Advertising Information

What's the Score?


You may be aware that in a basketball game the assistant coaches keep an almost unending list of personal statistics for each player.  Rebounds, assists, points, minutes played, etc.

Why is that?

Because they know that these individual statistics all add up to the bottom line. 

The final score. 

If they can achieve even a small incremental improvement in these individual statistics for each player this will have a compound affect on the final score. 

And of course, it helps them know which players to give the most playing time too. 

In marketing your business you should be just as disciplined. Which products and which ads and which media should you give the most playing time?  Do you know?

What's the point of designing and implementing an advertising campaign if you don't know if it worked or if it was better than the last one? 

What a waste.

How do you know where the best place is to spend your advertising dollars? 

By tracking everything. 

Incoming calls, emails, walk-ins, website visitors, etc. 

Train yourself and your staff to always ask these questions.  Where did they come from?  How did they hear about you?  Which ad did they call on? 

Here is an example:  Let's say you place a classified ad in the newspaper at a cost of $135.00 offering a free report on your product.  You could track the incoming calls in many ways (for instance by directing them to a free recorded message with a unique extension number or simply by asking them where they heard about the offer when they call). 

Let's say you receive 12 calls on this ad and 2 of them end up as completed  sales.

What is your cost per prospect?

(Cost of Ad) / (Number of Calls) = Cost Per Prospect

$135.00 / 12 = $11.25

Your cost per prospect is $11.25


What is your conversion rate of prospects to sold clients?

(Number of Sold Clients) / (Number of Prospects)  = Conversion Rate

2 / 12 = .17 (or 17%)

Your conversion rate of prospects to sold clients is 17%


What is your cost per sold client?

(Cost of Ad) / (Number of Sold Clients) = Cost Per Sale

$135.00 / 2 = $67.50

Your marketing cost per sale is $67.50.


Now let's say you place a display ad in a large local corporate newsletter and it costs you $450.  You get 27 calls which turn into 4 sales. 

Which ad is performing better?

What is your cost per prospect for this ad?

(Cost of Ad) / (Number of Calls) = Cost Per Prospect

$450.00 / 27 = $16.67

Your cost per prospect is $16.67


What is your conversion rate of prospects to sold clients?

(Number of Sold Clients) / (Number of Prospects)  = Conversion Rate

4 / 27 = .15 (or 15%)

Your conversion rate of prospects to sold clients is 15%


What is your cost per sold client?

(Cost of Ad ) / (Number of Sold Clients) = Cost Per Sale

$450.00 / 4 = $112.50

Your marketing cost per sale is $112.50.

Depending on your products and profit margin both of these ads may be performing well enough to merit continuation.  However, based on this information we would want to look for other opportunities to expand our use of the classified ad first.

This may seem a little basic but this information is extremely valuable and often overlooked. 

The outcome of most athletic contests is normally decided by a very small margin,  sometimes by as little as tenths of an inch or hundredths of a second, missing that pass completion by half a step or missing one basket. 

One would suspect that most winners and losers in business are also determined by very small margins. 

Not giving that extra little bit of caring and customer service.  Not having your presentation skills honed, not including testimonials with your sales information.  Not having the most effective headline in your ad or not having a headline at all.

And worst of all, not knowing which ads are working and which should be put on the bench.

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  Then quit.  There's no use being a damn fool about it."  - W.C. Fields

Shawn Meldrum has spent the last two decades marketing everything from almonds to landscape lighting.  He currently specializes in marketing for mortgage brokers, loan officers and real estate agents.  For free mortgage marketing articles and much more visit: http://www.MortgageMarketingTips.com/


MORE RESOURCES:

AFP

New York Times now offers front-page advertising
MarketWatch - 18 hours ago
"In 2006 we began testing ads on some section fronts and received a very positive response from the advertising community," said Denise Warren, ...
Video: Money Minute: Times Ads, Hyundai, Construction AssociatedPress
NY Times debuts front-page ad; new revenue source The Associated Press
New York Times to sell front-page display ads Reuters
AFP - Chicago Tribune
all 324 news articles


