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Actual for You - The Best Advertising for Your Dollar: Newspaper, Radio, TV or Internet? How To Tell Which is Best
We have all heard this lament, but how much do we practice it. With all the relaxed rules today, do we really present ourselves in the best light. It seems all the articles I see today are about how old fashioned today's workers find their supervisors or bosses to be in the way they dress, the policies they implement and the old fashioned ways in which they conduct their business. I am of the belief, and will continue to believe, that the first impression I make is the lasting one. Whether it is by phone or in person, I want to present myself in the best possible light. But then again, I am from the old school, the one today's workers are complaining about. Let's look at the companies that are still standing. After all the hoopla has passed, the companies that have used the fundamental principles of Business 101 are the ones still among us. The Intels, IBMs, Burger Kings, AT&Ts, Sears, Microsofts, Dells, Gateways, etc. I am not advocating living in the dark ages. I believe for a company to survive it has to move with the times, but the basic structure and foundation on which we have built our business - image, courtesy, ethics, the customer being right, are the cornerstones to running a successful business, whether it is home-based or not. Too many home-based business have taken the pajama mentality into all of their business practices. I have called on businesses that have cute messages on their machines, music that is obnoxious, children answering the telephone, screaming televisions, radios in the background. This does not inspire confidence in me to do business with this person. That is not to say I have not had reservations about companies that have offices outside the home. In fact, it was a call placed to one that inspired this article. When I called and spoke to the owner of this business, she had no idea on how a particular process worked or what it's cost would be. Wow, it's her business and she doesn't know how it works or what it costs. Guess who I didn't do business with. I am not saying you have to be an expert, but at least know the basics and tell me you employ an expert in that area that will be better able to help me, don't hem and haw and tell me you don't have a clue. This d
* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.
* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.
* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on another channel.
* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets.
* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the "invisible ink" problem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again -- on the other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.
MAGAZINES
The Good:
* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.
* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb. (That doesn't mean it will sell, however!)
* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.
* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple pages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.
* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.
* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.
* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazines are even better on this count than newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be seen again and again.
* Can reach a huge audience, easil
We’ve all heard the saying: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. But I like to think of it another way. Ask yourself, “am I planning to succeed?”In business, it’s important to follow a plan. It’s important to have a plan for your year, each week, and each day. Otherwise, you’re being reactive in your business instead of being proactive. When you’re proactive, you control your business – it doesn’t control you.Here are three easy-to-follow tips to creating and following a successful plan:1. Start with the end in mind. Set a deadline for your goal. Write the completion of your goal on the deadline date in your calendar. Then, work backward by putting tasks in your calendar each day or each week. For example, if you want to send out a mailing this spring, choose the date that you want the mailing to go out. Then, work backward to create a to-do list each week. If you wanted to send your mailing out on April 1, you would write, “edit mailing” on March 31, and “finish creating mailing” on March 30 and so on. Do this for each goal that you have. Before you know it, you’ll have weekly, and even daily plans laid out.2. Spend time each day planning. Take 15 minutes every day to create a plan. If you follow the example above, you’ll have a broad plan to follow. However, life is full of opportunities, and you don’t want to miss out on anything. Life is also full of things you don’t plan on – like having to get the hot water heater fixed. You’ll need to spend some time planning to include unexpected things into your day. It’s ok to change your plan, move things around, and re-arrange your schedule. It happens, and it’s ok to shift your plan to make room for the unexpected things.3. Put strong activities on your to-do list. There are actually certain things that you don’t need to include in your to-do list. The little things. The things that will get done no matter what. For example, don’t put “mail the bills” on your to-do list. Keep your priorities on your to-do list. Put incidentals or non-essential tasks on sticky notes. Once they’re done, throw the note away. Also, don’t put little things on your to-do list just for the satisfaction of having something to cross off.Planning to succeed doesn’t have t
All business owners are eventually confronted with a serious dillema -- how to advertise, in which medium, and which is the best deal for each dollar spent.
Do newspaper ads outpull radio spots -- or is the power of television the only way to go? And what about the high tech world wide web? The answer is different for each business, each situation, each location and each product.
The following are the pros and cons of each medium. Knowing these can help you decide which medium is right for advertising your product.
