes when you catch the shopper's attention (by identifying the stage of pain), and then present your message in accordance with the pain mindset she's already inclined to trust.

(click to enlarge)
The marketing of every service business, of every retail business, of every not-for-profit can be described in one of these eight positions.

Why only one position?

Few businesses have the financial resources to simultaneously pursue two completely different markets.

Since each marketing position resonates with a different group of shoppers, each position is ignored by other groups. Any impression you may have already made will not have been noticed by your second target.

Once you've expended the resources to anchor your message firmly in a prospective customer’s mind, you’ll get the best return on your advertising investment by sticking to that position, and building on it.

Please note: This does not mean that you can’t change the message, only that the message position – the stage of pain and mindset it addresses - remains the same.


Choose the position with the greatest potential.

You must decide whether you prefer to work with Transactional or Relational customers. And you must identify the stage of pain at which you choose to offer your solution.

Which factors do you balance?

Which segment has the greatest growth potential for your business?

Is that segment big enough to support your business?

Will this result in the type of business you’d care to run?

Can you begin to see the power of the Marketing P.A.I.N. concept?

When your local media rep invites you to become a sponsor of a new promotion, you simply need to compare the promotion's focus against your eight position grid.

If it matches, consider the investment. If not, pass.

Once you've identified your position, you'll instantly know whether any advertising you're considering will help your business to grow.

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Chuck McKay is a marketing consultant who helps customers discover you, and choose your business. Questions about identifying your marketing position may be directed to ChuckMcKay@ChuckMcKayOnLine.com.

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Marketing P.A.I.N. - Part 6, Make It Stop!

Suppose you go to bed Tuesday evening at the usual time, following your usual routine.

Wednesday morning you sit up in bed, swing your feet over the side, and are startled as you put your feet into a cold, wet puddle of standing water.

You discover that somehow, someone left the cold water trickling into the bathroom sink. It appears to have a clogged drain.


You're feeling the pain.

Wow. In just moments you've just moved directly from Pain Stage 1 (no pain, no need for services) to Pain Stage 4 (make it stop hurting, NOW!).

Screaming "I'll get the mop. You grab the Yellow Pages," you address the immediate standing water problem as your husband/wife/roommate opens the book to "plumbers" and sees this ad:


Scanning to the adjacent page, this ad leaps into consciousness:



Is there a difference between T.R. Johnson & Son's ad, and that of Phillip S. Johnson Plumbing Co.?


Pretty obvious, isn't it?

The first company seems to think their name is the most important information the customer needs. The second focuses on the customer's emergent need.

They may not be fighting an emergency, but by the time they've consulted the Yellow Pages, people are ready to buy. They're fed up with suffering. They've concluded that they suffer from not owning what you sell.

If these people have been influenced by your earlier advertising, they may look you up by name. If not, they'll search through the listings for someone who can solve their problem, and solve it now.

You won't impress anyone as a problem solver if the headline of your ad is the name of your business, and that's followed by a listing of brand names and services you offer.


Stage 4 Messaging

A lot of advertising consists of the very common "We're wonderful. We're the best" kind of chest thumping one would expect from car dealers or personal injury attorneys. Among those businesses which sell services, "We've been in business for 70 years," is an all too typical statement.

But, if it was your sink is running over, would you care how long anyone's been in business?

A much more salient message to a prospective customer at Pain Stage 4, is "Stop hurting, now."

Stage 4 pain isn't limited to emergencies. What if your sink isn't running over, but its not draining properly either?

You still need a plumber. What's the headline you'll look for?


Your pain is likely to be . . .

. . . that you'll need to take time off work.

More specifically, it's trying to schedule your day when you don't know exactly when the plumber will show up.

That pain, time deprivation, is addressed by this * plumber:


Compare TV Plumbing's ad with that of T.R. Johnson & Son.

Which one would you call, if you needed to take time off work in order to make that call?


Pain Stage 4 occurs every time someone needs a solution NOW!

Stage 4 ads aren't limited to Yellow Pages ads. There can be times in which a Stage 4 message works well to build your brand awareness in a Stage 1 medium. (Let's be honest, sometimes the urgency isn't caused by the specific problem, but rather by the customer's circumstances).

Woman: Didja fix it, yet? Didja fix it, yet? Didja fix it, yet?

Man: I'm workin' on it, alright? Give me a break.

'Nouncer: All Pro Plumbing. For all the times you can't fix it.

Woman: Didja fix it, yet?

'Nouncer: We can. Call All Pro, today.

Woman: Didja fix it, yet?

Man: Yeah, I fixed it.

Plumber: Problem solved.

Of course, there are Stage 4 pains which don't involve plumbing issues.

Urges as simple as "I'm hungry" are much more effective when you promise immediate relief, as in this classic Domino's ad:

Announcer: When Domino's Pizza delivers, quality comes first. We custom bake each pizza with carefully selected, skillfully prepared ingredients. Taste the quality.

Singers: Domino's Pizza. Domino's Pizza delivers.

Announcer: Call now and we'll deliver a hot delicious custom made pizza to you in less than 30 minutes. One call does it all.

Recognizing the degree of pain is the first half of the Marketing P.A.I.N. strategy. Although it has taken us six installments to describe that pain, we'll address the other half of the formula in the next post.

Get ready to apply Marketing P.A.I.N. to your advertising messages and watch your ROI explode.

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* TV Plumber was created by Adam Strange, and featured in Ringing Up Profits in the Yellow Pages by Dick Larkin.
You'll find the T.R. Johnson & Son and Phillip S. Johnson Plumbing Co. ads in the current Verizon Yellow Pages directory for Huntington, WV.

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Chuck McKay is a marketing consultant who helps customers discover you, and choose your business. Questions about identifying your prospect's pain may be directed to ChuckMcKay@ChuckMcKayOnLine.com.

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