So, you’ve learned the basics of advertising and have answered the “who, what, when, where, and why” questions about your business and your goals. But how do you reach your audience? What’s next?
First, understand that over time, your business will evolve and your goals will too, but the foundation of your business and its advertising efforts will serve as wind in the sails to propel your boat further in the sea of advertising. But now, we must understand how to direct the boat to explore the opportunities we have before us.
What types of advertising mediums are out there?
Everyone is exposed to advertising every day, some just take the message in and go about their day, but we marketers see advertisements differently – analyzing the channel, visuals, messaging, and more. And if you’re trying to create a marketing and advertising plan for your business, you and other owners and organization leaders may be wondering how you would even begin to get an ad out there – online, on TV, in person, or on social media.
There are many different mediums, channels, and above all, opportunities to advertise. The distinction doesn’t just lay within ‘real world’ versus ‘digital’ advertising, as the two actually coexist.
The distinction should actually lay within what types of advertising channels are best for your business; the amount of direct or traditional advertising you’re doing, and the amount of programmatic, or automated, advertising you’re doing.
How do you decide which advertising mediums will have the greatest impact on your business?
Both traditional and programmatic advertising gets your message out there, and have both been proven to be extremely successful for businesses and organizations of every kind. An all-encompassing advertising campaign includes both, but don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to dedicate tons of money or time to make both happen.
With direct or traditional advertising, the advertiser is working directly and manually with the mediums and channels the advertising is appearing. Think of print advertisements you get in the mail, or text messages and emails you receive from a business. Direct advertising offers more control, but it does require more manual effort and communication with the medium or channel you want your ad to be on.
On the flip side, programmatic advertising happens ‘behind the scenes,’ as in, an automatic process based on user data takes place within milliseconds to place your ad on multiple channels, whether that be on a website or before a user watches an online video. You control the messaging, but don’t control where your ad shows. Based on a ‘bidding process,’ if your ad wins the bid, it shows up in front of your audience. Meaning, that you can reach thousands of advertising mediums and channels with just a few clicks, rather than getting in contact with each.
You can think of direct advertising as targeting the people you know are interested in your business, and programmatic as advertising to the masses, with an opportunity to earn more audience members and awareness amongst your targeted location or audience demographics.
But, with the digital world always changing, you may need guidance from experts of an agency, like 535media, to guide you through.
What do you need to begin?
Ask yourself this question, what is the biggest pain point of your business currently? Not enough sales? Not enough form fill outs? Not enough foot traffic? Identifying the problem allows us to diagnose, treat, and remedy using advertising techniques.
“Treatment” may include a geofencing campaign for local events or shops, to target locals who are already showing interest in something relevant to your business. Or it may include an email marketing campaign to let your already existing audience know of a new facet of your business. Notice how this treatment plan includes both a direct and programmatic form of advertising.
And the remedy? Better results for your business.
No matter what the avenue is, you’ll first need a clear message that aligns with your goal. Ask yourself, what do I want my audience to know?
Depending on what type of campaign would be most beneficial for your business, we may need a visual to captivate our audience, whether it be a video or a still image that’ll be placed on social media or on websites all over the internet. And don’t worry, if you’re “not an artist”, like your teachers in school, we’ll guide you on generating creative materials – we know your audience, so we know what’s eye-catching.
What about budgeting?
Many business owners feel they can’t afford to advertise – but they are mistaken. Don’t think of advertising as another cost for your business to run; it’s an investment in your growth.
No matter what budget constraints you may be experiencing, there’s an opportunity to advertise. Plus, you can start small; no need to dedicate hundreds of dollars to an advertising tactic you’re not sure is going to work.
We understand budgeting concerns and will work with you to find an advertising avenue that fits in, not only within your budget, but also your audience. Planning for you, we make sure there’s no wasted ad spend on tactics and techniques that may not fit your business, and we remain candid and transparent. Some tactics, like TikTok, may seem glamorous and work for one business, but if your audience is professional, let’s dedicate our ad spend on channels that your audience spends time on, such as LinkedIn.
Overall, you don’t need thousands of dollars to start advertising, you just need a well thought out, effective plan and an agency willing to not only work for you, but with you.
How do you know if it’s working?
With constant campaign optimization, you don’t have to worry about what’s working. We provide monthly or as-requested reports, keeping you informed without you doing the leg work.
You have control over your plan, as we recommend and guide you. Without daily maintenance from your end, there’s no need to search for where your conversions are coming from. We investigate and report in a digestible and conversational yet professional manner, so you don’t have to use a marketing dictionary to understand any complicated jargon. If you don’t think a particular avenue is beneficial, we’ll pivot.
At 535Media, we care about partnering with you, not being your boss.
A plethora of options may seem overwhelming, but let’s flip the script – it’s a great thing to have many ways to reach various members of your audience, the community, or the world. Plus, through an agency like 535media, your opportunities to reach your audience expand even more.
Stay tuned for an even more in-depth digest on direct and programmatic advertising analysis. Or reach out if you want a personalized plan and recommendations.