How Attractive Is Your Business?
by Lael Moreland, Home Town Marketing Specialist, 4WARD Financial Marketing, Inc.

The first impression matters. None of us would imagine entering a room and impressing a top client by wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt. Even with a business full of potential, the attire would undoubtedly speak unprofessionalism and carelessness. Image is important in business. You want to catch your client’s eye and keep their attention while proving your value.

An introduction is an opportunity to market yourself. Most of us have caught onto this and have no problem making a good impression with our wardrobe. However, when was the last time you considered the wardrobe of your business? How attractive are you to potential and existing clients?

Think of visual advertising as the clothing to a rather brilliant idea and the wings of a promising establishment. Attractive and purposeful advertisements are the key to giving your business the attention it deserves and enabling you to fly higher than imagined. The perception of your brand and the awareness you’ll gain from branding yourself correctly plays a major part in drawing clients to you. For example, after conducting branding campaigns, major brands see an increase of over 70% in brand awareness and preference.

How do your clients view you? There are a variety of marketing materials and many strategies that can be used to grab your client’s attention and promote your image. Take a minute and consider the general attraction of your business.

The first impression matters.

1. Are you immediately catching their eye?

When was the last time you ordered a “soda”? I’m guessing there’s a particular soft drink you prefer and that you’d be able to pick it out a mile away just by seeing the color. The name, I’m sure, is embedded in your mind. This is an example of a company who has branded their product so well that you know without a doubt what their name and colors stand for.

When branding yourself you’ll want to be just that recognizable to your clients. Do you have a name and logo that your clients can identify with? Is there a repeated color pattern and message that they will remember? You will want to repeat your brand (name, logo, colors etc.) throughout your marketing pieces. If you run a billboard ad and also use

a marketing piece such as a brochure, you’ll want your branding wardrobe to be used consistently throughout these materials. It is vitally important to make it easy for your clients to remember you and what you offer to them.

2. What are you saying and does your message hold their attention?

There are two main parts to your message. There is a verbal message and a visual message and both are equally important. You want to make an emotional connection.

You have an excellent service to offer and your materials should reflect this. If a slogan is used it should grab their attention and be repeated throughout your materials. A strong, well thought out message is helpful as well. The audience needs to know what you offer and why they need you. If it’s an advertisement you’re dealing with for example, it should grab the viewer’s attention, convince him to read your message and then urge him to take action (consider his financial plan, set up an appointment, etc.)

If you are using a strong message in your materials but are lacking an attractive look you could be wasting your time. First, if your message isn’t visually pleasing people aren’t going to look at it. If it’s boring and your text is hard to follow and confusing you won’t keep their attention long enough to even consider what you’re saying. People are more likely to have a high opinion of a piece that looks professionally designed and are more likely to trust the source. Quality in your message and visual advertising is extremely beneficial.

In an ever growing culture of flashing advertisements and innumerable images, how will your message survive? How will you grab the attention of your clients when they are being pulled in so many other directions? By considering your

marketing and the importance of your advertising wardrobe, your message will be heard and your image will stick. By forming a solid message and brand for yourself, the viewer will remember you and value your practice with the confidence your image displays.

How do your clients see you? Do you have a recognizable image? If so, are you using your image to its potential? Chances are there is room for improvement. Your 4WARD Financial Marketing team is here to help in all of your marketing initiatives. You will succeed by contacting us at 888-224-3324.