Are You a Smart Marketer?

1. On a small-business marketing budget, it's smarter to advertise a few times each in numerous print publications than to advertise often in just one or two.

False. Advertising with low frequency in numerous publications is like throwing your money away with both hands. Effective advertising requires frequency for your message to be remembered and acted on. It's much smarter to choose targeted publications that contain content that's closely read by your core group of prospects and to buy larger-size ads with considerable frequency. In marketing terms, you should go for frequency first with the right prospects, even if that means using just one or two publications. Then expand your reach into other media as your budget grows.

2. When shopping for broadcast advertising on a tight budget, you should look for the media proposal that offers the greatest number of spots for your money.

False. Beware of any media outlet pitching a proposal based on a high number of spots. Chances are, many will be ROS (run of station) and can air during the middle of the night or during other less-desirable hours or programs when spots are typically free or sold at an extremely low cost. Instead, focus your buy on the programming that reaches your core target audience with appropriate content, and run your spots with sufficient frequency during those programs or hours.

3. Customers prefer to receive branded company information in editorial materials, both offline and online, rather than through ads.

True. A study conducted by Roper Public Affairs showed that most consumers preferred receiving information from companies through branded editorial content rather than ads. In fact, 85% said they preferred custom publications to ads, and 75% felt better informed after reading them. Branded content, generated by a company primarily for marketing purposes, may range from the company brochure you send following a customer's inquiry to a specially branded custom publication, and offers an excellent opportunity to directly connect with and inform customers.

4. To yield the highest click-through rate on promotional email, you should offer a percentage discount off your sales price.

False. Promotions that promise a specific dollar amount off a sales price enjoy 45% higher click-through rates than those offering a percent discount, according to a study from email services provider Silverpop Systems Inc. It seems it's more advantageous to offer $10 dollars off, for instance, than an equivalent percentage.