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I had a little hiatus from my Media Matters article in The Circuit during wedding season, but I'm back and ready to talk about what you need to know about what you need to get the most out of your media dollars!
It’s the New Year and you’ve decided to go ahead and spend some of your hard earned marketing dollars on a local television spot… No other advertising medium is as likely to eat up your marketing budget as quickly as TV will, so here are a few tips to ensure you get the most out of those dollars.
You’ve only got 30-seconds. With this amount of time it’s essential to choose the most critical sales points for your business. The message must me clear and precise. Typically 30-second spots are for getting one thought or idea out and then having the viewer come to a website or call for the rest of the story.
Make sure the script includes the NAME of your business. This is copywriting 101, but here’s why I feel the need to reinforce this… I’m a big Good Morning America fan. Although I don’t have my eyes glued to the screen, you can bet between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. the show is the background noise to mornings in the Banks-Morgan household. And this is the key here - it’s background noise. I may a lift my eyes to check out a local weather pattern, but like many busy moms who are the key demographic for this show, I’m only listening in, not actively watching. So, when a local commercial comes on mentally I’m tuned in. Almost daily there is an ad running for a local financial planner who sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. Unfortunately, at no point during the 30-second spot does he SAY the name of his business. The spiel sounds good, but I have no idea who he is.
Get an exclusivity contract signed by the talent hired for your commercial. We’re not a big DMA, so there isn’t an abundance of local talent. However, if you’re spending those hard earned dollars on television, you want to ensure the voice /on-screen talent you hire isn’t going to be selling air conditioning services for you one day, and fronting a local restaurant the next. It undermines the credibility of your company, and as I’ve already explained, often viewers are only listening to your commercial. Chances are they’ll recognize the voice of the talent. It’s the responsibility of a good production company to scout and recruit new talent, and if they know where to look, finding a fresh voice/face shouldn’t be an issue.
Finally, talk to other chamber members about their experiences with broadcast advertising. While salespeople from TV stations and cable providers can be very helpful, they are, after all, trying to sell you something.
I must be on a roll I don't think I've ever blogged three times in three days...
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