NEWSPAPERS
The Good:
* It's fast. An ad in a magazine may take three months to break. A newspaper ad can come out the next day. If you need business fast, this is great.
* Newspapers have wide array of editorial topic selcition to match what you are advertising. For example, if you are selling car parts, you can place your ad in the paper's automotive section, or have it placed next to news stories about cars. Newspapers also have international news, local news, etc., all of which help you focus your advertising effort.
* You get a lot of room, if you need it. Remember, long copy always sells better than short copy. The broad area of a newspaper page is ideal for long copy.
* Newspapers can insert your catalog, flyer or whatever preprinted materials you might have.
* You can use them to distribute reader response items, such as coupons, contest entry forms, surveys, and other such things.
* Radio advertising is sometimes called "invisible ink." That's because it is gone as soon as it is broadcast. With a newspaper, you can give the customer something to clip, or something they may see a second time if they read the newspaper a second time.
* Newspapers can reach large numbers of people, depending on circulation. Lage urban dailies, for example, may easily reach 1 or 2 million potential buyers overnight.
* They are available nationally, regionally, or locally.
* Newspapers allow you to reach possible nonreaders who might be part of your secondary target audience.
* Tend to be cheaper than other media, depending on a number of variables.
* Newspaper ads are easier to produce, and thus less costly. A TV ad, for example, may require special effects, actors, video footage, etc.
* Newspapers are good for repeat exposure, a vital element of effective advertising. Readers need to see something an average of six to eight times before they "see" an ad or respond to it.
* Newspapers can reach people who otherwise have little access to other media.
* Many people buy newspapers not for the news, but to find out what's on sale today, or what's happening today. Movie ads are a prime example.
* They have better local market penetration than magazines.
* You have more options in terms of space and unusual ad configurations
* You can use dealer listings.
The Bad:
* Newspapers tend to charge relatively high-cost premiums for less than full-run purchases.
* They are flat, and more than literally. In other words, they don't beep, squeek, blast and make noise and colorful moving images as do radio and TV or a website.
* Do not have the reach other media forms, such as national magazines.
* Are not conducive to last minute changes beause of tight printing schedules.
* Newspapers do not produce as high a frequency level as other media forms.
* Large space ads are very expensive and their longevity is fleeting.
* Ads in newspapers tend to compete heavily with other ads on the page. Clutter is not good for your ad, but in a newspaper, there is usually a lot of clutter
* Use of color is crappy, and does not equal that of magazine color quality.
* Tend to deliver only an adult audience. If you have products targeted at teens or even college students, a newspaper probably won't reach these people.
* Newspapers are usually only viewed by one person at a time.
RADIO
The good:
* Radio offers a wide array of formats which can reach listeners during a specific state of mind, which can complement a specific advertising message. Many people listen to radio while driving to and from work, others listen in the evening while relaxing next to a cozy fire.
* Delivers your message to everyone in the room or car at the same time.
* Is fast. Your ad could be heard the next day if production is available, ad copy is written and studio time is available.
* Radio advertising is intrusive -- it butts in on your listening, and your only opiton is to listen or change the channel, (or shut it off!)
* Reaches a national, regional or local audience.
* Can be effectively targeted to consumer segments, such as teen-agers vs. seniors, or men vs. women.
* Can be repeated often, thus driving the message home. Once again, repeition is the heart of effective advertising.
* Radio ads can be heard 24 hours a day.
* Radio can reach people as they are on their way to the store. Messages delivered just prior to actual shopping are very powerful.
* Tends to be cheaper per announcement than either TV or print, and in fact, is probably the most cost efficient of all media.
* Uses "theater of the mind." Radio uses voice and sound effects to conjur up images in the listener's mind by engaging the human imagination. This can be more powerful than any pre-developed TV image or still photograph.
* Reaches people who do not like to read newspaper or magazine, or people who do not view outdoor mediums, such as billboards, and those who do not like TV or computers.
The Bad:
* Most people have the radio on "for noise." That is, they are usually otherwise engaged with something while listening, and often are only half-listening.
* Repetition is more important to overcome general lack of attention on behalf of the listener, and thus, you have to spend more for more spots,which can make up for the lower cost.
* Makes it difficult for the listener to take physical action as a result of the advertising message. For eample, most listeners do not have a pen in hand when they hear an 800 number to call or an address to remember.
