Q: I
can't decide where to advertise my business. How can I choose
the right media without going broke?
A:
With so many media choices, it's easy to become overwhelmed.
Fortunately, over the years I've defined a few simple
guidelines any entrepreneur can use to select the best media for an
advertising program. It's a matter of following three
rules:
Rule 1: Eliminate
Waste
Most media are priced based on their number of viewers, listeners
or readers. So if a newspaper claims to have a circulation of 1
million, its advertising rates will be higher than those of another
paper that is read by a similar, though smaller, audience. The key
to selecting the right one is to choose the newspaper that reaches
the largest percentage of your particular target audience with the
least amount of "waste." That way, you avoid paying to
reach readers who don't fit your customer or client profile.
Suppose you're a retailer, for example, whose customer base
comes predominantly from a five-mile radius surrounding your
location. Advertising in a newspaper that reaches a wide
metropolitan area may simply be too wasteful for you, making a
local newspaper whose readers reside in your market area a better
choice.
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Rule 2: Follow the
Customer
This is where things get a bit tricky, because the second guideline
can sometimes negate the first. You should run your ads in the
media your target audience looks to for information on your type of
product or service.
Advertising in "search corridor" media--such as the
Yellow Pages and other directories--is often a cost-efficient
solution. They're the media customers turn to when they've
made a decision to buy something. So whether you sell cakes or
plumbing services, customers who are ready to buy your products or
services will reach for a comprehensive directory filled with ads
and listings, then go through it to decide where to make their
purchases.
By creating special sections, such as automotive and
entertainment, large daily newspapers have also devised search
corridors in which certain types of ads and editorial are
clustered. So even if your neighborhood paper is a "less
wasteful" buy, if your customers don't read it for
information on what you sell, then you may have to pay for the
additional circulation of the metropolitan daily.
It's vital to run your ads in the right
environment--generally where your customers expect to see
information on what you sell. This principle holds true for all
media, including television and radio. Following rule No. 1, for
example, you could place an advertising schedule on a cable channel
that reaches your target audience with little waste. Then following
rule No. 2, you'd select appropriate programming during which
your message would be run in the proper context. In other words,
you wouldn't advertise a product for men during shows
predominantly watched by women or vice versa.
Rule 3: Buy Enough
Frequency
For your advertising campaign to succeed, your message must reach
the target audience with enough frequency to penetrate.
"Frequency" is the term used to represent the number of
times your customer actually hears or sees your ad. And since even
people who pay for subscriptions to magazines, for instance,
don't see every ad in each issue, it's essential to
advertise consistently over a protracted period of time to achieve
enough frequency to drive your message home.
As you construct your campaign, look for a group of
complementary media in which you can advertise with sufficient
frequency to build sales. For best results, narrowly focus on a
core group of prospects, and buy as much frequency in your chosen
media as you can afford. This will ensure your best prospects will
be exposed to your message over time and successfully motivated to
buy.
Kim T. Gordon is an author, marketing coach and media
spokesperson-and one of the country's foremost experts on
entrepreneurial success. Her newest book, Bringing Home The Business, identifies the
30 "truths" that can make the difference between success
and failure in a homebased business. Kim offers one-on-one coaching
by telephone to motivated individuals, providing practical
marketing advice and budget-conscious strategies unique to your
business. To receive free how-to articles and advice, get
information on coaching and appearances, read a book excerpt, or
contact Kim, visit http://www.smallbusinessnow.com,
a huge site devoted exclusively to marketing your small
business.
The opinions expressed in this column are those
of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are intended to
be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas
or circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consulting
an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.