Advertising

Advertising helps companies reach the eyes of potential customers by sharing their messages across multiple platforms. As a small business looking to promote your brand, goods, or services, we recommend understanding the different types of advertising before using this form of marketing communication.  

As marketers, we categorize the different forms of mass mediums as either traditional (television, radio, print, outdoor advertising) or digital (search results, blogs, text messages, social media) media depending on how users interact with an advertisement. For example, digital media typically has a link that allows users to learn more about your product or company, while traditional media is less interactive. Despite the growth of digital media, traditional media is still commonly used for advertising as both radio and television continue to grow as multibillion-dollar industries. Regardless of how your business wishes to advertise, we suggest selecting a medium that will provide the most amount of value, such as a large range of publicity, at a reasonable cost.

Television

Television advertising is audience-oriented and customized to each channel. For example, somebody watching HGTV will not see the same commercials as someone watching ABC. Instead, these channels will share advertisements that relate to their brand and/or the content they stream.

Although television is the most expensive medium to use, it is also the most memorable because of its catchy visuals, dialogue, and music. Often, consumers remember the quick jingle they heard or the funny skit they saw rather than the product itself. Though this may seem like a negative effect, it is quite the opposite because television familiarizes consumers with your brand.

Radio

Like television, radio appeals to a specific target audience. Whether you listen to AM, FM, or a subscription-based radio station, the advertisements relate to the discussion of the radio station. It may be more difficult for listeners to recall what they heard because radio is spoken quickly and lacks the visual element used in television advertising. However, like television, consumers tend to remember the jingles or songs, associating them with the brand.

Print

The most popular forms of print advertising are newspapers and magazines. Many small businesses create print advertisements for local newspapers and magazines to reach consumers within a specific demographic. At Absolute Marketing Solutions, we work closely with clients to advertise for upcoming events. Recently, we sent out media alerts to local newspapers about Alessi Bakery’s upcoming 109th-anniversary party to promote the event. If you choose to use print advertisements, we recommend using catchy headlines, bright colors, and interesting pictures so readers do not skim over the page.

Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor advertisements, like graphics on public transportation vehicles or billboards, are often so large, they cannot be missed! Since viewers only have a short amount of time to interact with these advertisements, the use of catchy, clear, and creative headlines are necessary.

These days, outdoor advertisements are using digital features like a photo carousel or QR code to increase the success of the company's call to action. The mix between traditional and digital media will most likely continue to be used to draw even more attention to the product and brand.

Search Results

Many search engines, like Google, strategically structure their search results page, so ads are ranked higher than the organic results. Although the ad results are labeled as "ads," many viewers select the ad instead of the other links because it attracts their attention and is one of the first results. Therefore, the use of SEO (search engine optimization) is necessary to ensure your website even makes the first page. SEO boosts your website for organic viewers based on the functionality of the website and use of backlinks; ultimately, driving prospects to your website and eventually making them customers.

Blogs

Businesses use blogs to communicate about current trends and projects. You can use blogs to drive readers to other parts of your website or share blog posts across social media. For example, at Absolute Marketing Solutions, we use our blogs to discuss how certain marketing concepts have helped us create successful projects. These posts are interesting to both future clients and those interested in the marketing industry. The more platforms these blogs are posted on, the more prospects will learn about our company.

Text Messages/Email

This form of direct mail solicits a targeted list of recipients who sign up to receive company messages. Clothing stores often use this form of advertising to communicate about last-minute sales promotions, new products, and customer satisfaction surveys. Text messaging and emailing are both quick and inexpensive for businesses to use advertising and reach a large number of people.

Social Media

When businesses use ads on social media, they can select a specific target audience and manage the ad’s placement and schedule. This form of advertising has been successful as about 28% of social media users say social media ads have introduced them to a new product. This percentage tells us that users are taking the final step in taking the call to action to connect with the company. We recommend using this form of advertising if you prefer a hands-on approach because you have the ability to try different options and see what works best without investing too much into it.

Many forms of advertising can be used or combined to successfully advertise for your company. However, no matter which forms you select, we recommend making your advertisement unique, informational, and memorable.

If you have questions about advertising for your business, please contact one of our experts at Absolute Marketing Solutions.