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Features : Money

Test Your Ads Before Spending Marketing Dollars On Expensive Online Advertising Campaigns

by Lee Hansen

In the big money marketing world, companies are constantly introducing new products and services. In order to best predict a successful product or promotion tactic, marketing consultants organize independent testing services using paid volunteers who fit the target market segments - this is called a focus group.

The results from the focus group tests help companies adjust product features or advertising messages to best fit what their target buyers are most likely to find appealing - and what will generate a sales action. Focus group tests help marketers determine more accurately how to create mind share with the consumer, to build or develop brand loyalty or determine preferences. This is powerful stuff that helps products succeed.

Ad Testing on a Budget

You can do your own testing without spending thousands of dollars on focus groups or marketing consultants. The internet is a perfect environment to test classified advertising using low-cost cooperative services or opt-in email lists.

To test your ads before you run your campaign, run them for a short period of time on a free classified ad network. Create several ads to test simulateously to determine which ones get a response to your call to action. This simulation will give you an indication of the ad that clearly pulls the most responses, and you'll know which ad has the best chance of getting responses that convert to sales.

Now you're ready to place paid advertising - using your high-performing ads only - on key web sites, in print media, or to send out to qualified targeted mailing lists (direct mail or e-mail). You'll start out knowing that your ad can generate the right type of responses - so when you pay for targeted leads, you'll have the best chance for a strong response rate for your investment.

© Copyright 2003 all rights reserved Lee Hansen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lee Hansen is a marketing communications consultant who successfully combined parenting and a successful career long before it was the norm. She founded Hansen Communications in 1981, a firm specializing in helping to grow and marketing small businesses.