You can advertise on search networks, popular blogs, video sharing sites, social networking platforms, television, radio, newspapers, and phone books. Let’s not forget smart phones, billboards, magazine, newsletters and even weekly church bulletins. There are so many places your potential customer could be found, and you only have so much advertising budget to go around.

You’re not sure where to put your next advertising dollars. I get it, as do all marketers. We live in a state of constant media “noise”, and we ourselves are fighting for a seat at the table. We want your dollars. You aren’t even sure you want to spend them, but business has been tight lately. Your sales force has had more time on their hands, and you’ve had to let a few people go.

Well, if you’ve gotten this far you’ve probably already found a good solid source or two for marketing. Perhaps you’ve reached the point with them that you can’t squeeze any more out of those sources. Maybe they have even become less dependable outlets for advertising. So, what’s the next step? How do you make that big investment that saves your company?

As an employee of an agency our goal is gain as much of your advertising dollars as possible. It only makes sense to do that. The smart companies “test the waters” as they say. They often give a smaller, short-run contract to agencies like mine. They usually do this with two to three agencies, sometimes simultaneously to gauge success. If the results are lacking for an agency they have not invested or lost much. If the results are great then the company rewards that agency with a bigger and longer contract.

Be one of the smart companies. Test the waters. Make the agency prove they deserve your dollars. That way you never have to fear the big investment.