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Media Placement

Choosing a Vehicle

There are dozens of advertising vehicles competing for your consideration and, unless you have unlimited funds, you must decide where best to place your advertising in order to reach your target market in the most cost effective way. Your choices include traditional vehicles such as print and broadcast media, outdoor advertising, specialty advertising and direct mail as well as a rapidly growing list of nontraditional vehicles such as websites, email marketing, social media and mobile apps.

In making your media selections, evaluate the various options available from your potential customer’s perspective. You may not read the daily newspaper, listen to NPR or follow anyone on Twitter or Facebook. But your target market might and, if so, that’s where your message needs to be.

One more important rule to remember: Avoid spreading yourself too thin. A successful advertising campaign relies on consistent exposure and frequent repetition. Twelve quarter-page ads, placed once a month in a single magazine, are more effective than a 60-second television commercial airing just twice in one week.

Newspapers
Evaluate large circulation daily newspapers as well as small circulation dailies, weeklies and shoppers to determine which vehicles best reach your target market.

Magazines and Periodicals
Magazines are typically more targeted than newspapers in both subject matter and audience. Ad space and production costs are generally higher due to their high-quality format and effective use of graphics, color and typography. Before placing ads in any one magazine, study its circulation numbers and reader demographics to be sure that your message will be reaching your desired target market.

Television
Many small-business owners shy away from television ads even before evaluating the cost/benefit ratio. Television does cost more per thousand potential customers reached, but some products and services can be promoted effectively using television’s unique features.

Radio
Radio offers many of the benefits of broadcast advertising without some of television’s high costs. The benefits of radio include its intrusive nature (you’re captive if listening while driving), targeted/specialized audience and local market appeal. Like TV, however, radio ads may have a short life span or low audience comprehension; people often listen to radio without paying attention.

Direct Mail
Brochures, fliers, newsletters, postcards and coupons sent by “snail mail” give small business owners the opportunity to have direct, personalized contact with their customers. Mailing lists can be rented from direct mail companies or compiled from lists of existing customers to provide a pool of prospects with common demographic characteristics and needs.

Outdoor Advertising
Billboards, transit advertising and on-site signage reach selective geographic markets, but since exposure time is short, it must be attractive, readable and to the point.

Specialty Advertising
Giveaway items such as pens, pads, coffee mugs, paperweights, baseball caps and T-shirts imprinted with your company name and logo function as free “gifts” for customers and as business advertisements. For best effect, they should be inexpensive but not cheesy, useful and reflect positively on the image of your business.

Tags: Florida Small Business, Growing Your Business