Category: Advertising

Your advertising media are the communication vehicles you use to convey your marketing messages. That’s why, in addition to selecting ones that reach your targeted audience, you’ll want to make sure they provide you with the best possible results for the least amount of time and money.

In this article, I’ll go over the most commonly used direct response advertising vehicles/types for small to medium-sized businesses, such as:

Newspaper
Direct Mail
Magazine and Classified Ads
TV and Radio
Internet Ads
Outdoor Media Billboards, Transit Signs
Press Releases and PR
Yellow Pages

and more

Obviously, the trick is to match your message to your market using a suitable vehicle. For instance, it makes no sense to advertise your retirement community using a fast-paced, loud, radio spot on a hip-hop station no matter what the salesperson says! So before you buy, make sure you’ve correctly identified your target prospects; created messages that motivate them and selected the appropriate advertising.

Here are some general tips for choosing your advertising medium.

1. Unless your target audience is broad, it’s best to choose 2-3 primary advertising vehicles ones that you can afford to dominate. Never, ever rely solely on one form of communicating with the public this is simply too risky. Rather, choose media that complement each other and ensure that your prospects hear about you in multiple forms.

2. Choose methods according to cost, targeting and response Any campaign can be broken down into costs per thousand, and if you’re using direct response advertising (which you should) benchmark your success using costs per sale. Your expenses include cost of design (also known as creative), production (producing or printing your ad), and placement (radio, advertisement, list purchase and postage).

As a general rule, the more targeted the medium, the higher the cost. In return, however, you should expect a higher response rate, so the cost per response can be lower than cheaper methods.

Choose advertising and publicity methods that are suitable for your target audience. Companies that sell advertising can provide you with a lot of helpful information about their audience. Also, it’s a good idea to look at other types of businesses that continually use various media. Then make sure they’re targeting the same audience as you. Bottom line: avoid guesswork, by testing before committing to major purchases.

3. Make sure you know your total marketing budget less what’s already spent or “promised”. This assumes that you’ve already developed this and that it’s based on:

Industry norms
Needed profit margins
Available cash
Opportunity costs
Company’s risk tolerance
Average Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) – the value of a customer over their time with business with a company. Simply put:

CLV = Revenues Received Cost to Get and Keep

4. Find out what your competitors are spending on media in the same markets. For example, if you decide to run a radio ad in the Chicago market twice a day, on two stations for two weeks and a competitor is running a similar ad in the same market but running it 15 times a day, on 15 stations for 15 weeks you’d be foolish to waste your money by trying to compete no one is going to notice your spot. This is another reason it’s so important to use reputable advertising agency to buy this type of advertising (goes for TV as well).

5. Even though your budget will significantly dictate your medium selection, you must also be aware and sensitive to your own sales cycles. For instance, if you’re the owner of an air-conditioning equipment company you understand that consumers don’t purchase a unit every year. Therefore, your communication has to be consistent and ongoing so you’re “top of mind” when they’re ready to buy. Also, you should develop another communication, particularly in the heat of summer, for folks who have a “burning” (no pun intended) desire to buy now.

Moreover, if you’re a jeweler you may want to beef up on your advertising right before Mother’s Day, Christmas and Valentine’s Day and do little, or nothing, in August.

6. Track and measure your results Advertising is an intricate science. Therefore, the best way to be sure that something is, or is not, working is to measure it using predetermined indicators. Gauge the effectiveness of your advertising from the beginning by keeping detailed records on what you did; when; to whom; for how much; and what happened.

Admittedly, the results of certain advertising are difficult to gauge. However, if you don’t measure and record your results you may be wasting money and missing the opportunity to make your decisions much easier the next time around. Key indicators to be assessed are cost per thousand, cost per response and percentage response.

Remember also that advertising forms a part of your business plan which is aimed at being profitable. If your advertising does not produce an incremental gross profit (more than costs directly associated with the medium) you need to know why.

7. Understand and adhere to laws Before choosing your advertising methods, make sure that you are aware of all local, county, state, and federal laws about data protection, consumer rights, customer privacy and opt-out regulations. This is especially important if you are involved in maintaining and using mailing lists (e-mail and otherwise), personal customer data, telemarketing, direct mail, fax-marketing and e-mailing.

Hope these tips will serve you well. Happy Marketing!

Outdoor advertising flags and banners are remarkably effective solutions for advertising or promoting different marketing campaigns. Location plays a crucial role to achieve the best out of these outdoor vinyl banners. One should keep in mind about the location while making final choice for advertising flags and banners. In order to attract massive attention, marketing flags should be placed at that site where potential customers can easily see these banners from a distance as well as close up. A right selection of location, content and design of outdoor vinyl flags and banners can make ones business known to every person who passes by. Now, one can easily customize outdoor advertising flags and banners with all the appropriate information, marketing policies and extensive service portfolios.

