How to Learn From Your Past Advertising Failures: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself

Over the past few years, companies have created ad campaigns that didn’t see as much success as they would have liked. Whether they targeted the wrong audience, ran the campaign on the wrong medium or channel, or the subject matter of their campaign was not received by the public in the way that they had intended, there have been many advertising mistakes. In order to avoid falling into that category and creating a campaign that misses the mark, ask yourself these 10 questions as to how they pertain to your business to see how you can best avoid an advertising failure in the future. 

1. Did your business think that advertising wasn’t necessary?

This may seem like a silly question, but some established businesses take the position that advertising isn’t necessary anymore. They assume that everyone who needs to know about their business already does. However, advertising is always important, and if you don’t feel that it is valuable, your business could end up in trouble.

2. Was there a proper marketing plan in place?

A marketing plan drives the direction and focus of your advertising. If you don’t have a well thought out plan in place before launching an advertising campaign, then you are bound to not see the results you have your sights set on.

When creating a proper marketing plan, you will want to begin by brainstorming to decide what exactly you want to promote, who you want to reach, and what you would like the call to action to be. This process is crucial to ensure success. Working with a marketing partner can be very helpful so that your marketing plan is properly in place. 

3. Do you focus too heavily on what your business is seeking, rather than appealing to a customer's needs?

Your ad needs to tell the customer what you can do for them, not what you’re looking for. You must show that you have a solution to the specific problem your target customer is facing. Remember, advertising is all about the customer, not your business.

4. Was your target audience properly identified before the ad campaign was created?

Take time to carefully outline who your target customer is, and tailor the ad campaign to them. Your target audience will dictate not only the best type of advertising to use, but also the best medium to launch that campaign. If you don’t take time to define them, you might find yourself advertising to the wrong audience.

5. Did you consider where your competitors’ advertising might be lacking so your company could fill the void?

Doing the proper research into the competition before creating your ad campaigns can help you discover the niche areas that are being missed. If you can create an offer that is unique in your area, you will face less competition and may have better success.

6. Were you only advertising across one medium?

You might have had great success in the past on a certain medium, but if all you’re doing is advertising in one place, you’re missing the chance to reach a broader audience. Advertise across all marketing mediums that are appropriate to your business, and find a way to blend your advertising so it works together well.

7. Did your advertisement properly reflect your brand?

Your brand’s message and voice needs to come through clearly in all advertising materials. This means the voice, colors, and themes of the ad need to reflect your personality, principles and values. Otherwise, you could end up confusing your audience.

8. Did your ad provoke the proper emotion to match the call to action?

Advertisements need to “hit the mark” with your audience. This requires an emotional connection. However, not just any connection will do. You need a connection to match what you’re asking your audience to do.

9. Was your advertisement high-quality and well produced?

A poorly produced ad can reflect poorly on your brand and make your overall campaign a failure. It’s worth investing into producing a high-quality advertising product.

To ensure that your advertisement is high-quality and well-produced, consider working with a media partner that is experienced and trusted so that you are able to work together to create an advertisement that rightfully reflects your brand’s voice. A trusted media partner will also work within your budget while still producing a professional looking spot in the end.

10. Did your company properly prepare for the onboarding of new customers?

One of the final advertising failures often seen in businesses is what happens after the customer responds to the call to action in the ad. If your ad is successful, you will have new customers. However, if you don’t respond to them in a professional, timely manner, you may not see an increase in income.

If you want to learn how to create a successful ad campaign, look back over these questions. Are you learning how to avoid an advertising failure through researching your past mistakes? Working with a media company can help you. With the guidance of a team of professionals, you can succeed in creating a successful advertising campaign.