Television Advertising Strategies for Small Businesses
Too many small businesses are under the misconception that television advertising is too expensive. It's simply not true. In fact, you can purchase a cable advertising commercial for as little as $4. However, on average, you can expect to pay somewhere between $4 and $25 per 30-second commercial, a.k.a. television spot, depending on the television networks you choose and time of day your spots air.
For example, if you're buying cable advertising north of Boston, where I live, you could advertise on The Weather Channel from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Sunday for approximately $4 per 30-second commercial. Not bad! Of course, you need to be certain your target audience watches The Weather Channel. Or you could advertise on CNBC during their popular Squawk Box segment from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday for approximately $5 per 30-second commercial. You could also try TLC during Trading Spaces from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for only $15 per spot.
Added Bonus
One of the intrinsic benefits of television advertising is what I call the "enhanced credibility factor." Just by advertising on television, you elevate your business higher than your competitors' because "you're on TV." There's something about advertising on television that makes people take you more seriously, unless of course your commercial is poorly made or your message is unclear.
The Big Hurdle
Now that I've told you how cost-effective cable advertising can be, there is one hurdle – the cost to produce your spot. Unfortunately, you'll pay between $1500-$2500 to produce a "basic" spot. When I say basic, I mean simple. Included in this price may be some minor talent priced at $400 - $500 for a half-day shooting. At this low price, you'd never be able to create a spot so advanced as an ad running during the Superbowl. However, often the more money you have, the more crammed a spot becomes, minimizing your ad's message. Remember, less is always more when creating your message. Be straightforward and honest with all forms of advertising and you can't go wrong. Avoid puns and goofiness at all costs. Unless you're absolutely certain this tone is what you want your business to be known for. Keep in mind you generally retain ownership of the spot once it's produced, enabling you to take it to a competing cable company if you so desire.
Compound Your Message
Someone once said to me that a 30-second spot is actually equivalent to a 60-second spot. It's true. Why? Because you have 30 seconds of visual messages and another 30 seconds of verbal messages, that combined, equal 60 seconds to portray your sales message. So when you're creating your message, remember to use both sensories.
Should You or Shouldn't You?
Should you or shouldn't you advertise on television? The best way to answer this is to ask yourself if your audience is watching a particular network. If you know with certainty that your audience watches a particular network(s), then with assurance you'll reach your audience. Remember, television advertising is only one activity within your marketing mix. If you have a restricted budget and your television advertising becomes your only marketing vehicle, this is a damaging mistake. Never put your eggs in one basket. Never!
Is the viewership large enough?
Remember to consider how large an audience your message will reach. Television can be purchased in bundles called "zones." If a cable provider reaches 100,000 subscribers, this large group may be divided into 6 zones, so you can purchase less and target more. A zone could include as few as four towns or more. However, remember, if you purchase only one cable zone, and there's only 18,000 viewers, ask yourself if this is a large enough "pool" of prospects from which to draw? What's more, just because the cable company has 18,000 paying subscribers doesn't mean they're all watching your spot on the network channel you chose during a particular day and time. To enhance your spot's visibility, select networks and individual programs your prospects are certain to watch. Of course, the more specifications you require, meaning a particular program at a specific day and time, the more your spots will cost. The more flexible you are with your ad's run-time, the less it'll cost.
P.S… Don't forget about your local cable community channel, where you can either buy advertising or host your own show! Of course, the latter needs to be community-focused and benefit those watching the community channel. Moreover, community cable stations are a great place to distribute your press release promoting your small business' upcoming seminar or event.