Radio and TV Advertising

Radio and TV Advertising
Turn up the volume on your ad campaign by adding radio and television spots to the mix.


Many entrepreneurs believe that TV advertising and radio advertising is beyond their means. But while national TV advertising is out of the entrepreneur's price range, advertising on local stations and, especially, on cable television can be surprisingly affordable. Armed with the right information, the small-business owner may find that TV advertising and radio advertising can, in fact, deliver more customers than any other type of ad campaign. The key is to have a clear understanding of the market so the money spent on Radio advertising and TV Advertising isn't wasted.

Planning is especially essential for the businessperson approaching broadcast advertising for the first time. When you're first starting out, it's important to educate yourself about the media, and the only way you can do that is to talk to a lot of people. This includes advertising representatives from TV and radio stations, other business owners, and your customers.

Experts suggest an entrepreneur take the following steps before diving into broadcast advertising:

Establish your target market by asking yourself who your customers are and, therefore, who you want to reach with your advertising. This may seem obvious, but many advertisers don't have any idea who they're selling to.

Set a rough budget for broadcast advertising. Come up with an amount that won't strain your business but will allow you to give broadcast advertising a good try. Many stations suggest running ads for at least three months. This can easily cost several thousand dollars for a TV campaign. Radio generally costs a little less, although rates vary widely depending on the size of the market, the station's penetration, and the audience of the show on which you want to advertise.


Excerpted from Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need, by Rieva Lesonsky and the Staff of Entrepreneur Magazine