|
 Print Friendly
 Email to Friend
|
|
Local Marketing
|
|
Article 6: Local Cable TV
Television advertising is more affordable than you think.
Local cable TV advertising has become one of the best media buys around in recent years, says Jeff Dobkin, a direct marketing consultant and the author of “How To Market A Product for Under $500” (Danielle Adams Publishing Company, 2003).
“If you’re shooting for local demographics, you can specify neighborhoods right around your business location with subscriber lists as small as 10,000 households.”
Dobkin says local cable TV spots can be bought for as little as $10 to $30. Commercials can be produced for as little as $500 through local production companies that specialize in making inexpensive local TV spots.
“Cable companies love to sell local spots to small businesses because it’s a steady revenue stream for them. And once you find the demographics and time slots that work, you can run your commercial over and over again and get results.”
Take great care to place your spots where the audience demographics for the show will make them most effective, Dobkin advises.
Cable companies typically like to sell packages of spots within specific time windows. Desirable time slots when more people are likely to be watching, like prime time, cost more than less desirable slots, like after midnight.
“Your local cable sales rep will prepare a schedule – you should negotiate for some free spots if you’re willing to commit to an ongoing schedule,” Dobkin says. “The longer the schedule you’re willing to commit to, the better placement and more free spots you’re likely to get.”
Whatever you do, Dobkin cautions, don’t take run of station (ROS) scheduling, in which the station places your commercial wherever it chooses.
Dobkin urges his clients to track response to the spots carefully. You can do this by simply dedicating specific phone numbers for specific ads and counting the number of calls that come in to that number.
“Simple tracking is the most important thing business owners should do for any type of local advertising,” says Dobkin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
