Whether you own a small company or a large company, one of the most important decisions you will need to make is how to use the media to market your product. Different forms of media include internet advertisements or more traditional forms such as newspaper or radio ads.
Newspaper Ads
Newspaper advertisements were once the most effective way to promote your product or service. A company could print a half page ad or a full page ad and pretty much guarantee that it would reach many different audiences. However, with the decline in print media and newspaper subscriptions, this has changed. Since readership is down across the board, many companies, particularly larger ones, are finding it less profitable to print advertisements unless they were including coupons with the ad. However, this is not true for all business types. For example, local companies are still largely successful by printing their ads in local newspapers. This is because it is more effective at targeting the local demographic. In addition, if a consumer is searching for a particular product or service, they will often check out the ads in their local newspaper. However, this is not necessarily true for larger companies who advertise in national or global publications. Although, since many newspaper publications also have websites where they update their news stories, many will offer a deal where you can also advertise on their websites at a discount.
Therefore, although newspaper ads are still an effective way to promote your product or service, it will depend on the size of your company and the scope of the publication that you choose.
Radio Ads
Radio ads are a very effective way of reaching a large audience. It is reported that more than two hundred million Americans listen to the radio.
Although this is a powerful advertising mechanism, you must still make your decisions wisely. For example, it is very important to identify your target audience. Because different demographics are drawn to different radio stations, it is important to have a clear understanding of who you are trying to reach and which radio station they are mostly likely to listen to.
It is also important to understand how radio advertisement pricing works and if you are receiving good value for your money. For example, you should always consider how many times your target audience is likely to hear your message rather than how many times your ads are played. For example, if you are selling a product or service that is targeted towards teenagers, playing the advertisements on a popular teen radio station will be a large waste if it is during hours where they are unlikely to hear it, such as during school hours. In addition, you should always try to make your radio ads catchy so that it draws in the attention of the audience.
Billboard Ads
Outdoor advertising is a very popular strategy because they have the potential of reaching the widest group of people every day.
However, they are pricey so it is important that you employ the right techniques to make sure that you get your message across.
First of all, keep the text to a minimum. Where possible, try to use catchy phrases and slogans because this will make it more likely to stick with your consumers. Creating a billboard with a lot of text will result in the message and the advertisement going ignored. In fact, sometimes billboards with images and little to no text can be much more effective. You will need to use your discretion and also consider the demographic that you are trying to target.
In addition, make your billboard eye catching, but not distracting. Because many cyclists and motorists are likely to see it, you want to minimize the possibilities of any accidents that may occur as a result of your billboard.
