Can you increase marketing output without substantially increasing the cost? In some cases you may not have a choice. However, even if you do have a choice, it makes sense to squeeze the most possible value from your advertising spend.
Here are three ways to increase marketing output without linear cost increases:
1. Create better headlines
Headlines have a dual function: They have to (a) capture the attention of your prospect, and (b) qualify the prospect. This applies for both marketing material and content marketing.
Improving your headlines will improve the response to your advertising and content distribution without having to spend any more on advertising fees.
In order to capture the attention of your prospect, the headline has to either (a) point out pain, or (b) point towards pleasure. It also has to convey your understanding of the prospect’s challenges or quest for pleasure. If he/she/they feel understood, trusting you comes easier.
In order to qualify your prospects, think back of all the people (from past experience) who reached out to you, but whatever you offer was not a good fit for them. Think of the customers or clients you don’t want, and from there determine the needs, wants and characteristics of those you do want to do business with.
For instance: Let’s say you offer a “vehicle service and inspection” package, ideally aimed at people going on holiday when schools close for the summer break. Instead of simply advertising the package, consider the needs and wants of your ideal customer. What matters most to them?
As far as their vehicles go, that would want a worry-free vacation. In order to target them and exclude others at the same time, you could consider a headline along the lines of “Is your car as ready for vacation as you are?”
Aside from generating curiosity, it is likely to (a) attract attention from the right prospects, and (b) stop them dead in their tracks. If they are in any doubt, they will know – immediately – that they need to attend to it.
2. Improve your conversion rates
If you have advertisements online which feature your phone number, it is only logical that you would want those advertisements to perform as well as they possibly could. Any improvement in the number of people who call would be directly proportional to the increase in revenue.
However, if you are driving visitors to a landing page from where they have to contact you (or make a purchase), ask yourself this:
Why would this person complete the action I want them to? What would make them want to do it? What can you say that will make them more likely to reach out to you?
If you can increase that figure by only 8% over the course of a year, that’s like an additional month’s worth of revenue – without having spent any more on advertising.
3. Accumulate a list of prospects
Think logically: Would it not make sense to have a list of prospects to whom you can sell over and over again, or present offers over and over again over time?
Fair enough, this will not be without additional cost (which is nominal – for setting it all up, plus monthly cost for the auto response & follow-up system) or effort.
However, consider this: In most cases, more than 90% of the people visiting your website leave without doing business with you or connecting with you.
If you can capture the email addresses of another ten percent, and – over time – do business with just 20% of that ten percent, you will have increased your advertising output by 20%.
In most cases, that also means that your actual profit will have increased by more than 20%, because that additional 20% in revenue comes after you have reached your break-even point.
In conclusion:
Nowadays, it seems as if the whole world is competing for the attention of your prospect. It’s easy to just keep throwing about advertising money, and to simply increase it in order to scale up the results.
While it might be easy, it’s not the sensible option. In fact, depending on your situation, it may not be an option at all. If you have just come through (or currently experience) a difficult period, or if you are just starting up…
Throwing more and more money at it is simply not on the table. You simply have to do the best with what you have.
And it’s a good thing. Once you start viewing all of your marketing spend (and efforts) that way, you will forever be getting a better return on your ad spend – and not wasting money is just good business sense.