Breaking Through the Clutter: Reach Local Customers More Effectively

There's a lot of competition out there. And, as the economy continues to show signs of improvement, new franchises are entering the marketplace while existing brands open new stores or add new service providers.

While this growth is certainly positive, many of us are noting an almost opposite trend in our customers. We may be giving them more options, but their waning attention spans and "get-it-now" mentalities make it even more challenging for us to actually get their business.

How to break through the competitive clutter with your advertising message? Reach your customers where they are - and inspire them to move to where you'd like them to be.

Location, location, location

Successful businesses use geotargeting to deliver promotional messages that resonate with their unique demographic niches. You know best what the consumers in your area like, and localized marketing lets you offer them promotions that will inspire a call to action.

Whether you're a traditional brick-and-mortar business or one that is exclusively service-oriented, marketing portals let you select the Zip Codes you'd like to reach, choose what advertising tactics you'd like to use, customize your creative, and pay for the entire job - all in a single, one-stop marketing destination.

One from Column A, Two from Column B

Like a menu at your favorite takeout restaurant, a comprehensive media automation platform offers boundless advertising options from which to choose. Door hangers, newspaper ads, direct mail, freestanding inserts, billboards, brochures, letterhead, business cards, and more can all be developed by simply logging into and using one user-friendly portal.

In the past, you or your staff may have had to research all these options individually, negotiating separate packages with a variety of vendors. A media automation platform eliminates this additional time and effort, plus offers the frequency or volume discounts that come with consolidated buying power. Whether you're going for broad exposure with multiple advertising tactics, or focusing on one or two to test the waters, a media automation platform saves time while adding convenience.

Personalizing your message

For both franchisees and franchisors, it's critical to be able to design advertising pieces that are compelling and aesthetically appealing while adhering to all brand guidelines. A media automation platform builds all of those elements into its state-of-the-art technological framework. Franchisees "click and pick" from a variety of pre-approved promotional templates, customizing them with a few simple clicks to add their address and other store information. The process is easy and fast, allowing users to personalize promotional offerings for their local customers while maintaining brand integrity.

While there may be a lot of confusion in our ever-changing, competitive franchise landscape, one thing is clear: a media automation platform lets you strategically cut through the clutter so you get your customers where you'd like them to be - in your store or using your services.

William Rodriguez is president and founder of Silvercrest Advertising. Founded in 2011, Silvercrest provides strategic media planning and buying services that leverage relationships with more than 11,000 publications and generate significant, quantifiable results. The company also offers a proprietary localized media automation platform (LMap) that allows restaurant and other service business franchisees to customize newspaper FSIs, door hangers, direct mail pieces and other advertising tactics for their respective trade areas. Contact him at 818-475-7622 or wrodriguez@sca-mail.com.