The Advertising Edge

This may sound strange but the advertising department at Western Horseman doesn’t make selling ads our first priority. Now this might sound strange since we all know advertising revenue is a significant contributor to the bottom line of any successful magazine. Let me explain. What we do instead is concentrate on helping every business we work with discover new and creative ways to grow market share by improving their marketing initiatives, and if the engaged reader base Western Horseman delivers through print and online fits the customer profile of a business, then advertising is purchased as a by-product of this process-not as the end result. This is called a consultative approach characterized by striving to be problem solvers rather than ad sellers. These monthly newsletters are just one small example of the many initiatives we continue to create to help you find new ways to meet the marketing needs of your business.

Marketing Tip: “Are you Giving your customers your all?”
Zig Zigler turned 83 this year. After establishing himself as a successful salesman, he started a new career as a motivational speaker at age 43 and for four decades, he has touched an estimated 25 million people with the following simple message:
“If you help enough people get what they want and need you can get what you want and need.”
His simple “giving” approach to business and life defines everything Zig so adamantly believes in. As you examine your business philosophy in this free enterprise, competitive, dog-eat-dog business culture we live in, are you truly “giving” your all when it comes to your customers? When you think of your customers, is “what can I give them?” the first question you ask yourself each day? Or, are you thinking of profits first? If so, stop for a minute and reflect on what Zig Zigler has been saying for years about helping and “giving”. Like I said earlier, Western Horseman made a commitment many years ago to put our advertising partner’s wants and needs first. Instead of being “tellers and sellers” we became “listeners and learners”. This process has helped us create new marketing opportunities in the face of a rapidly changing economic environment. Not only has this approach made us far more successful, but it has been a lot of fun. Here is an email reply we received from Verna at Brighton Saddlery, one of our long time advertising partners, after receiving our recent June sales newsletter.
“I Don’t know if I can reply to this [newsletter], but I would like to let you know that I appreciate your little newsletters. I always read them and love your input. This is timely since I just sent a similar request out to all of our vendors to see what we can do to make our 33RD ANNUAL SADDLE SALE unique and different. After so many years it seems to need a bit of spicing up and I was trying to encourage our vendors to give us that exact information. What is new and different in their industry? Roger and I have failed at many things but we always try to FAIL FORWARD! Thanks for all you do for the western industry. Keep up the good work.” Verna

October in Western Horseman: Featuring horse health, arena all-stars, capturing feral cattle, Australian Stock Horses in the Rockies, Artist’s Larry Bute and Karen Bonnie, rodeo and breast cancer awareness, “Stock Dog Savvy”, inaugural Battle In the Saddle results, and much more.
In addition, the October issue of Western Horseman features the Horse Health Special Advertising Section. Give me a call to learn how you can get valuable advertorial support by choosing to advertise in this informative section

A Little Something Extra:
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
Winston Churchill (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

Mitch Miller
 mitch.miller at westernhorseman.com
303-644-3782

According to Seth Godin, famous author and self proclaimed agent of change, some people are terrified of good ideas because they mean change. So, they avoid them. But, even more people are petrified of bad ideas. They are afraid of looking stupid or wasting time and money. The problem is you can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones. Ironically, we fail far more than we succeed. However, people who generate ideas succeed far more often than people who have no ideas at all. I once asked someone who seemed to have many good ideas how they do it – when I can’t seem to come up with any. They asked me how many bad ideas I have each month, and I said, “None.” And they replied, “And there, you see, is the problem.”

Marketing Tip: “Would your customers rather fight than switch?”

Honestly, would your customers rather fight than switch? Virginia Slims thought so by making this slogan famous back in the 60’s. Now ask yourself, would your competitor’s customers rather fight than switch? If you think so, think again.

Getting someone to switch from another brand to yours is very difficult if you plan to do so by offering more of what they were looking for when they chose your competitor’s product in the first place. Understanding this statement is critical so take time to read it again.

First off, you’re wrong if you think your competitor’s customers are looking for more of the same. And beyond that, they’d have to admit that they were wrong for not choosing you in the first place, and we know how often most people admit they are wrong. The rate is comparable to that of a politician’s.

