There is more to marketing than just getting conversions. The most vital thing for your business is to be discovered and to stay on the mind of your customers whenever they decide to buy something you sell or use a service you provide.

Think of it this way: Febreeze and many other large brands spend millions on advertising during the Super Bowl. Why? Not because their customers will stop watching the game to rush out and buy some air freshener, but because the next time they are standing in the aisle at the grocery store they will remember the humorous ad, recognize the brand name, and reach for it before they reach for their competitor’s product.

You can create this brand recognition many ways, but understanding the real ROI can be challenging. The first key is that you must meet your customers where they are. Like neon beer signs in a bar, your advertising should be seen by your customers and future customers in the right place at the right time.

Discoverability

Why do your logo, your message, and the colors and fonts you use in your message need to be engaging? Because that ad, that message, may be the first time a customer ever sees your brand. It is your first impression and something you don’t get a second chance at making.

Before someone even becomes your customer, they form an opinion of you based on your marketing. This means it matters where and when they first see your advertisements, so placement is critical. So is giving your future customer something to act on, whether that is a call to action, a social media account to follow, or the offer of a discount or even something for free.

This marketing should not only be engaging but professionally created. Have a good logo, or hire someone to create one for you. Be mindful of fonts, and how easy your ad is to read. Make any call to action clear and easy to follow. Use a hashtag, Google phone number, or some other method of tracking where your customers heard about you.

Brand Consistency

Coca Cola Sign in Decatur, Texas

Your brand needs to be consistent wherever your customers may see it, whether that is on your website, a billboard, or a digital sign in a shopping center or even a taxi. This does not mean your message must be the same, but your theme and logo must be recognizable.

Think of Coke and Pepsi. While they both battle for position as the top soda choice of American’s everywhere, both have consistent messages and themes. Their products are portrayed as thirst quenching and refreshing. Their ads show people having fun or even touching moments between friends and family, always shared over an iced beverage that seems to bring a smile to every face.

The messages of fun, inclusion, refreshment, and good times run through the ads of both companies. Each has a distinct logo and color schemes. Pepsi tends to lead with blues and softer colors that resonate with their brand, and Coke tends to lead with reds and whites along with their complementary colors.

Everywhere you see this brand, the logo, theme, and colors are consistent even though the message changes somewhat from time to time. Your brand should do the same so customers can recognize your brand instantly as soon as an ad catches their eye.

Returning Customers

Brand recognition helps you keep customers returning to you for the product or service you offer. Unless you are in a completely unique field, your customers have choices. Customers can choose Febreeze, Coke, Pepsi, Mac, or PC. The reason they keep choosing one over the other has to do with not only customer satisfaction but name recognition and branding.

Marketing draws in new customers and prospects, but it also keeps current customers constantly aware of you and your brand and keeps them coming back time and time again.

This is the point at which it is hard to determine ROI. Your returning customer may or may not mention an ad or a special they saw. They might have just been ready for a new pair of shoes or deciding where to go for dinner when your ad caught their eye.

Your ad could have been anywhere, from a print ad in a newspaper to a web ad on Google. Your customer may also have seen your brand on a digital sign or informational screen in your area. They also may have seen your ad in several of those places.

Beyond ROI

Each advertisement you create can serve one or more purposes in the marketing funnel, from discoverability to brand recognition and inviting conversions. The best ads combine these in clever ways.

These ads can be on your website, pay-per-click campaigns, traditional media, and digital signage. One of the most versatile of these is digital signage. You can change ads frequently, test more than one ad at a time, and your ad will be viewable at a time and place that will reach current and future customers.

Want more information about what role digital signage plays in marketing even beyond ROI? Contact us here at SignSpan, and we will be happy to help. info@signspan.com.