* You generally need more up-front money to buy up the large number of spots you need to get the job done.
* Is not visual, and many people retain better what they can see than what they hear. Also does not move, another aspect of capturing vital attention.
TELEVISION
The Good:
* Is usually in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.
* Uses all elements of sight, sound and movement at once to form a powerful package that hits on all level of human senses (except touch and smell).
* Can deliver your message to all people in a room simultaneously.
* Is fast, but not as fast as newspaper or radio because it tends to require more production.
* Like radio it is intrusive. The customer does not have to seek out the ad, like they must to find a movie listing or a rummage sale. The ad comes to the viewer.
* Available nationally, regionally, or locally.
* Television ads can be purchased to focus on concentrated geographical areas, especially with the advent of cable.
* Has a wide variety of programming to match the nature or subject matter of your ad. Want to sell rock-n-roll CDs? Buy ads during Grammy Awards or American Idol. Want to sell feminine hygiene products? Buy time during soap operas.
* TV has more reach than any other medium in terms of all segments of society. Just about everyone watches TV, but not everyone reads newspapers or magazines.
* Is good for repepetition of ads.
* TV can deliver your ad at any time of the day, 24 hours a day.
* You can get an exclusive, that is, your ad need not compete with a clutter of other ads -- but you may have to pay dearly for it.
* Tends to be more cost efficient in terms of number of responses it produces compared to dollars invested.
* Is probably best for reaching those people who tend not to use any other form of media.
The Bad:
* Most often is very cluttered. your commerical may be sandwhiched deep within a string of other commericals, which have long since caused the viewer to head to the refrigerator. Also weakens long-term memory of your product message.
* Is sometimes hard to get. There are usually a limited number of TV spots available, and you may not get the program you want.
* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.
* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.
* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on another channel.
* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets.
* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the "invisible ink" problem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again -- on the other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.
MAGAZINES
The Good:
* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.
* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb. (That doesn't mean it will sell, however!)
* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.
* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple pages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.
* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.
* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.
* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazines are even better on this count than newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be seen again and again.
* Can reach a huge audience, easily
THE STRUGGLE -- I was recently talking with one of my entrepreneur friends. He has started three businesses in the last several years—a budding entrepreneur. He was relating some of the joys he has experienced in those enterprises: a sense of freedom from the corporate world, pursuing his dreams and passions, setting his own schedule, controlling his destiny and a large potential for financial rewards.However, he did mention a few downsides: little to no outside accountability, lack of consistent capital, feelings of loneliness, no steady revenue stream, feeling disconnected from others who don’t understand his drive to succeed, constant struggles to survive and a severe lack of work-life balance. Sound familiar?I think most entrepreneurs struggle with similar issues, especially balance. There are many reasons they can give for their lack of life balance and low satisfaction: “I have too much work to do. I just need a few more hours to finish this project. I need more money. I have bills to pay. My business depends on my hard work. My family needs more income. I am solely responsible for developing, marketing, selling and servicing my product or service.”Any or all of these reasons may be true, which might lead entrepreneurs to find great difficulty in managing the two sides of entrepreneurship—balance and success. How often do you struggle with working longer hours than you know you should to try and secure the next sale? How many times has your family and friends tried to pull you away from your office this last month? Take a moment and count up the actual hours you have spent working this last week or month. There is always the temptation to do a little more, work a little harder, talk to one more potential customer in hopes of making one more sale.What specific things are you doing to take care of yourself: physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Many entrepreneurs overlook these vital areas of life in search of professional success, yet these areas are full of potential for sparking the creative, outside of the box thinking that leads entrepreneurs like yourself to discover life changing products and services and find a new perspective on your business venture.ASSESS WHERE YOU ARETake a
* Tend to be cheaper than other media, depending on a number of variables.
* Newspaper ads are easier to produce, and thus less costly. A TV ad, for example, may require special effects, actors, video footage, etc.
* Newspapers are good for repeat exposure, a vital element of effective advertising. Readers need to see something an average of six to eight times before they "see" an ad or respond to it.
* Newspapers can reach people who otherwise have little access to other media.
* Many people buy newspapers not for the news, but to find out what's on sale today, or what's happening today. Movie ads are a prime example.