Consequently, you don’t get someone to switch because you’re cheaper than Wal-Mart, you serve bigger steaks than the Big Texan in Amarillo, or you claim to make a leg boot with even more ligament support or a rope that lasts even longer. Face it, the chances are slim you can top a trusted provider on the very thing the provider is trusted for.

Instead, you gain converts by winning at something the existing provider didn’t think was so important. You have to look very hard for a unique approach and a different angle, one that creates a new opportunity or offers a solution to a real need.

September in Western Horseman: This issue features apparel, wild rags, snaffle bit training, day workers, handling the two rein, sale spot light, “Horsemanship at work”, Pendleton Round Up, and much more.

In addition, the September issue of Western Horseman features our annual Apparel Round Up Advertising Section. Give me a call to learn how you can not only get advertorial support by being in this section but also get a new product photo considered in this section as well.

A Little Something Extra:

“In spite of the cost of living, it’s still popular.”
Laurence J. Peter (1919 – 1988)

If you do not wish to receive Western Horseman Stampede, just email me at the address above and I will take you off the list.

Unfortunately and despite our best efforts, horses still find ways to get sick or injured. Fortunately, we have great veterinarians we can rely on when these unfortunate circumstances occur. We at Western Horseman understand how traumatic horse illnesses and injuries can be and know it is nice to have a trusted friend in the waiting room while you sit anxiously anticipating the diagnosis, not to mention the bill. Next time you find yourself in this situation, you’ll be glad to know 12,000 equine veterinary clinics across the U.S. are now receiving Western Horseman each month to have in their waiting rooms just for you. As an added bonus, we work to include a horse health feature in every issue. These are just two ways we are partnering with the American Association of Equine Practitioners to meet the horse-health needs of our readers and your customers.

Marketing Tip: Are you a grazer, grainer or both?

Now I am not claiming to be any kind of a Horse Whisperer, but if you really want to understand how your customers gather and process information watch horses eat. Take horses grazing in a pasture for instance. They walk a short distance before stopping to eat a clump of grass and then move on to another clump several feet away. They repeat this process over and over throughout any given day. Now, contrast this with a horse contently enjoying grain in a feed bag or feeder. They get comfortable, settle into one spot, and then start taking bites of grain, chewing methodically on each before taking the next, then the next, until their entire portion is gone.

People seek and process information in much the same way. Those looking for information from the internet conduct a search, find what they need, chew on it for a minute or two, and then move on to another web page or site. Just like a horse grazing in a pasture, they seem to relish the freedom to stretch their minds and move about at will. Similarly, people who choose to spend time with their favorite magazine, they gladly are paying to have sent to them each month, are more like a horse feeding on a balanced ration topped off with a complete supplement. They get comfortable, settle in, and contently consume each page trusting they will be provided with the information they want and need in order to be fulfilled when finished.

Just like a good horse with a job to do needs to be grained and also have time to graze in a pasture, people have a need to gather information in much the same way. As a company with products to sell to the horse owning public, are you doing what you should to engage your customer’s “grazing” and “graining” habits? If not, give me a call and let’s see what we can do to help you feed information to the “grazers” and the “grainers” who want and need your products.

Coming up in Western Horseman and on WesternHorseman.com:

We are working on the August issue of Western Horseman, which will feature special ad sections on truck and trailer aftermarket products as well as a special ad section on horse sales. We also have a feature on the inaugural Classic Events Championship from Guymon, OK planned. This event features an all-around championship format based on bronc riding and steer tripping. It should be a great story on a very unique event.

A Little Something Extra:

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
W. Edwards Deming (American Consultant, Stastistician and Educator, 1900-1993)

A lot can happen in seventy-five years. Back in 1935 America was between World Wars and recovering from a major depression. A new car cost $550, prime rib was $.40/pound, minimum wage was $.33 per hour, Bonnie and Clyde were on the loose, the Dust bowl was in full swing, the Loch Ness Monster was supposedly photographed for the first time, horses were being replaced by automobiles and tractors and were worth practically nothing, and a man by the name of Paul Albert was in the process of founding a little magazine called Western Horseman. With the January, 2011 commemorative issue, Western Horseman will begin celebrating its 75th year in print. As 2010 moves along, I will let you know how you too can be an important part of our exciting Diamond celebration.

