How to Use the Power of Mass Media Cost Effectively in your Marketing Strategy

p Most businesses think that using mass media in their marketing campaign is out of the question due to its perceived costs and only to be used for larger companies. This just isnt so. This article has some great cost effective ways to use the reach and power of mass media for your next marketing campaign. Take another look at your a href=http://www.businessconsultingabc.com/Developing_and_Writing_A_Winning_Marketing_Plan.html target=_blankMarketing Plan and Strategy /ato find some good areas to incoporate into mass media./p
pstrongThe Power of Mass Media/strong/p
pWhy use Mass Media?nbsp; Well, it gives you a wide spread identity and recognition, which in turn, makes your targeted marketing more effective.nbsp; It helps you establish and maintain a brand.nbsp; Mass Media is far less expensive than it has ever been, and it now widely offered to small businesses./p
pstrongMass Media Outlets and Sources/strong/p
pstrongemNewspapers:/em/strongnbsp; While a href=http://www.businessconsultingabc.com/Cost_Effective_Online_Marketing_Strategies.htmlOnline Marketing/a is really giving newspaper advertising a run for its money, you will find that newspaper ads are acquiring cheaper and cheaper as a result.nbsp; Moreover, a newspaper can add flexibility and can be quite targeted if necessary.nbsp; Always test your ads by including codes so you know which ones are most effective.nbsp; Narrow your ads to the most effective papers by contrasting ads and gauging the differences./p
ul
liSend in good artwork and affirm with the production department that your Ad will print well./li
liI like to run smaller ads in different sections with tracking codes to determine your best as placement./li
liI like the Classified Section Ads because this is where serious buyers go./li
liAlways point to a specific Sales Page on your website which is designed around the Ad you place./li
liAlways ask about volume discounts and reduced ad rates when testing the paperrsquo;s effectiveness.nbsp; Everything in Advertising is negotiable!/li
liOffer something for FREE (Bold it amp; Capitalize it)./li
liUse a Graphic or Logo to increase the effectiveness of your ad by 30%./li
liRepeat your substance three times in a small area by using a Logo, Headline and Copy that relate./li
liIf you advertise on the TV, using one frame from the TV ad can increase the print adrsquo;s effectiveness by 40%./li
liA good ad can make good circulars and help brand your name / product./li
liNewspaper advertising requires consistency to get any traction or ROI but make sure it is working for you before committing to a long run.nbsp; /li
/ul
pstrongemMagazines:/em/strongnbsp; I like Magazine advertising as it is Regional and National in scope and you can target your audience effectively.nbsp; I like to test classified ads in different Magazines to see what works then I consider Display ads (and keep the classified ad).nbsp;/p
ul
liMagazines lend credibleness/li
liYou can use your Ad effectively in a Circular or other company medium.nbsp; Always say, ldquo;As Seen in Entrepreneur Magazine (insert the magazine the ad appeared in).rdquo;nbsp; This gives you instant familiarity, credence and credibility with the reader./li
liConsider run a low cost classified Ad in a multitude of Magazines which target your prospect verses running a Display as in a couple.nbsp; Your ROI for dollars spent will typically be much better./li
liA prospect reading a classified as will think you are cheaper than the advertiser with the expensive Display Ad.nbsp; If you arenrsquo;t selling a luxuriousness product, this can be a great start to communicate with a price conscious prospect.nbsp; They think money is being saved even before they call you and discuss price.nbsp; What a win-win for both the prospect and the business owner!/li
liMultiple Ads run through a Ad Media Company in several magazines can get some great discounts.nbsp; If your credit is decent, you can be all-inclusive payment terms which correspond with your Ad ROI.nbsp; Therefore, no money out of pocket until revenue is generated from the Ads (if timed correctly).nbsp; Powerful!/li
liTake advantage of Split Runs with Magazines to see what Ad works best, in what section of the magazine.nbsp; Great way to test a Headline or Copy./li
liMagazines are more targeted for the type of reader verses a newspaper.nbsp; A newspaper is more geographically targeted.nbsp; Using the two in alignment can be powerful!/li
liIf your product or service is business orientated, consider advertising in a Trade Magazine. MediaFinder is a great way to find the Trade Magazines to advertise in./li
liMagazines lend themselves to color.nbsp; Use it!/li
liMagazines life cycle or longer.nbsp; People go back to them over and over, as well as, hang on to them.nbsp; Your Ad has a chance of being read multiple times./li
lidirect your Magazine Display Ad with Boldface sub-heads.nbsp; These will be read first, should grab attention and get the reader to either read more or act.nbsp; No more than 50% of a Display Ad should be text./li
liConsider blowing up your Magazine Ads into posters and mount them strategically around and away your business, with the Headline:nbsp; ldquo;As Seen in Entrepreneur Magazinehellip;.rdquo;/li
liAsk the Ad Space Rep to call you when remnant space is available.nbsp; You will save big bucks!/li
/ul