BBC News

Strikes greet Sarkozy's TV reform
BBC News, UK - 13 hours ago
President Nicolas Sarkozy's changes will ban advertising on prime time public TV from Monday evening. The president says the reforms will increase quality, ...
French unions decry TV advertising change Forbes
French Public TV Scraps Nighttime Ads Voice of America
France bans adverts on state TV during primetime guardian.co.uk
Irish Times - Telegraph.co.uk
all 46 news articles


Canada.com

Hyundai Super Bowl ad to feature music by Yo-Yo Ma
Reuters - 5 hours ago
But advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, which produced the Hyundai spot, said it expects the ad to resonate with many of those watching the ...
Yo Yo Ma Teams Up With Goodby For The Super Bowl mediabistro.com
all 6 news articles


Research and Markets: New Agency Model Brings New Growth to ...
Earthtimes (press release), UK - 6 hours ago
In 2007, Internet advertising revenue accounted for only 1.6% of China's total advertising revenue. Advertising via traditional media continues to dominate ...
UNITED STATES: Internet Advertising Revenues in Q3 ''08 at Nearly ... IBLS INTERNET LAW (subscription)
all 6 news articles


Sun-Times Media Group Names Jim Dyer Vice President, Classified ...
Business Wire (press release), CA - 16 hours ago
He was a key player in the launch of AutoTrader.com, serving as Regional Sales Director, Advertising Operations Director and General Manager of Non Contract ...
Sun-Times Media Group Appoints Jim Dyer VP, Classified Advertising ... RTT News
Sun-Times News Group Names VP/Classifieds Editor & Publisher
Sun-Times Media Group proceeds with deregistration of Class A ... Trading Markets (press release)
Earthtimes (press release) - TechWhack (press release)
all 15 news articles


Google Grabbed Most of Obama's $16 Million in 2008
ClickZ News, NY - 3 hours ago
By Kate Kaye, ClickZ, Jan 6, 2009 Barack Obama's presidential campaign spent over $16 million on online advertising in 2008. John McCain's camp spent a ...
2009 Tech Prediction Faceoff: JP Morgan Vs. Barclays Capital TechCrunch
PRESS RELEASE: Nielsen Online Announces November US Search Share ... CNNMoney.com
Where next for Microsoft, Yahoo and Google? IT PRO
Search Newz - CNET News
all 31 news articles


Nation’s Largest Grocery Advertising Network Celebrates Anniversary
PR Web (press release), WA - 10 hours ago
Colchester, VT -- MyWebGrocer has grown during 2008 to be the largest grocery advertising network in the US by providing relevant, timely and measurable ...


Interactive Advertising Products for Online Exposure from Nexplore ...
TransWorldNews (press release), GA - 52 minutes ago
For advertisers, NeXplore offers a full array of search, display and interactive advertising products that make it a cinch to reach and engage targeted ...
Financial Investment Resources for Investors in Money Market TransWorldNews (press release)
all 4 news articles


JP Morgan: '09 to be Rocky for Web and Brand Ads
Adweek, NY - 13 hours ago
That’s because the rocky macro-economic climate has caused performance based advertising to gain market share at a faster rate, a trend that should continue ...
paidContent.org - JP Morgan Sees Long-Term Dominance For ... Washington Post
all 7 news articles


AsiaOne

Reality In Auto Advertising: The "Hyundai Assurance Program"
mediabistro.com, NY - 11 hours ago
Hyundai's new campaigns is brilliant. The premise is relevant for millions of Americans. You see, under the "Hyundai Assurance Program" if you lose your job ...
Hyundai To Nouveau Pauvre: You Can Return Car Mediapost.com
Tempe Dealership Signs Up for Hyundai Assurance Program EVLiving
Recession insurance: lose your job, return your Hyundai Examiner.com
all 268 news articles

Advertising - Google News

home | index |site map
© 2006