Creative Vs Directional Advertising, What First and Why?

 Both Creative and Directional advertising are important to the successful marketing and sales effort of any business or organization. Generally, with creative (TV, Radio, Newspaper, Billboard) you are “creating” the need by selling yourself. You need to have a strong, compelling, time-sensitive offer, and persuade customers to buy now rather than later or not at all. With directional (Search Engine Marketing, Internet Yellow Pages, print and online directories, Pay-per-click, Pay-per-action, direct response) you are “directing” an existing need by helping customers buy. You need to be found, then chosen.

 I am firmly convinced that step one to any successful marketing platform is a strong directional advertising foundation. Before you need to worry about persuading or enticing a prospect to buy, you absolutely need to be able to allow prospects who are ready to buy right now…buy from you now. You need to be found, then chosen. You get found by where you are, you get chosen by what you say. The great part is that the very info you use to describe yourself (your uniqueness, what you do, how you do it and even why you do it) will automatically direct prospects who value and appreciate your approach, who “get you” to respond. It will probably also screen out those who don’t think like you, but that’s OK. You don’t need everyone. The prospects who respond because they appreciate what you do and how you do it will spend more money, more often and be more enjoyable to work with over their lifetime value as a customer. They will also become more then just referral points, they will be advocates for you and your business.

 Once you have that rock-solid foundation of directing ready-to-buy customers, THEN any creative advertising will be more efficient because the prospects whom you can’t incentivize to act now, will hopefully at least, now have your name in their brain. When they have a need, your directional advertising can help convert them into customers

Creative works and can work BIG, especially with a good directional foundation