The Biggest Mistake in Advertising

I've been looking around some bookkeeping and accountancy forums this morning.  I've got to say, I'm pretty amazed by something I've found.  

On almost every forum there are people asking a question about advertising that is going to kill them before they even get started.  They have a mindset that means they will be guaranteed to throw good money away on a fruitless task.

What is this question I hear you ask?  It's simply "Where is the best place to advertise?"  

That's right before they get started on their business, they're already creating problems for themselves simply by getting this question the wrong way round.  

Before you can ever ask where to advertise your services you need to know who you're advertising your services to.

It's like trying to pack a suitcase for holiday, turning up at the airport and not knowing where you're going.  How do you know what to pack?  Do you pack for the sun?  The snow?  Something in between?  

Do you hedge your bets and try to pack something for every climate?  In one case?  You may get lucky with one or two items but the majority will be useless.

This is exactly what bookkeepers around the country are doing right now.  

Just like the clothes in the suitcase, they're trying to be right for everyone.  The result is that the majority of their advertising is failing and they don't even realise it. So how can you turn this around for your business?  

Concentrate first on the who, then the why and leave the what and where to last.  Who are you advertising to?  Why would they want to buy from you, or even care that you exist?  And then think about what to put in your advert and where to put them last.