If you want to sell your product in today’s competitive marketplace, you need direct-response advertising to get the job done. Commercial advertisements are effective platforms for direct sales no matter which medium you choose. Print, television, radio or online advertising are all viable options for selling your product through advertising.

Print

Print is an effective way to sell products, because it can elicit a response in the consumer. According to The Association of Magazine Media, 77 percent of consumers purchased a product after seeing or reading about it in a magazine. Choose relevant newspapers and magazines that target your core demographic. Make sure your print advertisement has a strong call to action, including the primary reason consumers need your product -- or the problem your product will fix -- along with a large, noticeable phone number or website address. If your product warrants it, use the advertisement as a coupon opportunity to make the most of your direct-response efforts. Running a print ad can be self-managed, but due to the creative work required, it may be a good idea to work with an ad agency.

Television

According to research group Nielsen, 99 percent of all households in the United States have at least one television at home. That’s why TV can be a solid medium for reaching a large audience in short period of time.

A direct-response television commercial is a common way to sell products on TV. This process is similar to an infomercial, designed to elicit an immediate response in the consumer at home, akin to the “Call Now” commercials accompanied by an 800-number. Selling your product on TV requires a lot of legwork and effort, including a substantial budget. You must have your creative in place prior to buying spots, and you must decide which television channels and TV shows best suit your core demographic. Direct-response television campaigns can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $600,000 depending on length, format, location and any celebrity endorsements. If you have the budget for TV commercial advertising, you should consider hiring a media company specializing in direct-response television, because the process can be difficult to undergo on your own.

Radio

Selling products on the radio can be effective as long as you have a strong call to action and good creative. Because 67 percent of listeners are away from home when using the radio, according to research group Arbitron, you will need to create ads that can last long after the commercial is over. Similar to television, radio ads require some legwork before they can be launched, but the process is generally shorter than television. According to Direct Creative, you must blend strong copy and solid production to achieve success in radio advertising due in part to the medium’s high failure rate when poorly produced commercials are implemented. Your main goal in direct-response radio advertising is to elicit a response, and with such a brief period (generally 30 seconds), you’ll need to do so quickly and effectively. Create a strong call to action by discussing your product and the solution it presents, followed by the website or phone number. Keep it simple, and use your product name often and naturally.

Online

Internet advertising is another medium that can target a very specific audience based on keyword specifics. By creating a “pay-per-click” advertising campaign on Google, you can easily target your core demographic. Online advertising campaigns are much easier to set up than print, television or radio, because they requires less creative work such as script writing or shooting a video. Instead, a user must only write copy for his ads and set the parameters such as budget and targeted keywords. To get started with an online advertising campaign, you must have a Gmail account with Google, then proceed to its “AdWords” service where you will be guided through several steps, including writing your ad, selecting keywords and determining budget.