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Ads don’t work anymore. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this uttered by a client or another artist in the business. They go on to tell me how they spent thousands of dollars and never saw any return on their investment. They ran print ads, radio ads and placed banners on websites and still no results. They try to convince me that no one reads that (insert name here) magazine or no one listens to that station either. Usually after looking through their ad history the answer to their problem is obvious. Good advertising still works but poorly produced ads don’t.

After I look at their efforts I usually ask them who designed the ad. To this the answer nine times out of ten is, “I did”. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t a few artists who are gifted in design but there is a reason that when my car breaks down I take it to the dealership. I’m trusting that they know more about fixing it than I do. In our industry we have some incredible graphic designers. When I see a print ad created by Kimberly Allen for example, I know it right away due to its design quality and style. My motto is stick to what your good at and let the professionals do there work. It always pays off. It may cost you a little more upfront but it will be done well. Remember you only get one first impression.

The number one element to a good ad is the message. I once heard Allison Durham Speer say that everything you do on stage should have purpose. The same thing applies when you are creating your ad. Most ads I see every month have a photo of a group, many times a new group, telling you thanks for requesting their new single. That’s it. Nothing tells me about their singing style or anything that makes me want to learn more. They are wasting a lot of money and a great opportunity to introduce their target audience to what they are about. Your promotional material should have an agenda. Maybe it’s telling the reader about your new album, an upcoming promotion or talking about your next tour. A good ad will hold the readers attention and leave them with interest to learn more on their own. A marketing consultant or graphic designer can help take your message and shape it into a campaign that will garner the attention you desire.

You want to keep it mind that while the reader is looking at your ad, they are taking in not just what you are saying but the whole design as well in determining their perception of you. A poorly designed ad may leave a promoter with the impression that your music may be below standard as well. Today people are bombarded with million dollar ads selling them everything from soft drinks to designer jeans. They are used to quality designs. When you run a lesser quality campaign, your ad sticks out but not in the way you want. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a vast amount of money to achieve the same results. Just find the right person to help you create it.

So before you forever walk away from running ads, take a moment to examine your previous efforts. Ads work, otherwise Coca Cola, Ford, Geico and the list of other commercials you see every day wouldn’t make it on the air. You spend countless hours and thousands of dollars on your music, don’t miss the opportunity to share with your audience what you have to offer.

If you are preparing to launch a new ad campaign or would like to see how a specific marketing plan can effect your ministry, feel free to contact me through my website.

Matt Felts
Beyond Measure Marketing
http://www.beyondmeasuremarketing.com

Reader Comments

You forgot freecreditreport.com
You made a point that was clear to me when I was in my twenties. The guy who played for my quartet had sung tenor and played piano for a more regional group as well as play for my church etc. At some point, he left the quartet. They hired two guys to replace him and he had bumped into them. They told him that they had gotten an ad in the Singing News Magazine and were going to go places (or something like that.) Like I started to say, even then I knew that pretty much anyone can buy an ad in a magazine. Outside of our area (and even including a lot of our area) people would have no idea who they were. I am not sure they ever had a song chart. So, you see their picture, their group name, a few comments (maybe) and possibly some dates (but I don't think those were in the ad.) They were not ready for an ad. They hadn't had enough of a following yet or a song on the charts to help promote them, At least that is my take. Unless they had something that would set them apart as being appealing, the ad seemed more of a vanity thing although I think they did have motives in progressing. They just apparently never thought it through enough.

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