Advertising on TV

Television Ads - Now Only $5

 Local cable television advertising can be highly effective, and very affordable. If you have a product or service that can be visually demonstrated, television can work wonders.  

 Americans watch almost seven hours of television per day, and over half of them have cable. Cable television has the audience, and advertising there absolutely can work for your company.

 But…like every media, there are rules to be followed, and areas for caution.

 This article outlines just a few strategies for advertising on cable television. We strongly encourage you to learn more about television advertising from other resources if you want to use cable television for marketing your business.

Affordable Television Advertising

  The new technology of digital cable will soon offer you amazingly low cost, highly targeted advertising opportunities. You will be able to target your ads down to your local neighborhood level for $5 - $25 per 30-second spot, or less. In medium size U.S. markets, even prime-time cable ads cost under $200 per 30-second spot.

 For example, just outside of New York City a 30 second ad on VH-1 or BET costs around $15. CNN and ESPN cost around $25. In small towns, prices drop below $5 per spot. And when you buy in volume, you get further discounts.

 And customer targeting couldn’t be better. Digital cable means that you can run your ad on the channel you want, when you want, in the city you want. So, where is your audience? The Family Channel? The Weather Channel? MTV? You pick.

 But please don’t throw caution to the wind. Media companies are very good at listing numbers and statistics. If their first question is, “How big is your advertising budget?” be assured that they will try to get all of your marketing dollars. Know ahead of time what you want to do.

 And while it is true that Americans watch seven hours of television per day, and have hundreds of channels to choose between, they are not necessarily watching all of the specialty programs cable television is offering. Here are some facts:

 1. Despite all of the new cable TV choices, on average viewers watch less than 15 channels.

 2. Over 90% of viewers are watching ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, WB, UPN, and the top ten cable channels. This statistic has held steady for several years. So people are watching HBO, MTV, CNN, ESPN, USA, and A&E. They are not watching the fishing channel.

 3. Even when viewers use pay-per-view services, television-on-demand, or the old-fashioned VCR, they still are watching the same channels. 

 If you do choose to go with cable advertising, your ads will have very good company. Most commercials on cable are for nationally advertised products. You will be associating yourself with that level of branding and recognition. It’s the old “the media is the message”, and it doesn’t hurt to hang around with the winners.

Negotiating a Price

 Cable rates vary greatly depending on when and where you want your ad to run, the time of the year, and the size of the audience. Different companies will offer different rates, discounts, and promotions, and everything will be negotiable.

 Like other media, volume-purchasing means discounts. It is cheaper to run your ads at off-hours than at prime time. It will be cheaper if you sign a longer-term contract. There will be special programs for new advertisers, and seasonal discounts. Play hard to get, and ask for those discounts!

 If you plan everything in advance, you will do better. Take your time, and send in your order early. You will save money, and you will get the times slots you want.

Production of Your Ad

 Television production can be very expensive, and we strongly recommend that you research the subject extensively. An ad can take months to plan and produce, and it’s easy to do a bad job.

 Make the production studio show you samples of their work. All the same rules about marketing apply to television. The designers are not necessarily professional marketing people. You want a marketing pro to review your message. Don’t get blown away by the design potential of the medium – stick to your message, and keep it simple.

 Plan your production time carefully. You will pay by the hour for the crew, and delays and changes will add up. Think about lighting, microphones, and set placement and changes so that they go smoothly.

 Keep your ad simple and straightforward. Glamorous or dramatic ads are hard to do well, and easy to do badly. Do product demonstrations, and before and after shots for the best results. And make sure your actors are very, very excited and happy. Excitement and happiness are catchy – the more the better.

 Remember to stick to the prime benefits. Show pretty people enjoying the benefits of using your product. Clients don’t care about how great your company is – they care about how you can improve their lives. Benefit benefit benefit, contact information. And please hesitate before becoming your own spokesperson.   

Cable Television?

 Even if you are on a tight budget, local cable television may work for you. It is inexpensive, and can be incredibly effective – especially if you can demonstrate how great your product or service is. Television is about demonstration. Think about all of those clothing detergent commercials. If you can show how your product removes the grass stains better than anybody, you will get good results.

 And remember, before you jump in with your entire budget – test, test, test!

Ask For Help

 As always, we strongly recommend that you hire professional design help when creating marketing materials, and ask a marketing professional to help plan and review the work. It’s a cheap investment for an advertisement that you are going to show the whole world. Please contact Professional Advertising for additional assistance.  

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