I’ve probably seen billions of advertisements in my lifetime: billboards, displays, and those infuriating 90’s pop-ups that dance around the screen trying not to let you click them off. Over my 39 years, companies have tried to grab my attention in every way possible, but I can probably count on one hand the number of advertisements which truly made me take notice without national brand-power and millions of dollars of exposure behind them.

One such ad was a small, brick radiator shop in Decatur, AL, with a permanent sign out front that read, “The best place in town to take a leak.” Through my childhood, I remember my dad and I laughing about that sign every time we drove through the city of Decatur. And yes, maybe it appealed to my little boy sense of potty humor, and 10 and under is not exactly the target market for radiators, but you’d be shocked at how many times I talked with my dad and other people in the area about that sign. A small, brick radiator shop had created their own buzz with a simple, catchy tagline. It said nothing about their quality of service or pricing, but even to this day if I had radiator problems I might drive back to north Alabama and give them my business. They’ve earned it by standing out.

Too few business owners realize the first battle of marketing is getting attention — then you can deliver your message about who you are and what you do. Some companies spend millions on marketing, just to remain invisible. Currently, Americans are overloaded and overstimulated with over 5,000 marketing messages per day (more if you live in larger cities). We see billboards everywhere, radio ads, targeted messages on our phones, our email inboxes overflow, etc. And our brain’s natural response is to shut them ALL off. You can only focus on so much at a time and the rest just becomes white noise. So, there are only two solutions to get noticed: be everywhere so you’re impossible to ignore or find a way to stand out from the rest.

Specifically, your options are:

  • Spend money on something generic - Become one of the many ads out there that never get noticed at all (but still costs the same amount of dollars thrown into the wind).
  • Go super aggressive - Plaster your name everywhere across your entire market making it impossible to be ignored (while still running the risk of being super annoying, spending a fortune and still driving prospects away).
  • Or option C - Be creative, unorthodox, and unexpected to help break through the noise.

Couple of tips here:

  • Headlines are everything - You could be giving away FREE air conditioners and paying the CUSTOMER for the privilege of installing them at their homes, but if the email is never opened, you still wouldn’t have any calls. How about this stat - 2.4 BILLION emails get sent per SECOND in 2023. Ask yourself, what would make my prospect click on mine?
  • Curiosity is powerful, and the unexpected buys attention - If you can make a prospect pause and ask, “What?” then you’ve broken through the noise. And you’ll probably get a chance to have their attention further as they read through the copy, find out that most of the equipment in their home is likely outdated and costing them money, and that you can provide a solution.

I’ve spoken to enough contractors to know what the rebuttal will be: I don’t have enough money to be everywhere, and I don’t have the time and/or the creativity to stand out. Well, that’s why Hudson, Ink is here to help. Let us help you create and implement some effective and imaginative advertisements for your company that will help you stand out without breaking the bank. Give me a call at (800) 489-9099 or email [email protected] to book a one-on-one marketing strategy session.