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2 THE JACKSON HERALD » THE BRASELTON NEWS » THE COMMERCE NEWS » THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS » THE MADISON COUNTY JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 Just when you thought it was safe... ...To cut back on advertising. FAMOUS LAST WORDS... "I have cut expenses so advertising is out for a while.” "This is the wrong time of the year for me to advertise.” "Everybody knows I’m here and what I carry.” "I have too much business now, so I don’t need to advertise.” "I don’t need to advertise, I don’t have any competition.” If you've been catching yourself saying things like this, or if you've even been thinking thoughts like this, do your business a favor and STOP!!! Advertising is much more than a "necessary evil." It's the best way you have to promote your business by telling your customers what you have to offer and why they should spend their hard-earned money with you. "Everybody knows me, where my store is and what I carry." "I have to cut expenses, so advertising is out for awhile." Cutting your advertising when things are slow is like driving on a long, flat road and turning the engine off. Sure, you'll coast for awhile, but you'll begin slowing down and pretty soon you'll coast to a stop. When business is slow, advertising is the very LAST thing that should be cut. It is your main tool for educating people about your business and encouraging them to come to your store. Moreover, advertising is the first part of selling it is what gets the ball rolling. "This is the wrong time of the year for me to advertise." Your store is open every day and every month so you obviously want customers every day too! you want business now, so you should ask for business now. You have to interest people in your merchandise and attract traffic into your store. You're right, people are not usually interested in pool supplies or lawn mowers during the winter, nor are they usually interested in coats and other winter clothing during the summer. Your "off season" is when you should run special sales or promotions. There are many sources for great advertising ideas. Ask for advice or assistance. It's true that your regular customers know you and your business, but what about all of the people you see at local restaurants that you don't know? If you don't know them, chances are pretty good that they don't know you either, and that means they have probably never been in your store. And what about all of this area's newcomers? They certainly don't know you or your store. A strong, consistent advertising program will assure you that you're doing everything you can to invite those you don't know into your store. "I have too much business now, so I don't need to advertise." There's no such thing as "too much business." When times are good for you, you can rest assured that your competition knows that and is doing everything he can to increase his share of the "pie" by decreasing your share. A well-planned advertising program will help you hold, and increase, your place in a competitive marketplace. "I don't need to advertise because I don't have any com petition." If you think the dress shop is not in a competition with the automobile dealer, think again! The total annual retail sale in Banks, Jackson and Madison Counties is around $500 million. Every smart merchant is looking for ways to increase his business, not by increasing the size of the overall "pie," but by increasing the size of his share, even though the "pie" isn't getting any bigger. So, you see, if you're one of the fortunate ones that has no direct competition, you still need to advertise to keep other businesses in town from taking a part of your share. "There are so many ways to advertise. Which is best?" "Why should I advertise in the newspaper?" An ad in the newspaper is "news" about what's going on down at your store. If you don't advertise, you're saying that there's nothing to talk about at your store. People take the paper because they want to keep up with what's going on in and around our county here in Northeast Georgia. They pay fifty cents each week, to get the paper. You can count on a warm, receptive audience because the newspaper is giving them what they want. And if they don't have time to read all of it now, they'll come back later, and your message will be there, too. Studies show that a single copy of weekly newspaper is read, on the average, of 4 times by 3 different people, and it stays available for 4 or 5 days. Most experts will tell you that there is no such thing as "bad advertising.” They will also tell you that some are better than others. A study done specifically for Georgia markets showed that the weekly newspaper consistently rated tops in such areas as net reach, cost efficiency and merchandising with radio taking second place in almost every category. We're MainStreet Newspapers and we reach over 35,000 homes in Northeast Georgia every week. Let us help you grow your business. Call (706) 367-5233 or go to MainStreetNews.Com for more information.