Marketing Tip: What is “Marketing”, really?
A smart businessman, call him my marketing mentor, once told me marketing is everything that happens until a sale is made. Seeing my puzzled look, he explained that color, name, design, shape, packaging, functionality, and a host of other features and benefits including customer service and warranty, all contribute to how a product is perceived in the market place. I contrast this view of marketing with a person who once told me his company does a lot of marketing. He bragged that they hand out nearly 1,000 pens and over 200 caps a year. Meanwhile, I overheard someone else once say they aggressively market their products because they spend a ton of money each year on advertising.

This brings me back to my marketing mentor. He went on to tell me marketing is not advertising, advertising is marketing. Again, seeing my confused look, he patiently explained that marketing is an all encompassing plan. He told me to think of it as a vehicle that carries your product message to the consumer in a meaningful way they can relate to. If done right, an effective marketing plan or vehicle makes your customers want to buy what you have to offer. He added that advertising is the essential fuel that drives your marketing vehicle, but it can’t be expected to be the entire vehicle as well. For this reason, he explained, just running ads without enough consideration for the other aspects of what it takes to position your product in the market place, simply won’t get your product message where you want it to go.

Compare this concept to going on a trip without a clear plan on how you will reach your final destination. When you get lost you could blame the gas in your truck, because in reality it did provide the power that got you lost. But, common sense tells us it isn’t really the fault of the gas since it did exactly what was asked of it. Consequently, if you feel your marketing effort has “lost” its way, take the advice of my marketing mentor and rethink your marketing plan instead of choosing to stop buying the fuel that drives it.

Coming up in Western Horseman and on WesternHorseman.com:
With the June issue headed to the printer, we are working hard on our July issue, which will include a Special Ad Section on Ranch Production Horse Sales. Give me a call or email me and I can tell you about June’s exciting editorial line-up.
Online, we are featuring a new inline advertising position on the home page of WesternHorseman.com. This highly visible advertising opportunity is only available to one advertiser per month so call me today to get more information and reserve your placement.

A Little Something Extra:
“We´ve got enough guys who are sick of losing and who know what it takes, … It don´t take a pep talk or a rah-rah (speech) or bringing somebody in from the dead to get us hyped. … We´ve just got to go out and play football.” Clinton Portis

Mitch Miller
 mitch.miller at westernhorseman.com
303-644-3782

Spring is in the air and it is about time. In most parts of the country it has been chillier this winter with more average precipitation than at any time in the previous decade. Some areas have even seen record precipitation and cold. Just the other day 49 out of 50 states had snow in one 24 hour period. But, for those of us in the business of supporting the horse business, this “Siberian winter” isn’t a bad thing. Sure, the moisture is always appreciated, especially if you live in the southwest. As important, is knowing that horse owners are getting cabin fever and are itching to go over their tack, blow the dust off the truck and trailer, get their horses out of the barn or pasture, and get back in the saddle.

Marketing Tip: “When is enough proof, enough?”

It seems reasonable if you pile on enough proof, in the form of data and research, in your ads, on your website, in your presentations, and in your sales materials, everyone has to believe what you are saying. Plans with excessive detail, books crammed with pages and pages of sources, politicians with too much to say… it seems as if everyone is convinced more data is a good thing in this information age because data proves your point. But, if it were this easy, everyone would be doing it this way and succeeding. However, too often too much data leads to just the opposite, suspicion and even disbelief. If you are like me, you might be wondering why this is so.

I needed an answer so I looked into this, on the information super highway of course, and learned that data crowds out faith. And without faith, it’s hard to believe in the data enough to take the leap of faith. Think about it. Big political movements, big grand openings, large congregations… they don’t usually turn out for a glimpse at a bibliography, lecture notes, or a spreadsheet.

The truth is that no amount of evidence will ever be enough to convince someone who chooses not to believe. The skeptic will always find a reason, even if it’s a reason the rest of us don’t think is a good one. As a result, as you consider your ad messages, your marketing materials, and your point of sales promotions, don’t rely too much on proof. It distracts you from your real mission, which is to make an emotional connection to your customer. Have faith in your customer and give them the opportunity to be a true believer in you!

June in Western Horseman: Rodeo season is about here!

