At a new position in advertising sales for a community newspaper, I inherited a small but established territory where my mission was to expand the customer base. I was directed to go after new business and focus on increasing what had become a stagnant territory.

At first blush, I decided to focus on the current customer base, evaluating ad histories and seeing where improvements could be made. I ran ad histories and noticed that many of the advertisers had been running the same ad week after week or alternating weeks for months. Many would change their ad only when the New Year came along. When I queried their goals, I was told by many that it was an "image" ad, an ad running to keep their company name in front of the local readership.

I strongly advised small businesses selling locally to not run image ads. What I picked up from experience and from industry reading is that image ads really are for the big guys, corporations that have the budgets to spend on image advertising. And I don't think they're that useful even for larger companies. Why waste expensive space when you could entertain and ask for an action?

The average small business person is best served by running ads with a benefit headline and a call to action. After a reader views the same ad once or twice, their eyes usually glaze over thereafter.

I encouraged several clients to start changing their ads, advertising services or products that needed some buoying up, putting in special offers or just highlighting a particular item. A restaurant started changing out specials on a consistent basis, which I coordinated with other local publications. The results were immediate and favorable.  Business grew. The feedback I received  was that many of the restaurant's recurring customers commented on the new ads, some even saying "it was about time." New customers came in drawn by the special of that week. The readers wanted something new and different. Giving it to them got results.

The current customer base in my territory ended up spending more money with the newspaper as they saw more results. Some ran more often; others switched from black and white to color; others increased ad sizes.

Always look at your current customer base before going off to spend money on prospecting that will cost more to convert in the first place. If you can increase a customer's business, your business will increase. Customers are often your best referral source, too. You already have an established relationship with your customers; just make it a better one.