6 rules of small business advertising

1. Use One Message: A high response rate ad usually conveys a single message. Your small business advertising needs to quickly communicate its core message. If you are fearful and overwhelmed by technology, which computer book do you buy? "DOS for Dummies" began a best-selling phenomena because its message was easily understood and to the point.

2. Add Credibility: It has become human nature to distrust advertising. Claims need to be real and credible. Roy H. Williams, best-selling author of the "Wizard of Ads" says, "Any claim made in your advertising which your customer does not perceive as the truth is a horrible waste of ad dollars."

3. Test Everything: Large businesses have a greater margin to waste capital and resources without testing advertising. Small businesses do not have the luxury. Use coupons, codes, and specials to measure the headline, timing, and placement of your ad. Test only one item at a time and one medium. Testing can be as simple as asking every customer for several weeks how they heard of your business.

4. Be Easy to Contact: Every single brochure, box, email and all company literature should have full contact information including: website and email address, phone and fax numbers, and company address. It seems simple but is forgotten by most companies. Be everywhere.

5. Match Ads to Target: Successful business advertising speaks to one target market only. For a local fitness retailer, an ad in a medical publication could promote the cardio-vascular benefits of a stair-stepper to heart patients. An ad in a women's magazine would discuss the weight-loss and calories burned from a stair-stepper. Focus the message to the target group.

6. Create Curiosity: Successful business advertising does not always sell a product or service. Sell your web site, Facebook or Youtube page where they can learn much more than in an ad and let them contact you from there. Create ads that generate interest and make the customer want more information.

Having a poor response is not the medium's fault. Often the problem is the message. Small business advertising is not a quick fix solution to marketing your company. It takes planning, testing and constant exposure to have an impact on your small business. Done correctly, small business advertising can be a winning strategy.