The June issue of Western Horseman features our annual Rodeo Road Special Advertising Section. If you are planning a major equine event or know of someone who is, please contact me for more details on this great opportunity to let our nearly .5 million monthly readers know about your rodeo or horse-related event.

A Little Something Extra:

“If commerce is the engine of our economy, then advertising is the spark. Responsible advertisers are the drivers who keep us on the right track, leading to a richer, more benevolent society.”
Brian Philcox – Author

If you do not wish to receive Western Horseman Stampede, just email me at the address above and I will take you off the list.

Mitch Miller
 mitch.miller at westernhorseman.com
303-644-3782

There was something in the air in Denver and it wasn’t coming from the Stock Show!

Yes, there was something new, and fresh in the air at the recent WESA show held in Denver, Colorado. Despite what we hear to often in the news, it wasn’t pessimism, doom, or gloom. In fact, it was just the opposite. Many of the accounts I spoke with told me they were having their best show in five years. Most said they were up over last year and that is great news! It is apparent the retailers at the WESA show came to restock their shelves and prepare for eager customers who are ready to get back in the game in 2010.

May in Western Horseman: It’s time to get “tacked up”!

The May issue of Western Horseman features our always popular Round Up Advertising Section devoted to saddles, tack and equipment. If this is your line of business give me a call and I will explain how you can get up to 250 words of additional editorial exposure in this very popular Special Advertising Section.

Advertising Tip: So, what do you think of my ad?

To those who think creating great ads is an easy, slap-dash process, think again! The greatest ads are a perfect fusion of three very different modes of thought, expertly combined and presented in a powerfully compelling and persuasive package. Understand this, and you’re on your way to creating great ad copy; the kind that sells your products!

First, capture your audience’s attention right away, with a riveting photo and headline. Exceptional ads showcase headlines and images that work together, and bring creativity to your written message. Write in a clever and/or amusing way, and make your ad stands out from the crowd. Be sure to use a tone that resonates by choosing words that belong to your customer.

Now, peak their interest. If you wrote a good headline, likely they’ll be intrigued and continue reading. Your ad copy is where you can isolate your customer’s fear, problem, concern or need. Think of this part of your ad as their “hot button” disguised as a car horn. The professionals like to call it their “pain point”. What ever you call it, if you press on it long enough and hard enough you will get their attention!

Next, create desire. Make them want what you have. Present your product as the solution to the aforementioned problems. Build your case with examples, or even testimonials.

Finally, get them to take action. Tell your audience what to do next. Buy Now! Click here and save! It’s amazing what just a quick directive will do. However, this critical call-to-action is too often omitted from many otherwise great ads. Don’t make this mistake in your next print or web ad.

No matter how you approach the ad creation process, the most powerful ads require that each of these key elements be in place. When you’re ready to bring it all together, take a hard look at your finished draft. Go through it with a fine-tooth comb. Get a couple of outside opinions. Step away from it for a while and let it “ferment”. Then go back to it when you’ve cleared your mind and see if you still like it just as well. Make changes if necessary, then give it a final once-over. Your final presentation should be error-free and perfect in every way!

A Little Something Extra:

“It’s kind of a sad thing when a normal love of country makes you a super patriot. I do think we have a pretty wonderful country, and I thank God that He chose me to live here.”
John Wayne

Happy New Year, thank goodness!! Finally, the “Ought” years are behind us and what a decade they defined. To say life was changed by these ten short years is like saying John Wayne was just another character actor. Historians will have ample fodder to muddle through as they try to define this start to the 21st century. For the rest of us, we can find comfort in knowing we survived relatively unscathed and in one piece, more or less. Now, it is time to saddle up again and see what kind of ride the next ten years will take us on. Personally, I like a horse with a little belly fire, but I could settle for one with more trail savvy for the next year or two anyway.

Marketing Tip: “Everyone thinks like I do, don’t they?”

When you are trying to sell your product idea, it’s natural to assume everyone you talk to thinks the way you do. If you can only show them the facts and stories that led you to believe what you believe, then of course they’ll end up where you are… believing.

The problem, of course, is that people don’t always think like you and I.

