competitive edge

Make Your Business Stand Out with Google Guarantee & Upgraded GMB Profile

August 4, 2020 by Advertising

Back in April 2019, Google tested a subscription-based service for a monthly fee known as Google Guarantee. Such certification means your Google My Business profile gets an upgrade, which is supposed to make it easier for customers to choose your company over others when they’re conducting an online search.

The Google Guaranteed badge is available for businesses that pass a Google screening and qualification process through Google Local Services.

If your business is backed by Google Guarantee, and your customers (who found you through Google) aren’t satisfied with work quality, Google may refund the amount paid for the service. The upper limit of lifetime coverage for claims in the United States is $2,000.

Your business can be a part of Google Guarantee if you meet these eligibility requirements including a background check. The cost of the program is $50 per month or $600 per year.

What does Google Guarantee cover?

This new Google badge covers claims up to the amount on the job invoice up to the lifetime cap for coverage. Services, however, must be booked through Google Local Services. The Google Guarantee doesn’t cover add-on or future projects, damages to property, dissatisfaction with price or provider responsiveness, or cancellations.

Whether Google Guarantee becomes successful and available to all business is still to be determined, but it’s definitely something to look out for when updating your Google My Business profile in the future. The competitive advantage may be worth this upgrade!

Advertising is Simple is in the business of making advertising simple and we begin by creating you a great website to show off your brand. We make sure that your site has all the necessary features so that you can create a lasting impression and take pride in your web presence. To view our website portfolio, click here.

Advertising Is Simple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

Here’s Why Traditional Advertising Is So Important Amid the National Lockdown

May 4, 2020 by Advertising

Timing is an important factor when considering how to market your business. While COVID-19 and the national lockdown forced a lot of small businesses to close down, we can’t help but think how the traditional advertising is still a force to be reckoned with. Here’s why.

Radio Advertising

If you’re looking to reach a local audience at a more affordable cost, nothing beats radio advertising. It connects with the right people at the right time. It is easy to build a strong presence on the radio because people actually listen to radio ads and they don’t do the channel surfing the same way TV viewers do during program breaks.

According to the Nielsen’s 2019 Audio Today Report, which was recently made available, 272 million Americans listen to traditional radio every week, an increase of 7 million or about 2.5 percent, from 2016’s figures.

It’s been proven that radio provides a friendly environment for advertisers and the consumers respond positively to ads they hear on the radio. Believe it or not, Radio continues to be the number one mass reach medium, topping both TV and internet.

Businesses with a local target market really have no need to advertise on the national level. They should consider taking their radio advertising to regional and local stations.

Local radio stations tend to be an important way for the surrounding community to stay informed on events and news. Businesses can more easily connect to the community and their target customers by advertising on these stations. Most local radio station listeners are loyal and engage with their favorite station by calling in for contests, making comments or music requests. That means that if you advertise regularly, you’ll be better able to brand your business and create brand awareness.

Here’s an example of a radio ad we converted into a video promoting some of our local businesses:

TV Advertising

For decades now, TV advertising has been a very effective way to reach and engage with potential customers. Not to mention, local cable ads are very affordable. With the use of both audio and visual effects, TV ads create a mixture of motion and emotion. TV creates a more powerful impact than either of the two by themselves. That’s why television commercials can transmit more information to the viewer.

But that’s not it. When done right, video advertising enables you to display your product, demonstrate its use and the advantages of buying it. It can also help businesses connect emotionally with potential customers, which is so important in today’s climate.

Here’s an example of a local TV ad for one of our clients:

Multi-Screen Advertising

Did you know that the average US adult spends 78 thousand hours of the life watching TV? Knowing that statistic, it’s hard not to think that businesses should still be investing their marketing budgets in TV advertising. There’s a great opportunity out there to reach target audiences by being where the intended audience is hanging out. Not to mention that when you combine Television and Digital Advertising, you’re more likely to increase your ads impact.

Internet advertising will not replace traditional media, it will compliment them. – Jeff I. Richards

This type of advertising allows for more specifically targeting geographic and demographic areas, meaning you’re spending your advertising dollars on reaching your most likely customers.

Ready to invest in Traditional Advertising?

Contact Advertising Is Simple today! We help small to mid-sized business owners who are too busy running their businesses to focus on their marketing and advertising efforts. We specialize in traditional advertising as well as digital marketing with a strong focus on Search Engine Optimization, website design, mobile website design, pay-per-click campaigns, and original content management.

AdvertisingIsSimple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

A Guide to Small Business Loans Available Through The Cares Act

April 8, 2020 by Advertising

If you’re a business owner who is currently trying to figure out how to survive amid the spread of COVID-19, we’re here for you. As you probably already know, the U.S. Government put together the Cares Act that is offering solutions and small business loans to help navigate these difficult times.

To help you better understand all options available out there, we put together this infographic that explains some small business loans that you might want to consider.

