Marketing a small business can be tough , especially when a local company’s budget and reputation are compared to the budgets and brand recognition that large corporations have to work with. At times it seems like advertising has left no room for the little guy.
Many advertisers have shifted their focus entirely to the internet, and while the internet is a very important aspect of marketing, older mediums can still be extremely useful. The first step for a small business is to conclusively identify its market. By knowing who they’re catering to, it will be far easier to target audience members that a product is useful for. Advertising for legal services on a channel that shows exclusively children’s content may not be the best choice, but the same ad may drum up more interest on Court T.V. or something similar.
On a related note, doing research into target consumers’ habits and preferences will allow businesses to tailor a commercial that appeals to them. If the product is meant to appeal to hopeful and ambitious home cooks, stressing the items usefulness in preparing quality meals is key. An aspiring chef needs to know how well a product can dice onions for their next meal, not that it can also be used to till a garden.
Understanding viewing habits can be a good idea as well. While a product meant to appeal to college students may find viewership at any point during the day, advertising to a banker shouldn’t be aired at noon during weekdays. The effectiveness of a commercial is directly proportional to the number of people who are able to see it.
Entertainment quality is important as well. Low-budget commercials can have a tendency to result in poor quality film, but by putting effort into the commercial and keeping in mind how important it is to marketing, businesses will have a better chance of creating quality material. Hiring a freelance writer to script it can be helpful as well, since the more entertaining the commercial is, the more of a positive response it will get.
On a connected note, the internet can no longer be separated from any kind of media. Keep in mind that your commercial will likely find a life online as well meaning that the entertainment value will have a big effect on that. Keeping it a short, easy to share and fun commercial will improve its chances of being shared over social networking, which could make more of a difference than anything else.