Television Advertising
By: Elaine Hamilton

No one fully understands the influence of visual images, particularly the tremendous effect of those that come from a box sitting in your living room. Yet, we often believe what we see and hear on TV.

Small business, as a whole, traditionally ignores television advertising as a method of promotion. Why?
Because many of us don’t understand how TV works, don’t understand the process for producing a good commercial (spot) and we fear the cost.

Preparation:
You should have a comprehensive long-range strategic plan that is designed to reach your target market. No media can promise instant results and usually a mix of media is best. But, each media has unique factors to consider so let me tell you how to plan for TV:

1. Survey your customers. Know your customers. What programs are they most likely to watch? This will tell you in what programs to place your commercials.
2. Do you have a needs business or a wants business? That may determine how often you may need to run your spot during the year.
3. Is your business seasonal? This may determine the best time of year to run your spot.
4. Look at other commercials in your industry. What do you like and what don’t you like? Did they sell you? What caught your attention?
5. Be actively involved and engaged in the planning and buying process. Don’t be intimidated because you don’t know the TV industry. You know your industry.
6. Plan an advertising budget. Don’t do hit and miss, knee-jerk advertising. It’s not effective.

Insider Tips
Video production is like the can, and buying airtime is like placing the can on just the right supermarket shelf. If you sell soup, why would you want it with the motor oil? People who buy soup won’t go there to look for it so you have to place it where they will see it. Production is a one-time cost; buying airtime is an on-going cost.

Television production can be done with or without an agency as long as you choose a production company that has the experience and proven ability to produce good commercials. They can help you with the creative process and scripting. Besides being technically done well, your spot should elicit emotion or a sense of connected experience with the audience.

Your Commercial.
Productions costs can be as low as five hundred dollars but for quality production expect to pay between $2000 and $2500. Note that you can use the same spot forever. Cost for air-time is determined by the station you buy on and the times of day or the programs in which you want the commercial to air. As a general rule, expect to budget $2000 per month on a consistent basis.

I suggest that your first commercial be generic, meaning that the first twenty seconds consist of information that does not change and that the last nine seconds be changeable if needed. Another option is “donut commercials”. These are edited to include ten to twelve seconds in the middle that can be changed but the beginning and end of the spot never changes.

Take the time to understand TV and consider whether it should be a part of your advertising plan.

Elaine Hamilton is the President of Vision Teleproduction Inc. She can be reached at 816.756.0912 or at visiontele@aol.com.