An Insider’s Guide to Getting to Television Advertising
Congratulations!
You are making the first step towards more sales and better profits by investigating the benefits of TV advertising. Television is proving to be a powerful tool for increasing profits for business owners. It’s not just the “deep pockets” crowd. Television advertising is gaining popularity like never before. Some come away bruised and battered. Many are still smiling from ear to ear, though, because they know the secrets of television advertising success on a radio or print budget.
The Golden Rule
Do not let the tail wag your dog. It is important to be in control of your television advertising journey so it pays off.
Does this mean that you must be an expert?
No. You need to understand the business and medium in order to create a television advertising campaign that is cost-effective.
We prepared the “Insider Guide to Crossing Over to TV Advertising… on a Print or Radio Budget.. And Making Plenty Of Profit!”
It’s your GPS for a profitable and affordable TV Advertising experience.
Small business owners have the opportunity to make their sales explode by using television advertising. The lowest rates for television advertising, including commercials and television productions, are ever seen. You can laser target your ideal prospect with specialty channels.
Television can add credibility to your business and you like no other medium.
There is a reason why you see video popping up everywhere. More business owners are realizing that the more senses that you have, the more likely you are to gain access to the most crowded area anywhere: your prospect’s mind.
Do you need more proof? You Tube’s incredible success is proof enough. Video is a popular medium for people to watch.
Isn’t this the time to jump onboard and give it a shot?
These 5 secrets will allow you to harness the power of television advertising for your business.
Secret #1 Have A Clear Unique Selling Message
This is true for all marketing, but especially TV advertising.
Your prospects should have a compelling reason for wanting to learn more about you product or service.
You need to ensure that your commercial is effective in getting your prospect to take the next steps in your sales process, even if it’s a 30- or 60-second commercial.
This is why it’s important to have a clear message.
What is the most important benefit, promise, or solution that you want your prospect take home?
Or, in other words, what is your unique selling point (USP).
You will struggle to differentiate your offer from your competitors if you don’t have one.
Are you unsure how to simplify it to a clear message?
Start by answering these questions:
Why do people buy from your company? Why don’t people buy from you? Give this some thought, and then make a list.
What are the benefits clients get from doing business with your company? People buy for the benefits. What do your products or services do for them?
Is your product or service appealing to the emotional senses? Is it able to provide relief? Your clients should feel proud. Television is the ideal platform to hit your prospect’s emotional hot button.
Which problem are you solving or which need are you fulfilling?
Surveying your clients is another way to get ideas for your USP.
Ask them why they purchased from you. Ask them what problem you solved and why they chose you over other competitors. The answers may surprise you. Different reasons may lead to different purchases.
You want to identify the most popular reason people bought your product or service. Then, you can use that information to craft a compelling selling message that stands out.
Check out your competition. Sometimes, what’s obvious to you and to your competitors isn’t obvious for your potential clients. You can make your mark and stand out from the rest. Let’s take Folgers coffee as an example. They decided years ago to increase their sales. There was always competition. What did they do? They began to promote the fact that Folgers coffee was mountain-grown and had “Mountain Grown stamped” on their coffee cans. Sales exploded. Coffee grown on a mountain had to be exceptional. Right? The majority of coffee grown in mountain regions is what the average coffee drinker didn’t know. Folger’s used this fact to stand out. Your USP will make your TV campaign and marketing more successful.
Secret #2: Know Your Ideal Client
You will have an easier time generating sales leads through your TV ad campaign if you understand who your best prospects and why they choose to buy from you.
It’s almost impossible to make a television commercial that is effective without it.
This knowledge will allow you to craft a script that addresses the needs of your target audience and to present your unique selling proposition.
Your message is powerful and attracts people. Let’s suppose you aren’t sure who your ideal customer is. What is their motivation? How can you find out?
It’s easy to look at your clients. Particularly those that you enjoy working with. What are their commonalities? Are they similar in a few things? It’s possible that you already know your target market but don’t realize.
