Effective Advertising Tools
Successful advertising campaigns create brand awareness and earn the business more sales. They need effective tools, which enable the adverts to reach many people and earn new customers. Finding the right advertising tool for your products entails researching the target market to understand what they listen to, read and watch.
A television is an effective multimedia advertising tool that allows advertisers to reach a wide audience. The large size of viewership increases the odds of generating sales from a TV-based advertising campaign. A study by TVB Media in 2012 discovered that television reached 88 percent of adults in America and that TV was the most influential advertising medium in people’s purchasing decisions. Thirty-seven percent of the study's respondents said that they decided to buy a product after watching a TV advertisement; radio came in a distant second with 11 percent. One reason why TV ads are effective, according to the Benton Group, is that viewers are often in a relaxed, receptive state when they see the ads. Television appeals to multiple senses, allowing the viewer to hear and see the features of the products in operation.
Viral marketing involves Internet-enhanced word-of-mouth communication channels, including videos and emails that can reach thousands of people in a short period. It costs little to reach prospective customers this way. For instance, filmmakers have benefited from free buzz by uploading one-minute movie trailers on YouTube that have the potential of attracting the attention of millions of viewers, as people forward them to their friends and associates or post them on social media sites. Some viral messages spread even further when they get the attention of television and radio reporters.
Promotional products -- such as bags, umbrellas, pens or notebooks containing a company logo -- are effective advertising tools because they create long-term brand exposure as long as the owners use them. Promotional products are less costly than traditional advertising tools, as businesses can make them in various shapes and sizes according to their budgets. For instance, someone operating on a tight budget could opt for branded key chains, which could be more affordable than T-shirts. A survey by PPAI Research in 2009 revealed that promotional products were effective advertising tools: 76 percent of consumers who had received promotional products two years earlier confessed that they could recall the particular products, the message and the advertiser.
Social networks, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, are effective platforms for advertising products or services. Research in 2011 by Internet news blog Mashable and Postling, a social media management tool, reveals that 78 percent of small businesses were using Twitter to advertise, while 75 percent were using Facebook. Unlike traditional advertising tools, social media platforms allow small businesses to interact with their target market and build customer loyalty. Companies that link their blogs or websites to social networks and engage regularly with members are likely to gain high rankings on Internet search engines.