Getting Started With Direct Response Advertising for B2B and Service Businesses

Advertising is an important driver of the lead generation mix and if done correctly, can do wonders for generating qualified leads, and you know what that means: more revenue and more success for your business.

I promote and teach a unique approach that calls for a mix of lead generation tactics that includes public relations, networking, a formalize referral process, and advertising.

The key to effective use of advertising lies in 3 core things:

1. how you think about it,
2. what your objectives are and
3. how you adjust your approach in real-time.

Below you will find the most effective way to create advertising that generates leads.

It's called "direct response advertising" and any size business that's tired of chasing leads and using ineffective and costly advertising, this approach is for you.

How to Generate Targeted and High Quality Leads‎ with Advertising

The first thing to do when employing this direct response advertising approach is to create one or more, specific and valuable offers. That offer could be in the form of information or product samples such as surveys, whitepapers, case studies, reports, articles, infographics, workshops, seminars, evaluations, trial products, checklists, newsletters, courses or tip sheets.

Then, give this information or offer a catchy title or name, something like:

Home Services

• How To Catch Your Plumbing Contractor Lying To You
• 9 Things to Check Before Calling for Service on Your Air Conditioner or Furnace
• The Ultimate Home Owner’s Guide
• 10 Ways to a Lower Power Bill

Marketing

• Free Ebook: How to Master Small Business Marketing in 10 Days
• Download Now: The Step-by-Step Guide to Revenue Generating Marketing Campaigns
• Try (X) Marketing Platform Free for 30 Days
• Free Report: State of Enterprise Marketing 2014-2015

Health & Wellness

• What Every Senior Must Know About Obama’s Health Care Changes
• 13 Things Your Pediatrician Won't Tell You
• How to Eat Anything and Lose Weight
• 101 More Things You Can Eat to Slim Down

Real Estate

• The 3-Step Process to Selling Your Home Faster
• How to Win the Home Bidding War
• 7 Things That Cost You When Buying a Home
• The Ultimate Tip Sheet for Tipping Your Movers?

With your now specific and value packed information or offer, use every all of your marketing and advertising channels—that’s online and offline business directories, sales reps, radio, video, direct mail, business cards, letterheads, email signatures, websites, blogs, PPC, one-to-one conversations, speaking, LinkedIn groups, Facebook and Twitter status updates—to focus on getting people to take a self-interested action:

• pick up your information,
• call you to speak on this topic,
• visit your web site,
• scratch off a coupon,
• calculate their saving,
• send in a postcard,
• request or download that information.

Let the information be your sales person in print and sell you, not your advertising.

That’s the first thing.

There are a couple of reasons that this advertising approach works and is by-far the most effective approach for almost any businesses than say, it's counter-part traditional advertising.

In most cases when you're advertising, you can't tell your story very well in a small, 30 second video or text limited space.

Use that ad instead to get the prospect to take some form of action right then and there. Which is normally a request for permission to either send or request more information.

This approach allows you to deliver independent value by demonstrating your expertise in a non-threatening way, and on the prospect’s own time, before you attempt to make the sale.

Nobody likes to be sold to, but if a prospect takes the time to scratch or clip a coupon, consume your information, understand the value of what you do, have a conversation with you, the relationship and trust-building has started.

A person who has responded to your ad is officially a hot lead. When a prospect visits your location or website they are effectively raising their hand and identifying themselves as someone who is very interested in what you offer.

50% of your sales job is now done!

If your direct response advertising is focused on moving the lead into the educating funnel, then your sales efforts are focused on taking that person and only that person that has raised their hands to the next step in the sales process.

That may be an appointment, sales presentation, discovery call, or just a series of education-forward mailings.

By the way that’s the last thing.

So the recap.

• Create free information or an offer that your ideal customer would see as valuable
• Advertise the free information in all activities
• Capture the names and emails of those who take action
• Follow-up on those qualified and interested leads