“For years, we’ve been pretty successful bringing in new customers using our radio and TV ads. But media prices have gotten very expensive, and the commercials are not as effective as they used to be. Help!!”
Welcome to the world of advertising in 2011 and beyond. What you’ve discovered, as most other advertisers have, is that the old tried and true ways simply won’t work any more. It’s time to rethink your advertising!
To start with, broadcast advertising alone won’t reach all of your potential customers. Why? Well, both radio and TV have become so fragmented, you can’t buy media the way you used to. For television, there are hundreds of channels; most people have cable – and worse, most people have DVRs – so they zap past your commercials when watching recorded shows. Radio is competing with satellite channels, iPods, and a proliferation of other distracting devices. So if all you’re doing now is broadcast advertising, it’s no wonder your advertising is not as effective as it used to be!
While TV and radio are great to help target your prospective customers, it’s obvious they’re not going to work alone. You need to consider other methods in addition to broadcast advertising – because a mix of media is your key to success.
That would include direct marketing (both traditional direct mail and email marketing), print media (not just newspapers, but specialty magazines and publications) and social media. The last one – social media – includes website marketing, email blasts, and a variety of social channels like Facebook, Google Adwords and several others.
Mixed together in a cohesive fashion, you’re bound to hit your target market. You can even use one to attract another; for example, use traditional ads to direct people to your website – then on your website direct them to your Facebook page. That’s only one example – there are numerous strategies that can work for you.
Regarding buying your broadcast media, you need to make it more cost-efficient, and one of the best ways to do that is by buying a variety of commercial lengths. Instead of simply buying traditional 30 second TV and 60 second radio spots, purchase 05’s, 10’s and 15 second radio commercials to boost your frequency and lower your overall cost. Same with TV – purchase 30 second spots, but also buy 15’s, and if your TV stations sell them, purchase :05 second spots as well. Be sure to buy cable TV as well; it’s easy to target your customers, and their costs are usually lower than local TV.
As you can see, it’s a complicated, involved process. If you can devote a lot of time to this, and have the experience, you can do a pretty good job. If not, pick up that phone and call in an expert!
Welcome to the world of advertising in 2011 and beyond. What you’ve discovered, as most other advertisers have, is that the old tried and true ways simply won’t work any more. It’s time to rethink your advertising!
To start with, broadcast advertising alone won’t reach all of your potential customers. Why? Well, both radio and TV have become so fragmented, you can’t buy media the way you used to. For television, there are hundreds of channels; most people have cable – and worse, most people have DVRs – so they zap past your commercials when watching recorded shows. Radio is competing with satellite channels, iPods, and a proliferation of other distracting devices. So if all you’re doing now is broadcast advertising, it’s no wonder your advertising is not as effective as it used to be!
While TV and radio are great to help target your prospective customers, it’s obvious they’re not going to work alone. You need to consider other methods in addition to broadcast advertising – because a mix of media is your key to success.
That would include direct marketing (both traditional direct mail and email marketing), print media (not just newspapers, but specialty magazines and publications) and social media. The last one – social media – includes website marketing, email blasts, and a variety of social channels like Facebook, Google Adwords and several others.
Mixed together in a cohesive fashion, you’re bound to hit your target market. You can even use one to attract another; for example, use traditional ads to direct people to your website – then on your website direct them to your Facebook page. That’s only one example – there are numerous strategies that can work for you.
Regarding buying your broadcast media, you need to make it more cost-efficient, and one of the best ways to do that is by buying a variety of commercial lengths. Instead of simply buying traditional 30 second TV and 60 second radio spots, purchase 05’s, 10’s and 15 second radio commercials to boost your frequency and lower your overall cost. Same with TV – purchase 30 second spots, but also buy 15’s, and if your TV stations sell them, purchase :05 second spots as well. Be sure to buy cable TV as well; it’s easy to target your customers, and their costs are usually lower than local TV.
As you can see, it’s a complicated, involved process. If you can devote a lot of time to this, and have the experience, you can do a pretty good job. If not, pick up that phone and call in an expert!