These are just a few criteria that you can use when defining your niche.
Age – Try to limit the age range of your top prospects
Gender – Who makes the purchase decision for your products and services? It is possible that someone could influence it. It is crucial to understand this information so that you can appeal to the right audience.
Marital status (single, married, divorced)
Household Income. Try to estimate the income of your target client.
Occupation: Are you looking for the best job prospects? * Geographical area. (ex. Toronto, warm climate, residents who live near water).
Lifestyle (professional, conservative, risk-takers)
Size of the company (self-employed professionals and Fortune 500 companies with at least $10 million in sales)
A marketing consultant who is industry-specific (a consultant who focuses solely on single-professionals)
What do your customers do for leisure time? Hobbies? What are your hobbies? What are your favorite pastimes? This will help you to understand the tone and language you should use and what information your target market is looking for.
It will also help you determine the audience to which your TV commercial should be shown in order to maximize sales.
Secret #3: Get involved in the process
Television advertising is a popular medium and small-sized business strategy. Many companies shy away from TV advertising because of the perceived high cost. (Secret #5)
However, there is often another factor that prevents many businesses from experiencing the same success as professionally produced television commercials.
Simply put, it can be daunting for some to make the leap into the world of television advertising.
You write the ad, and the publication prints it. Radio stations play your commercials.
Television is a complex medium that requires many pieces to make a successful campaign. It can also be daunting for people who have never done it before.
For your TV advertising experience, you will need to be a project manager. Are you a specialist? No. However, you will need to have a good understanding of the process so that you can make the most of it.
Here is a checklist to help you understand what elements are essential for a successful TV advertisement campaign.
BudgetMany small and medium-sized businesses do not realize that they could use the money they spend on radio or print advertising campaigns to create a television advertising campaign. We reveal the Secret#5 to help you avoid one of the most hidden costs in TV advertising. Your budget will include both production costs and airtime.
Script- Your script is your ad written in words. This is your main selling message. This script will dictate who says what, how they say it, and what expressions are used. It also determines what’s seen on the screen and who moves when and where. Your commercial will require a script.
TalentThis includes voiceover and on-camera talent. You will pay more for talent that is well-known or in high demand. Many advertisers will choose to hire local talent rather than regional talent in order to get a professional result.
Production Elements- Decide what type of graphics, music, or audio you want.
LengthTV commercial spots typically last 30 seconds. You can also run commercials in increments of 15 seconds and 60 seconds. A “infomercial” can last between 30 and 60 minutes, and is more expensive to produce and run.
Your TV commercial should end with a clear message for the viewer.
“What’s in it to me?”
To answer this question, both you and your prospect should be able to see how your product or service can benefit them.
You are the best person to sell your product.
To get the attention of the viewer, you must give as much information as possible. If you don’t, the viewer will leave and your investment will be wasted.
Last but not least…
Tell the viewer what you want them to do next!
It is amazing how many TV advertisers, including some long-standing veterans, fail to ask viewers to take the next step in the selling process. Are you asking them to visit your website? Call now! Come into your store? They need to be guided to the destination you desire. Let’s now look at one of the most costly mistakes made by television advertisers and offer some tips to help you avoid it.
Secret #4 Be “Marketing Ready” For Your Prospect
Advertising and marketing are a common way for businesses to establish a business relationship with prospects. Television advertising is no different.
A 30 second TV spot won’t answer all your questions.
After your advertisement has been successful, invite your prospect to contact you to find out more about how you can help him/her.
You could be invited to visit your site, call you, or drop by your address.
It is crucial to ensure that your prospect does what you ask them to so that they can move toward a sale.
Many TV advertisers make this mistake and waste their marketing dollars.
Let’s take as an example a visit on your website. Assume your prospect has seen your commercial and was shown the URL of your website after it ended.
He was intrigued by your commercial and wanted to learn more about you and what you offer.
