Are Radio / TV Advertisements Worth the Cost?

In the past, one of the best investments of your marketing dollars would be to put your money toward radio or TV advertisements. The majority of people were getting their news, entertainment, and advice from these two sources, so it was a given that nearly anyone you wanted to reach would be exposed to your ads. But in today’s digital world, that’s no longer the case. With the arrival of online and satellite radio, DVR, and services such as Netflix and Hulu, consumers are very rarely exposed to these types of advertisements. So when it comes down to it, is it worth the cost?

TV and radio spots are notoriously expensive. Depending on the time of day you want your ad to air, you could be shelling out a pretty large chunk of change. When looking into your true ROI, it’s time to think about your target audience and if this is in fact the best avenue to reach them. While they most likely are still listening to the radio and watching television, the way they do so has probably changed. Online and satellite radio may run an ad or two here and there, but it’s nothing like the five to ten minute commercial break of the past. If you want your ad to air on one of these services, you are looking at an incredible expense. When it comes to television, you are at an even greater disadvantage. With DVR allowing for fast forwarding through commercials, many people will no longer willingly sit through a commercial break. Services like Netflix and Hulu show little, if any, commercials. You run the risk of paying a hefty price for something few of your target buyers will ever see.

The fact of the matter is, nearly everyone is online these days. According to research conducted last year by the Pew Research Internet Project, only 15% of Americans are not online at this point. That means 85% of all Americans are using the Internet. The odds of the majority of your target buyers going online when they want to search for products or services is certainly in your favor. When it comes down to the best investment of your marketing budget, the answer seems pretty clear: online marketing is the way to go.

The great thing about online marketing is that it’s relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to traditional marketing methods. If you take a do-it-yourself approach, you can get away with spending very little – but you may not get the best results that way. Bringing a professional on board to guide you in the right direction is worth any expense in most cases. However, the investment is dependent upon what you want, and you can launch a pretty great marketing campaign for much less than what you are used to if you’ve been investing in traditional methods in the past.

A professional online marketer will make sure you have your bases covered. You’ll need a fantastic website, a frequently updated blog with quality content, and social media sites where you will consistently engage with your fans and followers. These few things will allow you access to a large audience of potential customers. The best thing about this type of marketing is that the consumer doesn’t feel like they are being marketed to. Where as with TV and radio ads it can sometimes feel as if a business is pushing something on them, with online marketing they get a completely different experience. Most of the time they have sought out information on their own, and any message they receive from you is desired.

Not only are there incredible monetary benefits to moving the bulk of your marketing to the online space, this type of marketing will result in more promising leads for your sales team to follow up with. The ROI you see will be quick and easy. While it may take some time to get used to the idea of moving away from traditional methods of marketing, it is certainly worth your consideration.