Category: Marketing Strategies

Radio Advertising has been around since the 20th century, and is acknowledged as a source of communication. Based on research, around 228 million people in America listen to the radio in a week. This is mainly because it’s mobile.  You can listen to the radio in your car, at the mall, or at work.

Is Radio Advertising for you? Take a look at the Pros and Cons:

Pros

Provides a wider coverage of audience

The radio is so accessible that you won’t have a hard time reaching your audience. Aside from that, people from all walks of life have made it their habit to spend some time listening to their favorite programs.

Cost-effective

There is no doubt that putting up an ad through radio is much cheaper than placing it on TV. It’s common for radio ads to be offered at a flat rate, while the cost of a TV spot often depends on the number of viewers.

Production is quick

Unlike on television, which can take months, producing your ad can be done in a week. Next thing you know, you’d be hearing your ad on the radio.

Cons

Distraction is just around the corner

Your audience may be multitasking while listening to the radio. There’s a chance that they didn’t pay much attention when your advertisement was aired.

Easy to switch between stations

Some people are so tired of hearing promotional ads that when they hear one, they just switch over to the next station.

If you’re certain that going the radio route is for you, here are some tips to maximize it:

Know your audience

Researching the demographics of your audience will make it easier for radio companies to assign your ad to a specific station wherein it would most likely be heard by your target audience.

Make it short but meaningful

Consider the fact that people may be doing something else while listening to the radio. Get straight to the point and mention the benefits they can get from your product or service.

Repetition is key

While you may have gotten their attention, keep in mind that they will be listening to something else after. Be sure to repeat the important information such as your website address or your phone number.

Many have successfully generated hype through radio advertising. As you’ve learned here, with the right approach and thorough thinking, being among them shouldn’t be too difficult.

There’s no denying that in this digital age, many people still prefer reading hard copies rather than from the screens of their devices. For this reason, print advertisements still have significant exposure to the public, and hence are still a reliable source of publicity.

However, not all commercial printing ads get the attention that the publisher desires. This is not a problem with the print platform in particular, but rather with the way the advertisement is created. For this reason, it’s a necessity for advertisers to know the techniques of how their print ads can be most effective.

Polish the Headline

The most important eye-catching element of a print ad is the headline, because apart from the fact that it takes up the larger space on the paper, it also conveys the general message of the ad. Because of this, headlines should be brief and clear.

Long headlines bore people, which drive their attention away from reading the remainder of the ad. It’s also a strategy to make headlines clever; however, making them “too creative” sometimes results in loss of accurate meaning. So to be always on the safe side, go for clearer, somehow more formal headlines.

Create Enjoyable Body Copy

The body copy or the ad is the part where the advertiser explains his offer in detail. And just like headlines, it should be brief. In fact, if it can be avoided, an advertiser can opt to totally not include the body copy at all. But in cases wherein a selling copy is necessary, it should be noted that sentences must be simple and easy to digest. Adding bullets or numbering is also a big help in retaining readers’ attention.

Generate Catchy Graphics

Images and trendy designs are a great way of getting the attention of readers. However, advertisers should keep in mind that photos to be included in the advertisement should always be related to what they are promoting. This is to ensure that, aside from gaining readers’ attention, they will also be enticed to avail of the promoted products or services.

Another thing to take note of is good graphical elements placement. When placed correctly, images can direct the readers’ views to target areas in the advertisement.

Mind the Layout

The layout is responsible for the overall look of the advertisement. An ad with a bad layout imparts incoherence to readers, however compelling and detailed the headline or the body may be. On the contrary, if the layout is executed seamlessly, the readers will attain overall satisfaction because their flow of reading is continuous and pleasing.

 

Keep these tips in mind to make sure that you come up with effective print advertisements.

Billboard advertising used to be among the most sought-after forms of marketing. In the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, the billboard and TV were the go-to advertising platforms of major brands. Then, in the 2000s came Internet marketing and its gradual takeover of the top spot in the advertising world.

Internet marketing might have taken the lead, but it still has flaws. That’s why its traditional counterparts, particularly the use of billboards, remain viable options. Below are the benefits of billboard ads that make them effective after all these years.

Nearly Impossible to Skip

Aside from being on the same platform, online ads have another thing in common: the possibility of leads to skip them. If there is no skip button, a user can simply close the browser or app where the ad shows up. Billboard ads work differently. A motorist can’t simply skip it by clicking a button. The ads stay there for a long time, which leads to the next advantage.

Better Recall

Nothing facilitates recall better than repetition does. This explains why motorists who frequently pass by certain ads are likely to remember them without actually trying to. Some even treat billboards as landmarks. No other ad forms are given such importance

Quick ROI

To be clear, not all businesses that set up their billboard ads enjoy a quick return on investment. It actually depends on the nature of the product or service being promoted. The placement of the billboard is another factor. For instance, a towing or car servicing company can enjoy quick ROI once it sets up a billboard ad near an area where many vehicles encounter problems. Billboard ads for nearby hotels and restaurants are expected to yield fast results as well.

Cons

Billboard ads are far from being perfect. Some motorists see them as an eyesore. There are also health professionals and government officials who think that such ads distract drivers from driving properly.

On your part, having a billboard ad entails cost. You have to pay for the design, material, set up, lighting, maintenance and removal. Opting for a celebrity endorser is another story. Some forms of Internet marketing are cheaper in comparison.

 

Billboard advertising has good and bad sides like all other types of marketing. It might not be as badly wanted and heavily used as Internet marketing today, but it still has qualities that can beat the other. But then again, you should consider how the two types complement each other, instead of how one of them is better than the other.