* They have better local market penetration than magazines.
* You have more options in terms of space and unusual ad configurations
* You can use dealer listings.
The Bad:
* Newspapers tend to charge relatively high-cost premiums for less than full-run purchases.
* They are flat, and more than literally. In other words, they don't beep, squeek, blast and make noise and colorful moving images as do radio and TV or a website.
* Do not have the reach other media forms, such as national magazines.
* Are not conducive to last minute changes beause of tight printing schedules.
* Newspapers do not produce as high a frequency level as other media forms.
* Large space ads are very expensive and their longevity is fleeting.
* Ads in newspapers tend to compete heavily with other ads on the page. Clutter is not good for your ad, but in a newspaper, there is usually a lot of clutter
* Use of color is crappy, and does not equal that of magazine color quality.
* Tend to deliver only an adult audience. If you have products targeted at teens or even college students, a newspaper probably won't reach these people.
* Newspapers are usually only viewed by one person at a time.
RADIO
The good:
* Radio offers a wide array of formats which can reach listeners during a specific state of mind, which can complement a specific advertising message. Many people listen to radio while driving to and from work, others listen in the evening while relaxing next to a cozy fire.
* Delivers your message to everyone in the room or car at the same time.
* Is fast. Your ad could be heard the next day if production is available, ad copy is written and studio time is available.
* Radio advertising is intrusive -- it butts in on your listening, and your only opiton is to listen or change the channel, (or shut it off!)
* Reaches a national, regional or local audience.
* Can be effectively targeted to consumer segments, such as teen-agers vs. seniors, or men vs. women.
* Can be repeated often, thus driving the message home. Once again, repeition is the heart of effective advertising.
* Radio ads can be heard 24 hours a day.
* Radio can reach people as they are on their way to the store. Messages delivered just prior to actual shopping are very powerful.
* Tends to be cheaper per announcement than either TV or print, and in fact, is probably the most cost efficient of all media.
* Uses "theater of the mind." Radio uses voice and sound effects to conjur up images in the listener's mind by engaging the human imagination. This can be more powerful than any pre-developed TV image or still photograph.
* Reaches people who do not like to read newspaper or magazine, or people who do not view outdoor mediums, such as billboards, and those who do not like TV or computers.
The Bad:
* Most people have the radio on "for noise." That is, they are usually otherwise engaged with something while listening, and often are only half-listening.
* Repetition is more important to overcome general lack of attention on behalf of the listener, and thus, you have to spend more for more spots,which can make up for the lower cost.
* Makes it difficult for the listener to take physical action as a result of the advertising message. For eample, most listeners do not have a pen in hand when they hear an 800 number to call or an address to remember.
* You generally need more up-front money to buy up the large number of spots you need to get the job done.
* Is not visual, and many people retain better what they can see than what they hear. Also does not move, another aspect of capturing vital attention.
TELEVISION
The Good:
* Is usually in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.
* Uses all elements of sight, sound and movement at once to form a powerful package that hits on all level of human senses (except touch and smell).
* Can deliver your message to all people in a room simultaneously.
* Is fast, but not as fast as newspaper or radio because it tends to require more production.
* Like radio it is intrusive. The customer does not have to seek out the ad, like they must to find a movie listing or a rummage sale. The ad comes to the viewer.
* Available nationally, regionally, or locally.
* Television ads can be purchased to focus on concentrated geographical areas, especially with the advent of cable.
* Has a wide variety of programming to match the nature or subject matter of your ad. Want to sell rock-n-roll CDs? Buy ads during Grammy Awards or American Idol. Want to sell feminine hygiene products? Buy time during soap operas.
* TV has more reach than any other medium in terms of all segments of society. Just about everyone watches TV, but not everyone reads newspapers or magazines.
* Is good for repepetition of ads.
* TV can deliver your ad at any time of the day, 24 hours a day.
* You can get an exclusive, that is, your ad need not compete with a clutter of other ads -- but you may have to pay dearly for it.
* Tends to be more cost efficient in terms of number of responses it produces compared to dollars invested.
* Is probably best for reaching those people who tend not to use any other form of media.
