Strategies for Success

When small businesses are ready to advertise, the biggest question that arises is what medium should they choose. Here are some of the mediums that small business owners typically consider:

Radio Advertising

Radio is no longer a cost-effective solution. In the not-so-distant past listeners of traditional radio mostly utilized the medium in the car or in the gym. Now many people are using their iPods, satellite radio, or their cell phones to help pass the time. The amount of hours the average American now listens to traditional radio has dropped significantly to under 7 hours a week. This is quite small when you compare the fact that Americans watch 35 hours a week of television, and go online over 32 hours a week. Radio stations had no other choice but drop their advertising rates considerably, which is why many small businesses still consider traditional radio advertising an effective medium - unfortunately this is not the case. The radio industry has tried to promote HD Radio, however it seems that has also failed. (Do any of you that are reading this blog post know what HD Radio is? Post a comment and let us know.) In the very near future, terrestrial radio will be aimed at the very poor and the very old. Is this the demographic you want to reach? We have to face the reality that traditional radio is dead. 

Newspaper Advertising

There is no doubt you must have read about the decline of newspapers in the United States (actually you probably saw a story about it on TV). Most Americans simply don't see a reason to buy a newspaper that is often out of date when you compare it to their online, and television counterparts. Americans don't plan on needing newspapers in the future either. In fact, just yesterday Editor & Publisher released an article that stated that 8 out of 10 Americans would oppose any plan to spend tax dollars to aid failing newspapers. 45% of those surveyed think the internet is "adequately covering for failing newspapers." Like radio, advertising on newspapers has become less and less effective as the audience continues to decline. Newspapers are dying.

Internet and Television Advertising

Now that we have discussed the depressing news, let's discuss other mediums that can make us happy again. If radio and newspapers are dead, what can we use for a cost effective advertising campaign? Well, I'm sure the subtitle of this section must have given the answer away. Television is still the most popular form of consuming media, and 74% of Americans have readily available access to the internet. Together these two advertising mediums cover virtually every single American in the United States. With quite a bit of overlap utilizing both mediums simultaneously can increase your branding efforts tremendously. According to a recent CNN International report "brands who choose multimedia campaigns to communicate their advertising messages are more memorable to consumers and are more likely to enhance perception of their brands." An ad on television alone was recalled an average of 20% of the time by viewers, however that number jumped to 33% when simultaneous TV & internet advertising efforts were introduced. The study also introduced eye-tracking technology which found that viewers responded well to video content on websites, taking between 66 to 80 per cent of their attention.

By using local cable television advertising and video on the web simultaneously, your small business can dominate your competitors that are still utilizing radio and newspapers to advertise their products and services. For more information on how Tonangi Media can help you advertise on television or the internet please visit www.tonangi.com

 Vinod Tonangi | www.tonangi.com | toll free: 877.817.MEDIA | fax: 619.566.4043

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