Happy Customers Are the Best and Least Expensive Form of Advertising!

If you check out the cost of advertising today, you might be surprised at how expensive it has become to get the word out about your company. There is also a great deal of confusion as to which method of media has a higher dollar to revenue ratio. Typically the following types of advertising pay off, but may not be as targeted as other forms.

• Television. One of the most expensive forms of advertising and usually purchased by mega companies such as car manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and the big food manufacturers. It makes everyone their target because they can afford it.
• Newspapers and magazines. These print forms also cost quite a bit as repeated exposure is necessary to brand both the company and the consumer. You want them saying your name in their sleep.
• Direct marketing/fliers and e-blasts. Some may feel that out of all the mediums direct marketing is the best approach to your target market in a local setting: the best bang for your buck so to speak.

No-Cost Advertising
Word-of-mouth advertising is generally thought of as no-cost publicity. People in the entertainment industry have consistently stated that even bad publicity is good publicity, as it keeps them in the public's eye, but for a company it has completely the opposite effect. The only word-of-mouth advertising your business wants is that which underscores your superlative products or services.

How Word-of-Mouth Works
Word-of-mouth works the same way - always. Whether your customers are saying good things or bad things about your company, the word gets out quite fast. The expression "bad news travels fast" is not entirely untrue. Bad news has a tendency of traveling quicker than good news. Just look at tonight's top news stories and you will agree.

For word-of-mouth advertising to be effective, you need to treat each customer as if they were the only customer you have: giving freely of your time, being respectful and giving the best product and service that is conceivable from you and your company. If, for example, you own an air conditioning company and have just installed a brand new piece of equipment into your customer's house, chances are you did it quickly and efficiently. When that same customer needs a service call your response has to be the same, if not quicker than it was, for the installation of the new system. That is the clincher for word-of-mouth advertising. This is not to say that you could give anything less than good service initially. The customer that receives such service will be talking up your company to neighbors, family and friends at zero dollar's worth of advertising. Pretty cool, right?

Please feel free to add your comments to this timely topic on Facebook. American Van Lines reviews tend to be about customer service. We take pleasure in turning our customers into walking advertisements for our company!

Blog written by Deborah Desser-Herchan, American Van Lines correspondent.