Much can be said about this, and I recommend you read many of the great books on this topic by Al Ries, Positioning: Battle for your mind.

The position of your company has nothing to do with who has certain quality or the best , fastest cheapest products -- It has everything to do with who is at the top of your mind when you are looking for a product. 

Branding & Small Business

Many high-profile companies that put out print advertising commonly use big graphics, eye catching headlines with little text. 

The pitfall of using these type ads, especially for small businesses, is that people really don't read ads. These larger companies are trying to increase their brand awareness while the smaller ones attempt to gain name recognition among the public. Over the years, research has shown that the public sends more money when they know more about the product.

A big mistake businesspeople often make is when they try to sell themselves as much as possible directly in every communication they produce. In the case of advertising, for instance, they try to draw up immediate clients through institutional advertising or what's called "advertising overkill." When meeting people for the first time, they talk and talk. When sending out information, they send packages that make shipping crates look like a joke.

They think that by selling themselves right in the ad they will get not only an immediate response, but also immediate business. This often times backfires and can even take away clients. Many clients I've dealt with usually get as a result of this type of approach a lot of calls but no business, or at least no long term business. They end up dealing with a lot of people who are merely curious but never serious. Because of hyper competition and the problem prospecting creates, trying to look for pre-qualified prospects can sometimes be worse than a needle in the haystack.

Direct Response Works For Small Business Than Trying To Win The Brand Awareness Game

A great concept, although it's been around for years but has recently become very popular, is direct-response marketing. It is a process in which businesses seek an immediate response as a result of their marketing efforts. While direct response marketing is often used to sell in the immediate sense, many use this technique to offer a free report, item, or service. Little do people know, however, that the direct response strategy is usually not the true goal of the advertiser.

Let's say you're a financial planning consultant. You sell services such as investments, mutual funds, and savings plans. Rather than place an ad that directly markets these services, you could place a small classified ad promoting a free course, seminar, or report on helping people to save money. Let's say you're an image consultant helping people to enhance their appearance. You could offer a free kit including a free makeover, a free makeup sample, a free consultation, or a free report on makeup styles and colors that will match one's unique complexion.

The idea is to have people come to you rather than you to them. Being in the information age, I personally prefer the "free report" style of lead generation. The incentive you offer doesn't have to relate directly to what you do. As long as it logically appeals to the same target market, you're on your way. 

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