Choose a perfect design and banner

A quality and colorful advertising banner can patronize clients business in a most effective way and heighten the trade to a next level. Design elements should be attractive and contemporary. Extend the clients base with the efficient location, information, design and banner quality. Nowadays, banner printing industries are continuously rising in the market as trade show displays and banners are in demand amongst corporate activities.

Choose the banner that lasts long

A wide variety of publicizing banners are available in the market for business or home usage, which will remain good for a longer time. These are armed with some beneficial features like UV resistant, easy to install, waterproof and many more. Quality is basically defined by their fabricating materials and designing processes. Usage of thick material during fabrication can enhance its lifespan. Generally outdoor advertising flags and banners last for a long time as these are primarily coated with scrim vinyl polymers which effectively prevent the fading of graphics and content due to continued exposure to sunlight. These displays are considered as a great way to drive sales and generate interest amongst potential customers.

Site selection

Keep in mind about the perfect location before considering outdoor advertising flags and banners to promote the highlighted business campaigns and offerings. Outdoor banners as well as flags can be easily installed at any sites as they are firmly fabricated to deal with abnormal weather conditions. These vinyl banners are printed with all-weather heavy materials of the international standards quality. All the flags and vinyl displays are designed under the presence of experienced professionals to ensure maximum reliability and quality.

The latest trends such as the implementation of the fiber broadband connectivity, 4G implementation in the host cities of the FIFA world cup 2014 have resulted in an increase in the online advertising expenditure in Brazil.
The online advertising industry is valued at USD ~ billion in 2011. The online advertising industry has grown at a CAGR of ~% for the years 2006-2011. The access of the internet has increased through various sources such as the smart phones, tablets, laptops and the notebooks. The online E-commerce was valued at USD ~ billion in 2011. The mobile penetration in Brazil is 116 mobiles per 100 people. This has increased the advertising expenditure through mobiles. The internet penetration was ~% in the year 2011. The internet penetration is estimated to be ~% in 2016 as a result of the government initiatives to implement broadband connectivity in the semi-urban and rural areas.
The average time spent online by an internet user was ~ hours in the year 2011. The time spent online has increased at a CAGR of ~% for the years 2006-2011. The increase in the time spent online can be attributed to the content consumption of the internet users in Brazil. The social networking sites and content based sites such as UOL, Facebook were the leading advertisement publishers in the year 2011.
Online advertisers have advertised on the internet according to the online behavior of the internet audience. The social networking site Facebook was the leader in publishing the display advertisements. Content based sites such as the Globo.com and UOL were the second and the third largest websites respectively in publishing the display advertisements. Facebook was the market leader with a market share of ~%, followed by globo.com with ~% and UOL with ~% share of the display advertisements.
The leading advertisers in display were the online retailers. Drafiti.com was the market leader with a share of ~% with ~ billion display impressions in March 2012 followed by Netshoes.com.br, Microsoft Corporation and Google.
Online video advertisements were extensively used by the automobile industry, tourism industry and the real estate agencies in Brazil. Search advertisements had witnessed an increase in the market share over the other segments of online advertisements. The market share of the search advertisements has increased from ~% in 2006 to ~% in 2011. The online search advertisements increased over the years as a result of the increase in the wireless devices in the country.
Online ad spending is expected to rise because of the 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics- all of these events will be hosted by Brazil. The online advertising will have a major role in the revenue generation for sports brands, promotional activities, tourism industry and e-commerce in the coming years. Macro-economic factors such as the taxation systems in Brazil, online content regulations and the increase in the urban population in Brazil have been extensively in the report.
The report extensively covers the impact of the upcoming sporting events in Brazil such as the Confederations Cup, the FIFA football world cup and the Rio Olympics in the coming years.
Key highlights of the report
The segment wise online advertising expenditure break-up.
The revenue models and value chain in the online advertising industry of Brazil.
The impact of 4G and LTE networks in the country.
The impact of the mobile subscribers, E-commerce on the online advertising.
Leading online advertisers and advertisement publishers market share in Brazil.
The increase in the internet users in the country

For more information on the industry research report please refer to the below mentioned link:
http://www.ammindpower.com/report.php?A=309&T=D&S=105

Advertising signs can often be seen to bubble and degrade over time with the result that the sign looks unprofessional. The sign then does not convey the right marketing message and creates a poor impression. This is mostly due to the problem of outgassing or the release of gases from the materials. By understanding the surface of the sign and the type of vinyl film being used you can avoid these problems and have a long lasting sign that is visually appealing.

Outgassing is a common problem when creating advertising signs. A typical scenario could be if you have an acrylic sign that is blistering or bubbling – acrylic suppliers claiming their acrylic doesn’t outgas and sign vinyl suppliers say that it isn’t their fault, the acrylic outgassed. It is a natural affect of the production process of many surfaces including plastics, paints, vinyl coverings, leather and PVCs to name a few.

