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How Do I Choose between the Different Types of Advertising?
Your choice between the different types of advertising depends on the audience that you want to reach. If your ideal customer is a baby boomer or retired person, print ads may be your best option. If you’re looking to attract a younger type of consumer, there are many online advertising methods that can be used to reach them. Broadcast advertising can be split between radio and television commercials and can reach a broad spectrum of customers depending the station you choose and the time slot when the ads air. Your marketing budget can also impact the types of advertising that are accessible to you.
The most expensive types of advertising are generally within the broadcast realm. TV and radio stations charge top dollar for the best time slots, which have the most viewers and listeners, respectively. Based on your research into the kinds of customers you want to reach, you can often target broadcast commercials to connect with the largest number of those people. For example, the demographics are very different between the types of customers who watch soap operas on TV compared to the types who watch news programs or reality TV. Likewise, radio listeners can often be categorized differently, based on whether they enjoy talk radio versus top 40 or another genre of music.
Print offers a diverse range of different types of advertising. These options are often less costly than broadcast commercials and tend to reach an older audience with more disposable income. You might want to use direct mail advertising, in which you send coupons or news about sales in newspaper inserts. A panel ad in a newspaper is another option. Many companies often choose to take out an ad in the local yellow pages, because virtually every consumer will receive a phone book in the mail.
Online marketing can often be one of the most cost-effective types of advertising. It’s often relatively inexpensive to purchase banner ads on blogs or other websites that attract a lot of targeted readers. Pay per click ads often reach customers who use search engines to look for products, services. or other information. Producing video commercials and placing them online in social media channels and sites like YouTube can also be done cheaply in most cases. Another option for marketing your business is mobile advertising, or sending ads about special sales or discounts directly to the customer’s cell phone or smart phone. The advantage to these is that customers often have to opt in for the ads, so they’re already nominally interested in your business.
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![Targeted mailings are one of the most cost-effective ways to run a direct mail campaign.]()
By: Feng YuTargeted mailings are one of the most cost-effective ways to run a direct mail campaign. -
![Taking out an ad in the local Yellow Pages is a good way to reach virtually every customer in the area.]()
By: robynmacTaking out an ad in the local Yellow Pages is a good way to reach virtually every customer in the area. -
![Broadcast advertising can reach a broad spectrum of customers depending on the station and time slot when the ads air.]()
By: On-AirBroadcast advertising can reach a broad spectrum of customers depending on the station and time slot when the ads air. -
![A newspaper advertisement can be a relatively cheap way of advertising.]()
By: PetooA newspaper advertisement can be a relatively cheap way of advertising.
Discussion Comments
@OeKc05 – I would skip the television and radio advertising and go straight for the online market. If you get an ad on TV, you have the chance to reach viewers once or twice, but if you have an ad on a website for a good period of time, you could reach many more people.
Every website will differ with pricing, but even if you can only afford a week or two of having your ad on one, you could potentially reach thousands of people or more. The best place to advertise would be on a news outlet's site. Every time someone goes to a television station, radio station, or newspaper website, they will see your ad on the page, rather than just seeing it at certain times or on specific days.
I own a small gift shop, and my advertising options are limited by my budget. Currently, I can't afford to run an ad on TV or on the radio.
I can't decide whether I should run a series of ads in the newspaper or save up and buy one good time slot on TV. People of all ages come into my store, so I don't think I have any one age group to reach.
I could also do some online advertising with the paper and the local TV and radio stations. However, I can only pick one option. Would I be better off saving up for the most expensive type of ad or doing cheaper ads now?
I work for a furniture store in my town, and the manager often consults with me about advertising. I have a degree in marketing, and he values my opinion in this area.
I told him that I thought we should focus our attention on two different target markets. One would be the people in their late twenties who are potentially moving into their own houses and in need of furnishings. The other would be retired people who have cash to spend on big purchases.
We decided to run an ad on television to reach the twenty-somethings. We bought a slot during prime time, and the ad features attractive video of some of our most stylish pieces.
For the retired market, we bought a big newspaper ad and ran it in the Sunday paper, which every older person I know reads. It focuses on some of our more vintage style furniture and some of the more expensive items.
As a consumer, I can tell you that mobile advertising works on me and my friends. We love going shopping for shoes and clothes, so we were eager to sign up for text alerts whenever our favorite store has a sale or wants to send out a coupon.
Mobile advertising is great, because the advertiser doesn't overwhelm our phones with messages. I generally get two text messages per month. One usually announces a sale, and the other contains a promo code for a discount.
I can either use the code online or in the store, so I have more of a choice about how I do my shopping. I think that stores should do more mobile advertising, because it excites and motivates consumers when they get a message directly.
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