The Bad:
* Most often is very cluttered. your commerical may be sandwhiched deep within a string of other commericals, which have long since caused the viewer to head to the refrigerator. Also weakens long-term memory of your product message.
* Is sometimes hard to get. There are usually a limited number of TV spots available, and you may not get the program you want.
* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.
* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.
* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on another channel.
* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets.
* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the "invisible ink" problem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again -- on the other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.
MAGAZINES
The Good:
* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.
* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb. (That doesn't mean it will sell, however!)
* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.
* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple pages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.
* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.
* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.
* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazines are even better on this count than newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be seen again and again.
* Can reach a huge audience, easil
DISBELIEF: Overcome Limited Imagination and Blind SpotsThe disbelief stall is based on a valid experience, lack of relevant experience, or a previously established circumstance that no longer pertains. The bigger the new idea, the more likely it will boggle the minds of those involved.Consider this: Over a hundred years ago, Alexander Graham Bell supposedly offered his fledgling telephone business to Western Union for $100,000. Western Union reportedly turned him down cold, perceiving the telephone as an electrical toy with a limited future. Bell himself initially saw the telephone as limited to use as a substitute for town criers. Householders wondered, "Why get a telephone when I can step outside and talk to my neighbor over the back fence?" The airplane, radio, computers, and the photocopier were greatly underestimated in similar ways before becoming the foundations for major industries. Major breakthroughs change the possibilities of how we can lead our lives, and we are slow to see that undeveloped potential.STALL ERASERSCreative People with Different ViewpointsIn checking out new information, technology, and techniques, seek the help of people who enjoy creating new solutions. You may find these open-minded people among suppliers, new employees, customers, and outside experts, including academics. If you don't have enough such people to draw on, expand your circle of acquaintances.In the same way that no two people have identical kinds of curiosity and imagination, organizations likewise differ in how they look at potential new solutions. You can easily imagine that Intel, Microsoft, IBM, General Electric, and Disney would take quite different approaches to addressing the same opportunity. You should examine your organization's personality and orientation to consider how your perspective can be expanded in useful ways, perhaps by adding new partners and new competencies.Positive Thinking Starts the Exponential Progress EngineTo overcome the disbelief stall, you need a positive outlook. You have to believe that wonderful results are just around the corner, if only you keep looking for improvements.Ask yourself a positive question about any possibility you consider. For
* Delivers your message to everyone in the room or car at the same time.
* Is fast. Your ad could be heard the next day if production is available, ad copy is written and studio time is available.
* Radio advertising is intrusive -- it butts in on your listening, and your only opiton is to listen or change the channel, (or shut it off!)
* Reaches a national, regional or local audience.
* Can be effectively targeted to consumer segments, such as teen-agers vs. seniors, or men vs. women.
* Can be repeated often, thus driving the message home. Once again, repeition is the heart of effective advertising.
* Radio ads can be heard 24 hours a day.
* Radio can reach people as they are on their way to the store. Messages delivered just prior to actual shopping are very powerful.
* Tends to be cheaper per announcement than either TV or print, and in fact, is probably the most cost efficient of all media.
* Uses "theater of the mind." Radio uses voice and sound effects to conjur up images in the listener's mind by engaging the human imagination. This can be more powerful than any pre-developed TV image or still photograph.
* Reaches people who do not like to read newspaper or magazine, or people who do not view outdoor mediums, such as billboards, and those who do not like TV or computers.
The Bad:
* Most people have the radio on "for noise." That is, they are usually otherwise engaged with something while listening, and often are only half-listening.
* Repetition is more important to overcome general lack of attention on behalf of the listener, and thus, you have to spend more for more spots,which can make up for the lower cost.
* Makes it difficult for the listener to take physical action as a result of the advertising message. For eample, most listeners do not have a pen in hand when they hear an 800 number to call or an address to remember.
* You generally need more up-front money to buy up the large number of spots you need to get the job done.
* Is not visual, and many people retain better what they can see than what they hear. Also does not move, another aspect of capturing vital attention.
TELEVISION
The Good:
* Is usually in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.
* Uses all elements of sight, sound and movement at once to form a powerful package that hits on all level of human senses (except touch and smell).
* Can deliver your message to all people in a room simultaneously.
* Is fast, but not as fast as newspaper or radio because it tends to require more production.
