Another key benefit with Internet advertising, you can actually track the additional traffic brought to your website automatically– allowing you to gauge the effectiveness and return. With Internet advertising, plan to change the message periodically (at least quarterly) to keep the message fresh. Selection of where to place Internet advertising is key – choose the best publications, associations, trade areas that match your line of products/services within your industry on their websites for optimum results. Often times you may find discounted rates for advertising online and in print.
Newspapers: The disadvantage of newspapers is that they are rarely saved by the reader, so companies are generally limited to ads that call for an immediate and often-times emergency customer response.
Direct Mail: The disadvantage of direct mail is similar to newspapers in that they are rarely saved by the purchaser. If a company does not have an immediate need for a product/service at the time they receive the direct mail piece, the direct mail piece is often discarded. Meaning, your ad dollars are literally thrown in the trash – with little opportunity for return on your ad dollars spent. Want to deliver your direct mail piece to over 7,500 recipients in the Textile Service industry? Contact me for our member list.
When are you going to reach your audience?
Timing is an important aspect when placing advertising. If you place an ad too soon, people may forget about you. If you place an ad too late, people may already have plans or purchased another product.
How do you time the advertising?
There are two basic approaches to setting advertising schedules:
- Continuous schedule - Advertising of a product runs throughout the year, when demand and seasonal factors are unimportant.
- Flight schedule - Advertising is distributed unevenly throughout the year because of seasonal demand, heavy periods of promotion, or introduction of a new product. In magazine advertising flight schedule may be coordinated with editorial content focusing on specific sales opportunity for your company.
Long range advanced media planning is critical; it is never too early to start. Work with key agencies or your sales representatives early to help identify the best places to advertise, the best media to advertise in, ask for ad proposals geared towards your strategic growth objectives and reserve early. Most companies work on their 2008 budgets early in October through November, now is the best time to plan. Often time’s companies may miss out on January-February publications merely because they missed close dates as budgets were not in place for the future year. Some of the best issues of many publications are early ones in the New Year.
The Monthly Ad Value newsletter was brought to you by TRSA Advertising Director Nancy Benoudiz. With over 15 years’ experience, Benoudiz has helped businesses of all sizes develop and implement advertising programs based on the strategic growth objectives of her clients. Benoudiz also has trained thousands of advertising professionals over the years in print and electronic media. Feel free to contact Benoudiz 877-770-9274 or at: nbenoudiz@trsa.org.
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What should an advanced media plan consist of? 
