By Wendy Rall

Marketing: who, what, WHERE, when and why

Most of us know that these are the basics needed in your marketing materials. However, I still see that many companies are not providing their complete addresses on marketing and advertising efforts.

Overall, it is important to include your city and state on all invitations, announcements and advertising. I find that many of the invitations that I receive via email have the event time and street address, but no city and state. I now have to visit a website to find out exactly WHERE the event will take place. This makes things more time-consuming for your customer, frustrating him or her. Consequently, if you are in a large, well-known city such as Hollywood you don’t have to include the words “Los Angeles” or “California” Just as if you are in Denver, you can afford to omit Colorado solely due to the fame of the location.

Real-life Applications:

Recently I came across a business card for a medical delivery service. I was wondering if it was the card given to me for a service in my area. It had no information on it, except for the name, phone number and delivery hours. Luckily for me, I could identify the general location from the area code. However, if the card had the city and state included, it would look more professional, and be helpful and complete. Therefore, if you are a delivery service and your card does not include your delivery areas, then your card is not a completely effective marketing piece.

Magazine advertisements are another example of how companies are failing to provide complete information. Trade show giveaways and online magazines distribute your ad nationally, making it even more important to include your city and state. I believe that some leaders think about the content and focus of the ad, but forget that the ad will be seen nationally. Imagine that I am a consumer, and I see your edible product advertised in a gorgeous full-page print ad. I will want to know immediately if it is available in my state. If your city and state are not included, I will need to visit your website to find out WHERE you are located. Although we always want to drive the consumer to our website, we still need to let them know in an instant where you are/distribute.

Now, think about your own advertising materials and business card. Many companies no longer include a street address. Including your city and state will help people to connect with you. People just want to know where you are. Logistics are a factor. We work in different time zones. Knowing where you are based is important. When I review business cards collected at an event, and I see a card from a print company, for example, I want to know where they are located in relation to my clients. This is important because shipping impacts the project cost.

Review and Complete.

Finally, please review your marketing and advertising. See if you need to complete your information in any areas. Having complete information not only shows that you are a professional business paying attention to detail, but it also connects your client with you more effectively and securely.