* Like radio it is intrusive. The customer does not have to seek out the ad, like they must to find a movie listing or a rummage sale. The ad comes to the viewer.
* Available nationally, regionally, or locally.
* Television ads can be purchased to focus on concentrated geographical areas, especially with the advent of cable.
* Has a wide variety of programming to match the nature or subject matter of your ad. Want to sell rock-n-roll CDs? Buy ads during Grammy Awards or American Idol. Want to sell feminine hygiene products? Buy time during soap operas.
* TV has more reach than any other medium in terms of all segments of society. Just about everyone watches TV, but not everyone reads newspapers or magazines.
* Is good for repepetition of ads.
* TV can deliver your ad at any time of the day, 24 hours a day.
* You can get an exclusive, that is, your ad need not compete with a clutter of other ads -- but you may have to pay dearly for it.
* Tends to be more cost efficient in terms of number of responses it produces compared to dollars invested.
* Is probably best for reaching those people who tend not to use any other form of media.
The Bad:
* Most often is very cluttered. your commerical may be sandwhiched deep within a string of other commericals, which have long since caused the viewer to head to the refrigerator. Also weakens long-term memory of your product message.
* Is sometimes hard to get. There are usually a limited number of TV spots available, and you may not get the program you want.
* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.
* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.
* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on another channel.
* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets.
* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the "invisible ink" problem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again -- on the other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.
MAGAZINES
The Good:
* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.
* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb. (That doesn't mean it will sell, however!)
* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.
* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple pages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.
* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.
* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.
* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazines are even better on this count than newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be seen again and again.
* Can reach a huge audience, easil
If you find that you need accommodations for a longer period of time than is generally practical at a hotel, you should definitely look into short term housing. Short term housing is a convenient and economical way to stay in a comfortable suite, condo or apartment for longer periods of time. Short term housing is ideal for the business traveler, for those relocating, families that in the midst of a renovation, or for those that require accommodations during temporary job assignments. Short term housing includes fully furnished accommodations with large fully equipped kitchens, a washer and dryer, 2 TVs, a DVD Player, all the amenities to provide all the comforts of your own home. Here is some information on how short term housing can work for you.The Basics of Short Term HousingThere are a few basics types of short term housing; however some have fewer advantages than others. For instance, hotels and motels can provide short term accommodations, but are usually only practical for a few days or a week at most. Many hotels have plenty of services, but do not provide the necessary amenities for longer stays. For most people living at a hotel for a short period of time, it can be extremely expensive and wipe out their relocation budget in a very short time period.Extended Stay Hotels are another option for short term housing. They are perfect for individuals that need to live in a specific location for more than a week to a couple of months, but provide smaller accommodations that a full size furnished apartment. If you have a spouse, family or require more living space, you may want to opt for either Corporate Housing or an Extended Stay apartment.Corporate Housing or Extended Stay apartments are a great way to live comfortably and economically for a short period of time, from 2 weeks to 2 months - or longer. This type of short term housing gives you all the amenities you expect in a comfortable apartment along with the space to move and live comfortably. They are much easier to rent and less restrictive than a normal apartment lease, allowing you to rent on a monthly or even weekly basis and give shorter notice of your departure date. And you can usually extend your stay if you wish.What Type
* Is not visual, and many people retain better what they can see than what they hear. Also does not move, another aspect of capturing vital attention.
TELEVISION
The Good:
* Is usually in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.
* Uses all elements of sight, sound and movement at once to form a powerful package that hits on all level of human senses (except touch and smell).
* Can deliver your message to all people in a room simultaneously.
* Is fast, but not as fast as newspaper or radio because it tends to require more production.
* Like radio it is intrusive. The customer does not have to seek out the ad, like they must to find a movie listing or a rummage sale. The ad comes to the viewer.
* Available nationally, regionally, or locally.
* Television ads can be purchased to focus on concentrated geographical areas, especially with the advent of cable.
* Has a wide variety of programming to match the nature or subject matter of your ad. Want to sell rock-n-roll CDs? Buy ads during Grammy Awards or American Idol. Want to sell feminine hygiene products? Buy time during soap operas.
* TV has more reach than any other medium in terms of all segments of society. Just about everyone watches TV, but not everyone reads newspapers or magazines.