Congratulations. Congratulations! Now you can move on to the next hurdle: getting the prospect to accept your offer.
That’s it.
You’re now ready to move on to the “conversion” phase of the sales process. Your site will not attract tons of people who can’t support your family, pay your mortgage, or allow you to relax on Cabo San Lucas’s beach.
You must convert the prospect’s initial interest into a sale.
A web site that fails to pick up from the television commercial by reminding the visitor “what’s in this for him” and telling your story compellingly is going to stop a sale opportunity.
Is it really worth tempting hungry prospects and then having them arrive at your home with nothing to eat?
The same applies if you wish them to call. Everyone on your team that has public contact needs to be available to maintain the momentum.
Your TV commercial’s job is to catch fish. Your marketing is responsible for the rest.
It is important to ensure that your marketing messages are consistent across all marketing channels. You won’t see the ROI you want.
Secret #5: Don’t let the Tail Wag Your Dog
Television advertising can be lucrative, but it is important to have an experienced guide who can help you navigate the pitfalls and produce a profit. We’ve provided you with all the information you need to ensure your television advertising campaigns are successful. It’s now time to bring the thread that ties everything together. Partnering with industry professionals who are familiar with the subject is a must. Advertising agencies are the first place small and medium-sized businesses turn to for help. This is a costly mistake.
Here’s why: Ad agencies often focus on messaging that is “institutional” or branding. They build image. Although a professional image is important, many businesses that use TV advertising need to make sales. You are probably the same. Your goal is to get viewers to view your commercial and then take the next step in your sales process. Perhaps a visit to your website or a call. Direct response television advertising is required for this. Many advertising agencies are not equipped to handle this task. They don’t know how to convert a potential client into a lifetime client.
Here’s the secret they want you to not learn: Most companies don’t have the resources or staff necessary to create your script. They also have the ability to shoot commercials using television production facilities. They may also have an editing room where you can edit your footage. Let’s see what this means for you. If agencies don’t have enough resources, they must look outside and find industry professionals to help them. Guess who is stuck with all those middlemen mark-ups? This old school mentality of “don’t worry, client will pay for” doesn’t end there. After your commercial has been approved for airing, you will need a TV channel to broadcast it. The ad agency will charge 15% of your media budget for looking up your spot and calling you to schedule it. Are you sure that’s how you want your media dollars to be spent? It’s like having someone gather a group of people to do it for you and then charge you. You might think so. Creative Bube Tube, a full-service one-source expert in direct response television advertising and corporate video productions, offers an alternative. We help small and medium-sized businesses to generate profit. Many of our clients are novices. We’ve helped many new clients.
These are the four pillars on which we have built our business model:
One Source – All aspects of your TV advertising are handled in-house by our staff. This allows you to avoid unnecessary delays, cost-cutting and finger-pointing that can be caused by too many fingers.
Expertise – We’re television advertising experts. It’s all we do. We do it all. We know how to sell. This means that campaigns not only look professional but also send qualified prospects your way.
Cost-Effective – We know what we are doing and how to make it work for you. This ensures that every dollar you spend is increasing your sales. Our media connections over the years give you red carpet access into your target market at a fraction the price you would otherwise pay – and with no hidden fees.
Process – Sales driven creativity, efficient production, planning, and organization are the keys to affordable TV advertising. This requires clear communication. All of our work is done in-house. Your creative is not outsourced to a company without a marketing background. Send the footage from filming to a post production house. Next, hire a media buyer who likely has never seen the creative. You can then relax and watch as the chaos and disorganization consume your budget. Every member of our team is intimately involved in the project, from beginning to finish.
Creative Bube Tube is a television advertising tool that makes TV advertising more effective and efficient. It’s for both newbies as well as long-time TV advertisers who are tired wasting marketing dollars on old-school methods. We’re happy to help you if you have been considering television advertising, but were hesitant to do so because it would be too expensive. Call us at 1-855 BUBETUBE today or visit our website