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 your
prospects' 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 helps small and mid-sized businesses build effective marketing. Reach him at DrNunley@aol.com or at (801)253-4536. Ask for his free marketing report and list of Special Reports and Tapes that make you a marketing whiz in dozens of areas. Also ask how he can help you build your on-line presence.