* Is good for repepetition of ads.
* TV can deliver your ad at any time of the day, 24 hours a day.
* You can get an exclusive, that is, your ad need not compete with a clutter of other ads -- but you may have to pay dearly for it.
* Tends to be more cost efficient in terms of number of responses it produces compared to dollars invested.
* Is probably best for reaching those people who tend not to use any other form of media.
The Bad:
* Most often is very cluttered. your commerical may be sandwhiched deep within a string of other commericals, which have long since caused the viewer to head to the refrigerator. Also weakens long-term memory of your product message.
* Is sometimes hard to get. There are usually a limited number of TV spots available, and you may not get the program you want.
* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.
* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.
* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on another channel.
* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets.
* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the "invisible ink" problem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again -- on the other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.
MAGAZINES
The Good:
* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.
* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb. (That doesn't mean it will sell, however!)
* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.
* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple pages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.
* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.
* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.
* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazines are even better on this count than newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be seen again and again.
* Can reach a huge audience, easil
After hearing Daniel Pink speak about his new book A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age for the fourth time, I finally read it cover to cover (less than a day). I finally got what he's talking about when he says jobs that are high touch are here to stay. That is, jobs that builds relationships between business and client whether it's B2B or B2C. To that end, he advocates that we incorporate more storytelling into our relationships, that we make a point with a story, not just facts which everyone knows they need but still find boring. The reason is that stories are easier to remember. He goes on to list some of our contemporary characteristics distinguishing stories from facts:Facts illuminate..........Stories amuseFacts reveal..............Stories divertFacts are for real........Stories are for coverWith the easy access to facts however, facts have become ubiquitous, available at the speed of light because of the internet and search engines like Google. So each fact becomes less valuable. What becomes more valuable is the ability to place these facts in context and deliver them with emotional impact. Stories exist where high concept and high touch intersect. This need is spawning the nascent movement called organizational storytelling at World Bank, NASA, even Xerox. It is even being used in branding advertisement on TV.And as Mark Turner says in his book The Literary Mind, "Most of our experience, our knowledge and our thinking are organized as stories".Why am I telling you? Here's Daniel Pink's answer: "Story is having another important impact on business. Like design, it is becoming a key way for individuals and entrepreneurs to distinguish their goods and services in a crowded marketplace."So I wanted to share with you a story I heard last week. I like this story for three reasons: 1. it's a story out of Wal-Mart's success. 2. we can each apply it as a mini-self-assessment. 3. it's inspirational. I hope you like it too.At Wal-Mart, in the beginning, everyone would start as a bagger, bagging the customer's purchases. Employees were monitored on a number of criteria. They were assessed on their attitude toward the job, attitude toward the custo
* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.
* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.
* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on another channel.
* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets.
* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the "invisible ink" problem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again -- on the other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.
MAGAZINES
The Good:
* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.
* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb. (That doesn't mean it will sell, however!)
* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.
* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple pages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.
* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.
* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.
* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazines are even better on this count than newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be seen again and again.
* Can reach a huge audience, easily in the millions with the bigger magazines.
* Magazines allow for a breathtaking array of creative options: pop-ups, special inks, holograms, unusual space configurations, personalizing elements for each reader of the publication, etc.
* They have national, regional and local reach.
* Magazine ads can reach specific demographic segments within the total readership of the magazine. That's because most magazines have departments and areas of specific topic or subject matter, helping you to target your customers.
* Magazine ads can reach possible nonreaders who might be part of an advertiser's secondary target audience.
* Because they are more highly focused and need less repetition, as in radio, they can actually be more cost effective than any other media form.
* Frequency of exposure is high, as we said, because magazines are often read more than once and by more than one person. Also, they may read other similar magazines you have targeted for your ads.
* May reach people that other media do not. Many people prefer to read magazines to newspapers, for example.
* Magazines can accommodate your listings.
The Bad:
* One of the biggest drawbacks is the long period before you buy the ad and when it appears. A magazine ad may take three to four months before it appears. If you need fast cash and customers, this is no help. Also, a reader may not get to his or her magazine right away upon receiving it.
* Tend to be expensive for one-time runs.
* Do not offer sound of movement, although some cutting edge ads, such as pop-ups or those with micro-chip intsertions are breaching this drawback. These are mega-expensive, however.
