Advertising blunders to avoid

No small business is perfect, and as a result, they are bound to make mistakes, especially when it comes to their printing and mailing campaigns. However, by looking at the errors of others, companies can avoid a similar fate.

To prevent small businesses from committing some major advertising snafus, Alan Engelsman recently reviewed some of the worst mistakes he’s seen in an article for Biz Community.

One tip he offers owners is to make sure that their direct response mailers do not come in a color that requires recipients to find a unique pen color for their writing to be legible. For example, while black with white writing may be an eye-catching ad design, it poses serious difficulties for those without a white pen with which to respond.

Additionally, targeting can be a company’s downfall. Marketers must ensure that those who are receiving their materials are the consumers most likely to use them. A Johannesburg, South Africa-based lawn mower company committed an extreme version of this blunder by mailing thousands of direct mail pieces to apartment owners without private lawns to mow, Engelsman recalls.

To ensure that print materials get to the correct audience, business owners should do some market research. Identify who needs their products and related identifiers such as age, gender, income and location.