pstrongemRadio:/em/strongnbsp; Radio is great because you can have and questions and answer type show or ad, where the caller is asking the expert a question. This type of format sets you up as the expert. This is very price negotiable since it is partly a public service, which is the sanction of radio. In other words, it is an ad disguised as an informational resource. Both a win-win for your business and the radio station. Make sure you give out a memorable and short web address and an easy to remember phone number during the ad. Then be sure to track the results and use the resources at the radio station to tune up your ad session./p
ul
liAnother strategy is to run cheap, short ads on less popular stations, bundled for uttermost savings but make sure you test and track them to ensure a good ROI.nbsp; Cheap isnrsquo;t good unless you get viable, profitable results./li
liBe sure to personalize your Ads and you do the talk.nbsp; This is a great opportunity to connect with your prospects./li
liPartner up with other strategic businesses to offer complete solution radio talk shows, like a panel of experts to give out advice.nbsp; This is significant:nbsp; Have the moderator give out one website address and one phone number and the prospect can pick out the company (or better yet companies) to follow up with.nbsp; You can offer discounts for concerted services and meet the customer as a dual solution.nbsp; A marketing fulfillment company can help you set up and maintain a coop partnership.nbsp; For example, a Landscaper can partner with a Landscape Designer, which are two services that can be combined for a total solution for the customer.nbsp; You can coop the cost with your Strategic Partners.nbsp; You can kill the competition with this strategy!nbsp; Make sure you choose your partner(s) deliberately./li
liPut your Ads on the website for people to listen to, especially your Q amp; A Expert Sessions./li
liInterviewing the President of the company can be a great way to start, giving you plenty of material to draw on to make a variety of Radio and Online Ads.nbsp; This is a very effective use of your Ad dollars./li
liConsider the afternoon for peoples drive home for your radio ads, yoursquo;ll have their attention./li
liAlways mention your website and an easy to remember number.nbsp; 9 times out of 10, if the website is easy to remember, the listener will find it./li
/ul
pstrongemTV:/em/strongnbsp; You can cost effectively target your audience.nbsp; The average U.S. Household watches an average of 8 hours TV per day, with the average viewer watching 4 nbsp;hours per day.nbsp;nbsp; With Cable, you can cost effectively target an audience./p
ul
liTV is a great set up for your Sales Page on your Website./li
liAvoid prime time and take advantage of fringe time.nbsp; Consider a media buying service to really save on your ad times; they often buy unsold TV time for pennies on the dollar./li
liConsider hiring an inbound telemarketing cal center to take the calls off your ads, no matter the hour of the day.nbsp; If you use a different phone number from channel to channel or ad to ad, you can easily track them./li
liDirect Response TV can offer your prospects the entire sales performance.nbsp; This is a powerful system!nbsp; Some direct Response advertising can be bought on a per inquiry or sales basis, taking a lot of risk out of your capital outlay./li
liThe TV station can provide all the Production services, saving you thousands.nbsp; However, with a good marketing advisor, you should write the script.nbsp; I like a Storyboard because it helps you visualize the Ad.nbsp; Save money by having a pre-production meeting to ensure things run promptly and smoothly on production day.nbsp; The less the editing, the more economical your ads will be ndash; plan ahead!nbsp; You commonly can gain three good ads in one production day ndash; good planning can help you achieve this great use of time and money, which brings your production cost per ad to about $300.nbsp; Shoot in digital so you can replay it immediately and quickly make any fixes./li
liConcentrate on 30 second spots.nbsp; Direct Response sales ads should be about 2 minutes and keep the phone number visible during the entire ad./li
liShow your product or service in Action.nbsp; This is the real advantage to TV ads./li
liDonrsquo;t make the Ad more interesting than your product./li
liRemember a TVrsquo;s volume may be muted so tell your story visually!/li
/ul
pstrongemOutdoor Ads:nbsp;/em/strongnbsp; A lot of outdoor ads are not effective as they arent visual enough and cant be read at 55 mph. However some good ways to make it more effective: tell the driver to Exit Now; contains a big arrow; is very visual; and your ad is in an excellent location – all of these variables can add up to a successful billboard ad. Being a constant reminder to commuters that you there and ready for them, can be powerful. Outdoor billboards are excellent in establishing an identity and brand for your business. However, on the flip side, they can be very expensive./p
ul
liUse no more than Five Words; use one large Graphic; make sure it is well illuminated./li
liIf it is a Digital Board, make sure your Ad stays up long enough for passer bys to visually take it in and act on it./li
liConsider sharing the Billboard with another business in your Office Park or Retail Center and / or have your Office Park or Retail Center mentioned for even greater cost savings!/li
liConsider other less costly alternatives like bus, taxi or bus stop Advertising if it serves your market well./li
liRemember, an Outdoor Ad should be clear from afar as prospects will be viewing typically from a moving vehicle./li
liBe careful to design your sign with the persona and taste of your community in mind./li
/ul