* Because they are more highly focused, they have less reach, which many do not consider a drawback.
* You must submit your final copy and ad prep many months before deadline. Some magazines have a fast close, and other will call up repeat advertisers with last minute deals, often because they have space to fill or when others back out at the last minute.
* Although once they start printing, you cannot backout. Generally, once you buy a magazine ad, you are locked in no matter what. Refunds are rare.
* You do not get high frequency unless you buy an entire year's worth, but then readers will see them about once a month for most magazines.
* You only get exposure to one person at a time, as opposed to a whole room or car-full as in radio or TV.
SUNDAY MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENTS
The Good:
* You get superior quality color on high quality paper, allowing for effective product presentation, if you are willing to pay top dollar.
* Great for insertions. You know the way it is with all Sunday papers and magazines -- lots of extras which many readers actually buy the publication for in the first place. Many people live to scan and clip coupons.
* You get ample opportunity for long copy. Sunday magazines are among the best place to make a long, detailed ptich.
* As we said, people love to clip coupons, and this is the place people will most likley use any kind of special insertion, from coupons to sweepstakes, contests or surveys.
* Have better chance of repeat exposure to your ad than newspapers or magazines. People tend to hang onto the Sunday paper longer and also give it a better read because they are more relaxed and have more time on Sunday to linger over the paper.
* Can reach large numbers of people in a short time.
* You can get very creative, as you can with magazines. This means pop-ups, specials inks, scratch-and-sniff -- even insertion of product samples.
* Distribution of the advertisement to possible nonreaders who might be part of an advertiser's secondary target audience.
* Because of high readership and better repetition factor, can be a good deal for the your scarce advertising dollar.
* Production costs for your ad will be less than all other media, except for newspaper.
* Can reach people who do not ordinarily read newspapers or pay attention to other media. Many consider the Sunday papre "special."
* You get immediate delivery to entire audience -- even millions of people -- in just one day.
* They can have national, regional, or local distribution, although national is less likely with most Sundays, except the real biggies, such as the New York Times.
* Sunday publications have higher penetration and greater readership locally than do competing publications or other media.
* You can use dealer listings.
The Bad:
* Ads do not force themselves on reader as in radio or TV. In other words, they are nonintrusive.
* No sound or movement in general.
* Usually require advertising materials well in advance of issue date. Some even have longer lead time time than magazines.
* Relatively inflexible for accommodating last minute changes. Most Sunday ads are set in stone after you issue a check. You won't get a refund.
* Frequency is lacking because they only come out on Sundays, and people don't make connections from one Sunday to the next, in most cases.
* Are extremely expensive if you want national or regional coverage.
* Large space ads are very expensive and they are here today and gone tomorrow most of the time.
* Again, they are relatively short-lived, and quickly end up lining a bird cage or wrapping a fish.
* Are not good for delivering ad messages to young people: teens, young adults and children.
* Most often only expose ad to one person at a time, unlike radio or TV, which can deliver a message to a roomful of people all at once.
INTERNET
The Good:
*The Internet is the global community of computers that makes the exchange of information, pictures and sounds possible.
*Can be in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.
* Is fast. Can achieve astounding success if your website receives enough traffic.
*Available, nationally, regionally, locally and internationally.
*An ALTERNATIVE form of marketing that has many strengths and weaknesses.
*Can be done at low or no cost and levels the playing field. A home based business can appear an compete with large companies.
*A large assortment of creative options: popups, popunders, audio, video, personalizing etc. The list goes on and on.
The Bad:
*The learning curve can be a long one. It takes time before you really understand what you are doing.
*No insertions.
*No social contact. You work alone.
*Ezine ads, classified ads, top ads and solo ads can be expensive.
*Failure rate is high.
*Earning an income online isn't difficult--but it can be confusing if you don't manage your time and money, have a consistent plan and stick to it to avoid becomeing derailed.
There you have it. Based on what you have learned above, you should now be in a better position to decide which medium is best for your business, product or service.
Of course, the only perfect way to make a final decision is through test marketing with each medium. You can do that by starting out with small, inexpensive ads in each medium. Those that bring the best results deserve to get your future business and a larger share of your advertising dollar.
Good Luck!
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