HOW TO ADVERTISE ON TV ON A HOME-BASED
BUDGET
by Dr. Kevin Nunley
Index
of Articles
Television is called "the
King of Advertising," and for good reason. TV's ability
to show your product or service in action is a powerful
persuader for prospects. Thousands of viewers can simultaneously
see what a friendly, honest-looking person you are. They
can see how your business will benefit their lives. You
can also show them how to buy from you.
Television is simple, powerful,
and everyone watches it. Studies show that the average household
has the TV on an amazing seven to nine hours each day. It's
not overstatement to say that television is the central
most important media in many of yourprospects' lives.
That's exactly where the
problem lies for the home-based business on a tight marketing
budget. TV is in demand. Everyone wants it. And, as a result,
TV advertising is expensive. Your local car dealer whose
ads are always on the tube is probably spending several
million dollars a year on TV.
But don't give up yet!
With a little inside information, you may well be able to
afford your own television commercials. And you can do it
on a conservative budget that will make the well-heeled
car dealer look like a wasteful fool.
TV ad rates have been coming
down for years. With new TV networks popping up, many more
cable channels, pay-per-view, and digital satellite delivery--increasing
competition is forcing television ad managers to lower their
rates. Some small business people are reporting TV spots
as low as three dollars each.
Look for deals. Call your
local television stations. Ask the sales manager for his
or her lowest rates. You can get a price break for buying
multiple spots in a "package." Haggle a bit. No spot price
is set in stone. In broadcasting everything is negotiable.
You don't need the most
expensive commercial slots in the evening news. Lower-rated,
less high-profile programs may deliver plenty of viewers
who are just the kind of customers you're looking for.
Some of the best bargains
around are on cable TV. The prospect surfing through every
channel on her TV is just as likely to run across your commercial
on less-expensive cable shows as on pricey network sitcoms.
Cable companies will sell you a package deal that includes
commercial slots on a variety of channels. You could reach
Dad on ESPN, the teen-aged son on MTV, and Grandpa on the
Weather Channel.
More than a few businesses
have started out on cable and got so much initial response
that they canceled their other advertising. Odd, cheaply
priced hours are OK too. People watch TV at any time of
day or night.
Unlike radio commercials,
which radio station's produce for free, television commercials
can be very expensive to produce. Actors, multiple locations,
and creative effects take time, people, and money. Time-wasters
can drive your production costs through the roof. Save time
and money by shooting without sound. You can "voice over"
an announcer later.
Adjusting lights is another
time-waster. Shoot everything in a TV studio where lights
are already set up. Or--better yet--shoot outside with natural
lighting. Reinforce your name, address, phone number, and
slogan with computer produced graphics.
Independent television
production houses may give you a better deal. A team of
industrial video producers once let me produce tons of video
for next to nothing. They did the work after hours when
equipment wasn't normally being used. Sometimes cable TV
will accept commercials produced with lower, cheaper standards.
Plan everything well ahead
of time. Leave nothing to chance. Solving problems on the
set with the clock ticking is not a situation you want to
be in.
Keep your message clear
and simple. Creative, image-oriented commercials are better
left to big businesses with mega-budgets. They can afford
to run a commercial over and over before results are expected.
You want immediate results.
Finally, there appear to
be some be some major changes coming to the world of television.
Washington is demanding that TV stations switch to digital
broadcasting. Experts say this will be the biggest change
in television in 50 years. Under a new system that is still
being worked out, TV stations could split their single channel
into six. If TV managers are busy providing programming
and commercials for one channel, they are positively bewildered
at the prospect of six channels.
And it doesn't stop there.
With new digital technology, cable television in major cities
will have 100 channels by next year, and 500 channels within
two years! Who will be on television?
EVERYONE!
I predict that the coming
multi-channeling of television will drop commercial rates
ever lower. It will bring unprecedented opportunity to small
business people.
Take time to research TV
in your town. Find out what options are available to you
and keep an eye on how those options will be changing in
the months ahead. You may want to have your home-based business
on the TV bonanza train when it leaves the station.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing
advice and copy writing for businesses and organizations.
Read all his money-saving marketing tips at http://DrNunley.com/.
Reach him from his site via email.