pstrongemDirect Mail:/em/strongnbsp; Generates leads that can lead to a sale.nbsp; Direct Mail sets up your leads./p
ul
liemAdvantages:/em
ul
liMeasure results immediately/li
liCan target your audience/li
liCan be personalized/li
liReceives some of the highest response rates of all media/li
liGreat for repeat sales /li
/ul
/li
liemImportant Elements of a Successful Campaign:/em
ul
liAsk the reader to take Action/li
liFind recipients who have bought via mail before/li
liInclude a testimonial in your letter/li
liAsk for the business in your first headline/li
liUse Black and Red color types.nbsp; Red for important words or headlines/li
liHave a good logo or graphic/li
liFor success, repeat your mailings with different content /li
/ul
/li
liemThe Numbers:/em
ul
li90% chance of reaching your targeted audience/li
li60% read the letter/li
li50% make it to the decision maker at a business/li
li
p60-30-10 Rule:nbsp; 60% of your Direct Mail success depends on the right list; 30% of it depends on the offer; and 10% depends on the Creative./p
/li
/ul
/li
liemTips:/em
ul
liOversize the Addresseersquo;s Name/li
liConsider putting no return address on it to increase curiosity/li
liUse mail as a follow up for:
ul
liSales Call/li
liAppointment Confirmation/li
liBad Customer Experience/li
liRecognize Achievement/li
liIntroduce a new team member/li
liHolidays/li
liA Thank You for a demo, presentation, sale, no sale, referral/li
/ul
/li
/ul
/li
/ul
pstrongNote:/strongnbsp; If possible, I prefer Direct Email over Direct Mail because it is instant, automated, easily tracked and cost effective.nbsp; However, obtaining good email lists without violating Spam Laws can be a challenge.nbsp; Always consider using Direct Mail with Email or Point to a Website with Direct Chat to heighten the dialog and personalize your campaign./p
pstrongResource: /strongnbsp;Consider getting the Magazine Direct Marketing to learn as much as possible about the art of Direct Mail./p
ul
liemTips (continued):/em
ul
liKeep a elaborate database and manage your mailings with a Customer Contact System./li
liRepeat important items / benefits/li
liPhotos are good and increase response rates/li
liBest individual Direct Mail months are January, February and October.nbsp;nbsp; Best business Direct Mail months are January, February and March./li
liOffer a Free Trial or Free Product/li
liBundle your Product and Service Offerings/li
liOffer payment terms, discounts and a warranty/li
liAddress the reader / audience directly and personally/li
liKeep your verbiage short and concise/li
liProvide a list or Problems, Benefits and the corresponding solutions/li
liTest Mail until you have all the kinks out/li
liRepeat mailings combined with email and phone really increase your odds of success/li
liWhen marketing to Business Owners or Executives do not use labels.nbsp; And follow the mailing with a handwritten note./li
liConsider putting a Teaser on the envelope and donrsquo;t forget that a great Teaser location is the back of an envelope/li
liA handwritten P.S. gets peoplersquo;s attention ndash; use it wisely.nbsp; I.e. Call to Action, an Added Benefit, a Bonus, Discount, etc./li
liToll Free Phone Numbers can threefold your response rate./li
liTreat every Direct Mail order as a Rush Order.nbsp; /li
liTest, Test, Test to ensure your Direct Mail will work.nbsp; Your goal is to break even during the testing period./li
liInclude publicity about your Company on your mailings/li
liTest many different lists to find the best ones/li
liCheck out Direct Mail News /li
/ul
/li
liemPost Cards:/emnbsp; I like Post Cards over a letter.nbsp; Why?nbsp; No decision whether to open or not.nbsp; Costs 1/3 less.nbsp; Easy and quick to print yourself.nbsp; Post Cards force you to be concise, which can be the main reason they are so effective. Consider using Email Audio Post Cards/li
liemCombine Direct Mail with Email:/emnbsp; The compounding of mail and email can double your response rate.nbsp; You can send out mass emails and then mail a postcard to the ones who actually opened the emails.nbsp; You can rather send a post card introducing your company and benefits, then follow with a more detailed email that calls for action and points the prospect to a web sales page (by the way, a phone number and web sales page should be included with the postcards for Your ldquo;hotrdquo; prospects)./li
liemCatalogs:/emnbsp; You need 25,000 customers for this to make sense.nbsp; 32 pages is the optimal length.nbsp; 40% of prospects save their catalogs ndash; this is the primary benefit.
ul
liof necessity to be well organized, indexed and have categories./li
liToo cost prohibitive for you now?nbsp; No problem:nbsp; put it up on the web and grow your catalog customer organically./li
/ul
/li
/ul
pstrongAbout the Writer/strong/p
pThis article is written by Frank Goley, business consultant and business planner for ABC Business Consulting. Frank is an expert in writing, developing and implementing a href=http://www.businessconsultingabc.com/Writing_An_Effective_Business_Plan.htmlbusiness plans/a, business turnaround plans, business funding plans, marketing plans, strategic plans and web marketing plans. Frank offers comprehensive business consulting, business coaching, business turnaround consulting, and web seo, web development and web marketing consulting to small and medium size companies.. Frank is author of the business plan book, strongemThe Comprehensive Business Plan Workbook ndash; A Step by Step Guide to Effective Business Planning/em/strong, and he has over 50 published articles on business success strategies. He also writes the Business Success Strategies Blog./p