Watch two people of different political persuasions discussing why they support their candidate or their side of an issue. It doesn’t take long to see that each thinks the other one is stupid! You can just about hear them thinking the other person couldn’t conjugate an original idea if they tried. They think there is no factual basis for the other’s beliefs. They think the other person is clueless, and they are just parroting some talking head who knows even less than they do!

Same goes for diehard fans of your competitor’s brand, or worse, the clueless who should be using your solution, but don’t even care enough to use your competitor’s product either. If they only thought like you, and knew what you know, then there wouldn’t be a problem.

However, the challenge doesn’t lie in getting them to know what you know. It won’t help. The challenge lies in helping them see your idea through their lens, not yours.

If you study the way movements spread, you can see this is exactly how it works. Marketers of successful ideas rarely market the facts. Instead, they market stories that match the worldview of the people they are trying to persuade.

Yes, but there’s an alternative, one that you might want to think hard about: perhaps you should only market your idea to people who already think the way you do. After all, you’re not running for president, you don’t need a majority. Screen people by their behavior (what they read, what they buy, how they act) and only tell your story to the people who will embrace it. This is a lot easier to do now than ever before, especially with the help of a reader loyal magazine like Western Horseman.
-Excerpts for this section were taken from Seth Godin’s daily blog at sethgodin.com

April in Western Horseman: Horse Health and Home Décor are always in season

The April issue of Western Horseman features our annual Horse Health Round Up Advertising Section and a second Home Décor Round Up advertising section. If you have a product that fits into either of these categories and want to expand your advertising options, give me a call for special rates and other advantages.

A Little Something Extra:

It doesn’t work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps.
American Proverb

Advertising Tip: “If you want them to call, give them a call to action”

You created ad copy that would make Madison Avenue green with envy. In fact, you framed it and put it next to pictures of your kids. Now, take another look at your master piece. Does it give your customers an incentive to buy now? With all marketing materials, it’s crucial to get potential customers to act today! Try the following techniques to create a call to action that will make your phone ring and your Web traffic soar.

GIVE A DEADLINE FOR ORDERING
We have all received promotional materials with a deadline for ordering or responding. The offer could end on that date or it could coincide with a deadline for an upgrade or free gift. For example, order by the 15th and receive…. Or, try to make the ending date within the same month as your materials are received. That way, your potential customers know they have a limited time to respond and they won’t fall victim to the “I’ll do it later” syndrome.

OFFER A FREE GIFT
Nothing attracts new customers like free gifts. “As an added incentive for ordering, we’re offering a free gift to the first 1,000 people who respond.”

OFFER AN UPGRADE ON THEIR ORDER
One simple line can boost your sales. “Order within 10 days and we’ll upgrade you to the deluxe model.”

EXTEND AN INVITATION TO VISIT YOUR WEBSITE
Invite those who see your ad to go to your site to watch a video or a slide show of interest to them or to get advice or a helpful tip. While they are there, offer them an incentive to register for a sweepstakes or get a monthly newsletter with helpful hints and ideas. No matter how you approach your own call to action, be sure to give your customers the perks of responding immediately. The call to action creates a conversation between you and those who see your ads and this leads to more customers.

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Advertising Tip: “What to do with the non-clicking 84%”

I read this perspective recently on a daily blog from Seth Godin, a bestselling author, entrepreneur and self described agent of change. I found his take on the subject of online ad clicks to be note worthy so I thought I would share it.

Basically, all of the clicks for online ads come from only 16% of the surfers, and most of them come from just 4% of all internet users. So, if you optimize your online ads for clicks, it means you’re ignoring a huge population. If your business is built around the kind of person who clicks, you win. If it isn’t, you either need to not buy ads online or buy ads optimized for attention and familiarity, not clicks. Imagine that only left-handed people clicked on ads (it’s about the same percent). What are you going to do if you make a product for the right-handed portion of the population as well, ignore them? It’s okay to make an ad that isn’t easy to measure. If it works, that’s enough.

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Advertising Tip: “When advertising, benefits are all that matter”

What Makes a Good Print Ad? This is the million dollar question and one that cannot be answered with a single sentence or paragraph because print ads serve several roles in driving your marketing initiatives. You can use print ads to increase the awareness and integrity of your brand as well as directly and indirectly drive sales. Often, a print ad is asked to do all of these tasks at once. As a result, the success of your print ad campaign is ultimately defined by you, the advertiser.

