Why Advertise Online with InBrevard.com?
Many people describe TV and radio as the ultimate "lean back" advertising mediums. That’s because a TV or radio viewer or listener can put his brain ’in neutral’ and allow the infotainment to go by unnoticed. The Internet, on the other hand, is a "lean forward" medium that requires and benefits from the active participation of the viewer. Businesses hope to get their message in front of viewers while they are actively engaged. Viewer response is improved by active involvement in a medium like the Web.
There are several other important distinctions between Internet advertising and TV and radio advertising. With TV and radio, a business typically buys a specific time slot, i.e., morning drive time. In these cases, the ad will only be heard or seen by those people listening at that particular time. That could be 300 people or 1 million people. The number of projected viewers/listeners dictates the price of broadcast advertising during that time slot. There is no guarantee of the number of people who will actually be exposed to the ad.
With Internet advertising, you can purchase a specific number of impressions to be delivered over a specific period of time (weeks/months). Each one of these impressions is guaranteed to be delivered to the chosen target over the term of the campaign. [Note - there are other types of online advertising campaigns including CPC (Cost-per-Click) and fixed-position which are not impression-based. Comments included in this section generally pertain to these campaign types as well.]
In addition, with broadcast advertising there is no immediate actionable component to the ad. For example, the consumer can’t click on the ad and go immediately to the advertiser’s website for more information. At best, the consumer must copy down a phone number to be used later. With Internet advertising, the consumer is able to take immediate action, by clicking on the ad to visit a web page for more information.
Before you get started creating your ad and campaign its important to think about your advertising objective. Which statement best describes what you are hoping to achieve with your ad and campaign?
“I’m looking for an immediate boost in traffic or sales.”
If you are looking to get a noticeable jump in sales, consider the following when creating your ad and campaign:
- Encourage viewers to act now with a special offer - You will not have much time to attract the viewers attention; the offer must compel them to act immediately. Examples: "This week only - buy one, get one free", "Mention this ad and get 30% off your first purchase", "Use code AD45Y12 for a 25% discount through September 30th".
- Make sure a lot of people see your ad - Select a campaign that will provide adequate distribution (viewer ship). If your monthly budget limits you to one of the lower-volume, least costly campaigns, perhaps you should rethink your objective.
- Select a short a duration for your campaign - The effect of 600,000 impressions served in 1 month will be a lot more noticeable than 200,000 impressions per month served over 3 months.
“I’m testing the capabilities of online advertising.”
If you are trying this out to see if this will work for your business, consider the following when creating your ad and campaign:
- Change your ad frequently - You need to find out what message / type of ’creative’ works best for you. A poor response may be an indicator that you need to change the message or appearance of your ad.
- Select a longer duration for your campaign - Since you’ll want to change your ad a number of times during your campaign, it will be easier if your campaign runs for 2 months rather than 1 month.
- Make sure enough people see your ad - It’s possible to learn how online advertising will work for you by selecting one of the less expensive campaign plans. However, don’t expect a noticeable jump in sales when you go this route.