"Many new entrepreneurs overlook testing an ad before
spending too much money on something that may not get the desired
results," Harrison warns. "For a direct-mail piece, you
should test with a small sample (5,000) and act based on the
results. To gauge the response of newspaper, TV and radio
advertising, use coding or special offers."
"Advertising is nothing more than an experiment,"
Gerson says. "That's why testing is important. Ask
yourself questions. Did the ad pay for itself? Did it achieve your
purpose or objective, such as generating sales or leads?"
Wesman lists several reasons an ad may not get results: the ad
is running in the wrong medium; it does not offer the right
product, service or benefit; or the ad itself is wrong in design,
text or appearance. Wesman advises checking weekly and monthly to
track the increase in profits generated by each advertising
effort.
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