Brand advertising works...if you've got a million dollars and a whole lot of time!

Here's a question (or two) for you. What makes Proctor & Gamble, General Motors, Time Warner, and AT&T so successful? Is their success based on how good they are? Is it based on what great products they sell?

Not necessarily.

Their success has a lot to do with how they advertise. These companies use advertising for the sole purpose of building brand awareness. Their advertising -- whether online or offline -- attempts to convey a certain lifestyle in the hope that you'll "feel" that lifestyle when you buy their products. And judging by the profit these companies make, they succeed.

But then, so would you - if you spent MILLIONS of dollars a year on advertising.

In 2005, Proctor & Gamble spent nearly 5 million dollars on advertising; General Motors spent 4.3 million; Time Warner spent 3.5 million; and AT&T spent 2.5 million - and that's JUST in the U.S.

These companies pay huge salaries to a team of people who live, eat, and breathe their products. And someone on that team spends all of their time thinking of ways to extend the products, produce product "spin offs," and get them to the target market.

And it works.

It could work for you too - if you have millions of dollars and a whole lot of time. But I'm guessing you don't.

Most businesses fail miserably in their attempts at advertising.They assume wrongly - partly due to years of exposure to big-brand advertising -- that if they want their advertising to make money, they must advertise like General Motors or Proctor & Gamble. So they create advertising in the same mold: cram it full of vague slogans, add heavy doses of hyperbole and fluff, then wonder why it doesn't work.

They use words like "quality," "professional," "experienced," "great", and "powerful." Or phrases like, "We're the best" or "We're the cheapest."

Well so what!

The only thing these words achieve is to put your potential customer to sleep. They do absolutely nothing to convince the reader of how your product or service can solve their problems or make them healthier, wealthier, or smarter. And they do nothing to convince your target audience why they should buy from you instead of your competitors.

And businesses that should know better are often the worst offenders. Consider this selection (courtesy of Noelle Weaver over at Ad Age) of attempts made by (of all businesses) advertising agencies that are trying to sell themselves and their services:

"Different disciplines come together for an integrated approach"

"By listening and responding to customers, we create dialogues across all channels and touch points that build brands and help our clients own customers for life"

And you're going to love this one...

"...excelling at building blue-chip brands while speaking to the right consumers with powerful, well-placed messaging and great award-winning integrated creative executions that influence and build relationships in today's cluttered landscape at the right place and at the right time"

What?

Small, midsize, and even large businesses need to focus their advertising on providing their customers with a reason to purchase. They should use direct-response advertising methods to create leads and sales. Direct-response is the ONLY type of advertising that works for smaller businesses - and don't let anyone who claims to be an advertising professional tell you otherwise.

Direct-response advertising is not flashy or clever. It's honest-to-goodness, tried and tested, response-oriented advertising written and designed to solve your customers' problems, give them a reason to take action, and convince them to do business with you.

Direct-response also works across all types of media - print, online, radio, and TV. Plus, unlike big-brand advertising, it's a science. You can test and measure results on different audiences -- you'll know from the number of responses, hits, inquiries, or sales you receive whether your ads work or not. You can build long-term customer loyalty, expand your customer base, increase sales, and save money. Try doing that with brand advertising!

Why does direct-response advertising work so well?

Nobody really knows.

It just does.