***Nine Simple Secrets of Great Advertising

The television show I was watching last night was punctuated by some pretty crazy ads. I saw flying cars and a talking toilet. To judge from those ads, you might think that you need to be a creative advertising genius to get your customers to buy anything from you. Not so. These classic approaches can get your message across simply, without breaking your advertising budget:

1. Target the competition by giving facts about why your product or service works better, costs less, or has other basic advantages.
2. Just show your product attractively. (This doesn’t work if you have an ugly product.)
3. Showcase your brand. Just remind your customer about the positive attributes of your brand while you display your product.
4. Use testimonials from satisfied customers.
5. Have a celebrity or expert endorse your product.
6. Simply remind customers to use your product if they have not been doing so lately. Sometimes they forget that you are there.
7. Provide a toll-free number to make it easy for customers to make an impulsive decision to contact you.
8. Give a slice of life by showing people using your product in real-life situations.
9. Offer discounts, gifts or special promotions.

nIt’s all simple stuff, but these days simplicity can make you stand out from the advertising clutter. I think that most people are getting a little tired of talking toilets and flying cars anyhow. Aren’t you?nnNote from Michael Sexton, President of Trump University: To learn more marketing strategies that work powerfully for smaller businesses, be sure to enrol in Dr. Sexton's Marketing Mastery Program from Trump University. Classes are forming now. nnnn

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nDonald Sexton, PhD, is Trump University’s faculty member in marketing and sales. He is also Professor of Business at Columbia University and President of The Arrow Group, a leading marketing consulting group. Dr. Sexton teaches The Marketing Mastery Program at Trump University.