An easy explanation is that a form of outgassing can be seen in motor vehicles. A new car can be left in the sun and you will find an oily residue build up on the windows and windscreen. This is a result of the release of gases from the vinyl material in the car being deposited onto glass surfaces.

As with most advertising sign creation, knowing the materials you are going to use and preparing the surfaces correctly will help you avoid any outgassing issues and achieve a quality result.

The surface or substrate you will be using is the first to be analysed. If the surface is old, then there is a good chance that any outgassing has finished. Newer surfaces such as the panels of a new motor vehicle, a sign in a foyer, display systems including portable display stands then your choice of vinyl material becomes most important. You can avoid outgassing issues by choosing a vinyl film that is porous enough to allow the gases to pass through. The following list of products is from most to least porosity:
Cast Vinyl

Polymeric Vinyl

Monomeric VinylFor each of these you should not have too many issues, however, quite often in the printing process you need to layer vinyl over each other to get the desired effect. Obviously, this will decrease the ability to release gas from under the vinyl. Care should still be taken therefore when layering.

Polyester and polypropylene films are not porous. The classic example of using these products is a sign with a mirror chrome finish on a black acrylic material. Even if the best quality products are used, it cannot be guaranteed that outgassing will not occur. Another example is where a gold or silver window film is put on a window. Unless the window has been thoroughly cleaned and dried when the window gets hot, the water trapped under the vinyl material will become gas and you will have a bubbling affect.

Whenever a sign is being developed, preparation is the key:
Firstly know the characteristics of the surface you are using, particularly as it relates to outgassing. Even painted surfaces may cause issues, particularly if using water based paints. You will need to allow them to cure properly, best over 7 days or more before applying any vinyl.

Secondly choose the most appropriate sign vinyl film for that surface, application and the time you want the sign to last. Often the cost is a determining factor of the type of film used. Cast film is the most expensive, but is also the most porous and is likely to have a longer life expectancy than other films. Your choice of film can be guided by how long you require the sign to last. However, the reality is that material costs are relatively insignificant in making a sign. The major cost is in the labour to create the sign. For example, if a Calendared vinyl contributes 10% of the total cost of the sign, using Cast vinyl will contribute about 5% more. The benefit is however a longer lasting sign and one that is unlikely to give you any issues with outgassing

Advertising is actually a subset of marketing. A subtle as well as crucial marketing technique, advertising plays a very significant role in persuading target audience into buying a particular item. Firms of today do not bother much about spending millions in advertising or marketing campaigns. The reason behind this can be traced as high competition and the wish of each and every organization to turn their product into a brand. Effective advertising methods are capable of creating a difference in selling prospects of a particular product. Efficacy of advertising is measured through role played by advertisements in making a particular product successful.

Effective advertising techniques

Since technology has become an integral part of life now, advertising techniques have also improved a lot and presently wins a huge consumer base. Following are some of the most beneficial techniques used by the advertising agencies:

Cannot miss internet: Internet has evolved as a powerful advertising strategy since the last decade. With world shrinking into a small village, advertising techniques through internet are assuming prevalence. Though billboard advertising is still not extinct, it is rather difficult for it to match the reach of internet. There are a number of SEO firm in London now and they popularly use advertising techniques like pay per click marketing in order to help sites gain more prominence in the market. Regardless of industry type, everyone nowadays prefers to seek help of internet since it is capable of catering to global audience. This has actually led to existence of a completely new domain that is online advertising.

TV is evergreen: Though SEO firm in London is no doubt popular, there are some other techniques also that help with advertising. Almost all home owners own television sets, in case they do not have internet connection. Thus, to reach out to people of varying age groups, television is the best possible bet. Television ads last for a minute maximum and creativity has to be shown within this period to appeal people. If these advertisements are used selectively, effectively and after thorough market research, they can be successful.

Print advertising is still dominant: Though most people prefer to view things online, magazines and newspapers are in existence even today. Printing on magazines and newspapers also help to sell products, turning them into brand. Effective advertising words, slogans, catchy phrase and headlines help to cast an impression on the consumers. Efficacy of advertisements depends on advertising teams in creation of long lasting impression upon consumers.

Radio usage: Radio communication has improved leaps and bound in the course of last few decades. Advertising through radio has grown in popularity and everyone love to tune in and listen to music. Between songs, advertisements are clubbed in intelligently and they are adept at providing details on the product within just a few seconds.

The advertising landscape has taken a completely new turn with involvement of lots of new technique like blogging, mail marketing and social networking sites. Effective advertising tactics help a lot in enhancing sale. If on the lookout for commendable online campaign, make sure to join hands with a commendable SEO service provider.