Here at Advertising Is Simple, we’ve been working nonstop to help our clients weather this storm and come out on the other end even stronger than before. As a small business, we understand the value of community support and we know that by coming together, we can overcome anything.

Got more questions about small business loans?

Here are some other helpful resources to check out:

FAQ: CARES Act Relief From Employer Payroll Taxes

Which Loan Program Is Right for My Business?

Small Business Development Center – Disaster Assistance

10 Commonly Asked Coronavirus Small Business Loan Questions

5 Things Small Business Owners Can Do

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan

Emergency Small Business Loan Guide

[Printable] COVID-19 Customizable Flyer: Health First

[Printable] Delaware Emergency Order for Open Shops (Out-of-State Residents)

If you have more questions or would like to find out how Advertising Is Simple can help your business, contact us today!

Advertising Is Simple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

What You Can Do to Help Your Business Without Leaving Your House

March 26, 2020 by Advertising

In just a few short weeks, social distancing and flattening the curve appeared in our daily vocabulary and Covid-19 forced us to adjust to a new normal. While those surely unprecedented times seem to bring a lot of unknowns across the board, there are certain things you can do now to help your business and alleviate the heaviness of the current situation.

If your company is currently feeling the effects of the global pandemic, it’s time to rethink your digital marketing strategy. We believe that trying to save money by cutting back on your digital efforts is only a short-term solution that you will most likely regret in a long run…

Since most of us are working from home these days, it’s time to use this opportunity and dive in deeper into the digital world in an effort to improve your business. If you think you’re ready to claim your share of the marketplace and reach new customers, this post is for you!

Things You Can Do to Help Your Business

Without Leaving Your House

Hit Refresh on the Old Content – One way to boost your search engine ranking is by updating old content (blog posts or YouTube videos) with new information, hashtags, optimized photos and relevant backlinks.
Update Your Company’s Website – In order to reach more customers, now is a perfect time to boost your site’s organic reach and focus on SEO. You can start by going over each page and updating your page titles, headers and meta tags.
Leverage a Healthy Mix of Social Media – It’s time to connect with your audience! In times of so much uncertainty, we guarantee your potential clients will appreciate that extra customer service care and attention to details.
Research New Platforms to Reach More People – Whether it’s uploading Insta-stories, going live on Facebook or creating tutorials and informative videos for your audience, use this time to connect with people who are actively seeking new media to stay entertained and informed.
Invest Time in a Competitor Analysis – Pay attention to what your competitors are doing online. If you’re looking to benefit from a comparison analysis of your industry, this article is for you.
Get Client Testimonials – One of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools for your business are client testimonials. Why? Because they deliver value from the people that know your services or products best. If you’re wondering how to ask your clients to provide feedback about your work, check out this article.

If you have any questions or would like to find out how Advertising Is Simple can help your business claim its share of the marketplace, contact us today!

Advertising Is Simple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

How to Identify Your Ideal Customer Using a Buyer Persona

February 11, 2020 by Advertising

While digital marketing is a multi-faceted job, one of the most important responsibilities for us digital marketers is to know who we’re talking to. Without defining that perfect buyer persona in the beginning, it’s rather challenging to turn leads into loyal customers later on…

That being said, you can’t execute a successful digital marketing campaign without knowing your target market. Want to know how to identify your ideal customer? Here’s what you need to know first.

What Is a Buyer Persona?

According to Alan Cooper (a pioneer software developer), a buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research, customer demographics and behavior, real data about your existing customers, and your understanding of their motivations and challenges.

Whether you’re in the midst of developing a product or getting ready to launch a marketing campaign, we strongly recommend considering your buyer persona before you dive into this next step. There’s nothing worse you can do for your business than sending out the wrong messaging that doesn’t resonate with the people you want to do business with. However, if developed correctly, buyer personas will point you into the direction of customers who will bring you the most revenue on a long-term basis.

Identifying Your Ideal Customer Using a Buyer Persona

Great tools to start with are Google Analytics and Facebook Audience Insights. Those existing demographics can point you in the right way of who your buyer personas might be. Pay attention to the characteristics such as gender, age, visitor location and their interests.

Another way to identify your ideal customer is to review your existing customer base. Can you identify the contacts that decided to do business with you in the past? This is important to keep in mind because you don’t want customers who are just interested in seeing your content. You want those who are making purchasing decisions!

Part of the process of creating a strong buyer persona is to understand your unique selling points. How does your ideal customer engage in your sales process? What can you do to help them solve their problems? What about your content? Is there a call to action? Those are all questions you should be asking yourself before nailing down your ideal customer.

Need help?

Contact Advertising Is Simple today! We help small to mid-sized business owners who are too busy running their businesses to focus on their marketing and advertising efforts. We specialize in Internet, TV, and radio advertising, and are particularly vested in Search Engine Optimization, website design, mobile website design, pay-per-click campaigns, and original content management in order to help our clientele claim their share of the marketplace.

Call 302-407-0431