However, no matter what you want your ad to do for you there is one major rule to follow, make sure your ad message sells your product’s benefits, not just your product’s features. This is an age old rule that is too often ignored by advertisers. In a bid to outsell, out-promote and out-do competitors, many businesses still fall into the trap of advertising product features, not benefits, month after month. Let’s face it, if an advertisement does not answer the reader’s question, “What’s in it for me?” it is not likely to draw much interest.

Strive to make your ads work harder for you by letting them address any problems your product will solve and make suggestions to readers on how your product can improve their lives, or their horse’s lives, in some meaningful way. Give me a call and let’s talk about ways we can “kick your advertisements up a notch.”

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Advertising Tip: “If they are listening, keep talking”
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” Charles R. Swindoll- Author, Educator, Pastor
A recent article in Knowledge at Wharton underscores the need to keep talking to your customers now more than ever. Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader notes that “as companies slash advertising in a downturn, they leave empty space in consumers’ minds for aggressive marketers to make strong inroads.” Research shows that companies that consistently advertise even during recessions perform better in the long run. A McGraw-Hill Research study looking at 600 companies from 1980 to 1985 found that those businesses who chose to maintain or raise their level of advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession had significantly higher sales after the economy recovered. Specifically, companies that advertised aggressively during the recession had sales 256% higher than those that did not continue to advertise. Source: BNET
Right now, consumers are carefully taking extra time to learn all they can before making buying decisions. It makes sense. Money is tight and they can’t afford to get it wrong. With this in mind, ask yourself one question before making the final decision to drastically slash your marketing budget.
“How will your customers react to your decision to scale back on educating them about your products when their need for your information is now greater than ever?”
Western Horseman speaks to nearly 500,000 monthly readers. This number equates to filling the new Dallas Cowboys stadium 4.5 times each month with horse owners who are willing to pay for a seat to hear what Western Horseman has to say about the western stock horse industry and your products and services. I may be biased, but it makes sense to me to let us help you keep your message in front of the largest group of horse owners in the industry.

We are officially in the middle of a recession, which reminds me of something Sam Walton once said when asked how he would respond to a recession.  He simply replied, “I would choose not to participate.”

If asked how you would handle a recession, how would you respond?  Better yet, how have you already responded?  Have you followed the sage advice of Sam Walton and decided not to participate or have you dealt with this recession, lack of business, and general “tough times by deciding to stop your advertising?   The other option is to keep educating your customers with well-placed advertising messages and in the process choose to take this recession on by embracing the opportunities it presents.

Sadly, statistics show the first budget slashed is usually marketing when panic drives the reaction to a recession.  This happened in 1981, and history is trying to repeat itself again.  Sure, cutting advertising is a short term way to reduce expenses and for a brief period, this action provides a sense of relief. However, whacking away at marketing is no different than the decision to refinance a house to pay off maxed out credit cards.  Only this time it isn’t home equity being burned as a bail out, it is your hard-earned market share.

Here are a few examples of businesses that chose to buck the trend, be creative and brave, and get the most out of a good recession opportunity.

1. Kellogg’s® pushed their ads through the Great Depression; Post® didn’t. Guess who dominated the cereal market for the next 50 years. Can you say corn flakes?

2. Stanley® Tools launched its biggest ad campaign during the 1974 recession. Their consumer product division took off.  They grew at twice the rate of competitors every year thereafter.

3. In the recessions of 1949, 1954, 1958, and 1961, companies tracked for ad spending cutbacks saw sales and profits fall off.  Those who kept ad budgets saw profits increase and kept an edge in the years that followed.

4. Regarding the 1974 to 1975 recession, the study stated, “Companies that did not cut advertising expenditures during the recession experienced higher sales and net income during those two years and the two years following than those companies which cut in either one or both recession years.”

There comes a time in the life of any business when it has a downturn, when the customer count declines, when beating last year’s figures seems an impossible task.   However, studies show it takes five times as much money to attract a new customer as it does to keep the customers you already have.   Think about it and make the decision to keep letting your cusotmers know you are still in business by advertising.