Advertising ... Without it, it would be impossible to tell the population what you are ready to offer, which means that no type of service would be available. Can you imagine that?
In order for advertising to bring maximum benefits, you need to know a lot: turn to numerous theoretical and practical data in the field of advertising technologies. It is especially important to be able to evaluate its effectiveness so as not to waste valuable business savings.
Assessment of the source of advertising
Advertising in some media really will not lead you to customers if, for example, this media is aimed at a completely different audience. Hence the first rule: to evaluate the tool in terms of what contingent it is designed for and whether it matches your target audience.
Explore new sources of advertising, pay attention to the offers of advertising companies. Perhaps the ideal source of advertising will find you.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of advertising must certainly be carried out every time, with the "old" and a new source. So you get a guarantee that there will be no unforeseen expenses, and advertising will provide your company with the necessary number of customers (exactly as much as you can pull).
Assessment of factors
Not always the reason for the decrease in efficiency should be sought in the media. Often, the demand for services or goods can fall due to other factors: seasonality, a temporary decrease in demand, a change in priorities, and the emergence of competitors.
We must not forget that a lot depends on the communication of company employees with potential customers. It is possible that the decrease in demand is not due to poor advertising, but to how consultants treat customers who apply for the service. Perhaps the company is losing them at this stage.
In addition, the content of the advertisement is important. Before submitting an advertisement, one should consider it from the perspective of a potential buyer: does it attract attention, does it influence the psyche of the client correctly. And after filing - to analyze the image of your products (services) and the company as a whole created by advertising. Here the image of the company comes into play: whether a solid company, qualified employees work in it, how quickly and accurately it performs the tasks set by customers.
With all desire, it will not be possible to take into account all the factors: there will always be something that you missed. Assessment of the effectiveness of advertising will always be relative. And yet, it allows you to correlate costs with the results, to outline the future path of work.
Thus, the effectiveness of advertising measures should be evaluated not only through the calculation of appeals. But also due to the determination of the calculation error due to the influence of other factors, which will indicate the data obtained in previous periods. If they changed while maintaining other conditions (the same source of advertising), then the matter is in the external impact (competitors, seasonality, inflation).
How is the assessment carried out?
To begin with, you should determine the evaluation criteria. Usually this:
- the effectiveness of advertising sources, means (announcements, articles, press releases, promotions, distribution of flyers, booklets, evaluation of the effectiveness of contextual advertising on television, on the network),
- performance with advertising calls
- and actually increasing "productivity."
Each indicator is measured as a percentage. For example, the source of advertising is identified by interviewing customers who have applied (“How did you find out about us?”). Whoever gains the most votes, he “won” ... It is the survey method that is the most effective and common way to study the results of an advertising campaign. Just talk more with customers. And they will be happy to point out your pros and cons. For example, the director of one of a kind original company is even interested in clients about the general impression that the atmosphere in the office makes on them. And having received a not very pleasant assessment, he immediately gathered his team and conducted a mini-training on the topic: why should we smile at each visitor.
The data obtained should be compared with the previous period and analyze the possibility of exposure to external factors (as discussed above). However, the latter can only be done by examining the change in demand of regular customers or the like by their main characteristics (after all, your target audience has those: gender, age, social status).
The frequency of evaluation depends on the “depth” of the analysis. If this is a superficial survey, it should be carried out frequently and advertising measures should be adjusted in accordance with it. If this is a deep analysis of the demand of the target audience - from 1 time in 6 months.
Yes, determining the effectiveness of advertising is not an easy task, and not every trained manager can do it. However, there is always the opportunity to seek help from specialized agencies (marketing). Once you study the report of professionals, you can already approach the assessment more rationally. In addition, it is useful to order such an in-depth analysis of advertising measures at least once - it will justify all the costs.
What to do with the results?
Assessing the effectiveness of advertising should always be beneficial, even if it showed a negative result (it should be taken as an opportunity to correct the mistakes made in the advertising campaign).
Advertising requires constant work on it. Assessing the effectiveness of advertising, adjusting texts, videos, applying new methods to attract customers, finding a new source - this area of the company requires constant creativity and its content will depend on the specific conditions of the situation (on the market, on the characteristics of the business, the company itself, its employees).