“Some colleagues tell me that I have to run an ad 3 times in order for it to produce results, while others maintain that 4 or even 5 is the 'magic number.' Who’s right?”
The short answer is, “not sure.” Sorry, but there is no “magic number.” Either way, you’re on the right track, though, because the key to successful advertising is consistency and frequency. Simply put, your ad’s message must be consistent every time you run your ads (although you can use different creative approaches to keep your campaign fresh). And you must run your ad more than once – no matter what medium it’s in. (That’s the “frequency” part of the equation).
Why? Great question! To understand this, just think about how you look at advertising. You watch or hear a commercial, or view a newspaper ad. The first time you see it, you probably don’t even remember who is running the ad. Right? And the second time you see or hear the ad, you might not be interested in what the ad has to offer. Say it’s an ad for paint. Only a select group of people might be thinking about painting on that particular day, or they may be thinking about painting a room during the upcoming weekend. So most of the people who are seeing or reading the ad have no interest in it on that particular day. (Of course, you’re building name awareness over time, so when those other people do have a need for paint, they might remember your ad.)
That’s why you have to run your ad frequently. In fact, media buyers use frequency when they calculate rates and audience levels. The more you run the ad, the more likely people will see it, remember it – and, most importantly, react to it. Same with TV or radio; sometimes you’ll see the same commercial running several times during the same timeslot. That’s to ensure that the folks who left the room to hit the kitchen (or the bathroom) will have a chance to see the commercial when they return.
There are “guidelines” – like “try to get a 3 frequency” when you buy radio.That doesn’t mean your spot runs only 3 times! It means you have to run it enough times to ensure that your target audience will hear it a minimum of 3 times. (That might mean it has to run 5 or 6 times to hit that 3 frequency, and you’re going to pay every single time it runs.) Are you more confused than ever?
It seems that every time we delve into things regarding advertising and media, they get complicated. Which is why you should consider using an ad agency to plan and place your media. They do all of this for a living, and will help to maximize your ad budget. Just a suggestion!
The short answer is, “not sure.” Sorry, but there is no “magic number.” Either way, you’re on the right track, though, because the key to successful advertising is consistency and frequency. Simply put, your ad’s message must be consistent every time you run your ads (although you can use different creative approaches to keep your campaign fresh). And you must run your ad more than once – no matter what medium it’s in. (That’s the “frequency” part of the equation).
Why? Great question! To understand this, just think about how you look at advertising. You watch or hear a commercial, or view a newspaper ad. The first time you see it, you probably don’t even remember who is running the ad. Right? And the second time you see or hear the ad, you might not be interested in what the ad has to offer. Say it’s an ad for paint. Only a select group of people might be thinking about painting on that particular day, or they may be thinking about painting a room during the upcoming weekend. So most of the people who are seeing or reading the ad have no interest in it on that particular day. (Of course, you’re building name awareness over time, so when those other people do have a need for paint, they might remember your ad.)
That’s why you have to run your ad frequently. In fact, media buyers use frequency when they calculate rates and audience levels. The more you run the ad, the more likely people will see it, remember it – and, most importantly, react to it. Same with TV or radio; sometimes you’ll see the same commercial running several times during the same timeslot. That’s to ensure that the folks who left the room to hit the kitchen (or the bathroom) will have a chance to see the commercial when they return.
There are “guidelines” – like “try to get a 3 frequency” when you buy radio.That doesn’t mean your spot runs only 3 times! It means you have to run it enough times to ensure that your target audience will hear it a minimum of 3 times. (That might mean it has to run 5 or 6 times to hit that 3 frequency, and you’re going to pay every single time it runs.) Are you more confused than ever?
It seems that every time we delve into things regarding advertising and media, they get complicated. Which is why you should consider using an ad agency to plan and place your media. They do all of this for a living, and will help to maximize your ad budget. Just a suggestion!
