Should You Advertise on TV?

By Mike McDaniel
Posted Sunday, February 6, 2005

When people discover my background in advertising, the questions flow. One of the most frequent questions is "Should I advertise on TV?"

I can't answer that questions until I ask a number of questions first.

Do you have an advertising plan?

Are you working on a firm budget?

What are you trying to accomplish with your advertising?

Where are you spending your money now?

Usually by the 4th question the happy face is one of disappointment.

Contractors don't build a building without a plan, and you shouldn't advertise without a plan. The first action is to determine what your advertising is to do. Most small and medium businesses do not have the bucks for long term image, so we focus on a call to action or proclaiming benefits (not features)

Can TV do that? Probably. Can you afford it? Probably not. Local TV ads even in the smallest of television markets are expensive. You can buy cheap ads, but the cost is factored to the number of viewers. The cheaper the ads, the fewer the viewers. How many folks do you know glued to the tube at 545 AM?

You can get on TV with a package of Cable Ads, but beware the number of viewers and the shoddy production. Get my article "Cable Ads 5 Bucks" by sending a blank eMail to MailTo:CableAds@BigIdeasGroup.com

Some people in business beleive you haven't "arrived" until your business is on TV and billboards. Funny, I know of hundreds of businesses making big bucks that don't use either.

About the Author
©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small Business Consultant with over 30 years experience, (http://BIGIdeasGroup.com)