Most small businesses see television advertisement as only for ‘the big guys’, an advertising channel that only companies with lots of disposable cash can afford – this is not the case.
Television advertisement can be an affordable medium that can greatly increase your company’s profit. It’s proven to provide a significant return on investment for smaller businesses.
Small businesses can take advantage of this medium without spending a multi-million-dollar budget on a massive set with a ton of props, creative direction, and actors.
A successful television advertisement knows what works on the medium and how to take advantage of the remnant time slots.
Here are the steps to advertising on television for a small business from the public relations team at Adoni Media:
- Research and know your target audience
Knowing who your target audience is and how they respond is crucial. You need to make sure that you’re selecting an appropriate television show that matches your customer’s demographics.
It’s important to understand and establish the demographic of your customers including age, gender, ethnicity, income, and other information. This will allow maximum reach of your target customers.
- Select a TV station or show
When you’re deciding what television station or show slot to select to reach your target audience it’s best to request a media kit from each channel. A media kit will contain viewer’s information and demographics.
You can also ask the station’s advertising manager or a salesperson to help you find a show that closely matches your audience.
Most television stations charge more to place ads on certain shows (especially during primetime) than if you buy a run of schedule, which randomly places your ads on station’s shows. This is a great option, but it might not get your advertisement in front of the right people.
- Create your advertisement
To develop and create your advertisement, start by creating a list of key elements you want to include. If you are buying a 30 second spot, you’ll need to ensure that your ads are exactly 30 seconds long.
Viewers generally switch from one station to the next, especially if an advertisement isn’t interesting to them. In order to sell your product, you need to grab the viewer’s attention within the first 10 seconds of the advertisement. By presenting a problem or need that they have will make them want to stay and hear the solution, gaining their attention to your ad.
- Cost out your advertisement
Begin calculating how much your advertisement will cost including video production, post-production, talents, and consider how much the placement on television will be.
- Purchasing your advertising time
Before committing your entire budget and placing all your ads at once, consider test runs. If your advertisement is running on multiple stations, you can buy fewer commercial slots on each. This allows you to understand what station or slot increased your sales.
Are you considering television advertising to help get your business out there?