How do you get media working for you?
Media offer perhaps the best way to reach mass markets through newspapers, magazines, radio or television. The media could be supporting your marketing in one of two ways, editorial coverage or advertsising. The distinction is that editorial is often free and typicaly far more effective than advertsing as readers will read an article as an endorsement of a product or service. It is worth remembering that, with the exception of the BBC, media companies are commercial concerns who build audiences, listeners, viewers and readers for the sole purpose of generating money.
If you decide to invest in a PR campaign with a view to getting editorial coverage there are a few things that you should bear in mind; media companies need content to fill their pages, web space, radio or TV programmes to attract audiences and are quite often under pressure to produce that content, which is the premise that PR is based on. If you can help them to generate that content then you will become a useful resource to these people and benefit from some valuable coverage.
There are two types of advertising which work in two, very distinct ways; classified and display.
Classified advertising, the sort that you might find in directories, or towards the back of magazines and newspapers is particularly effective if you provide a service that people are looking for. Classified advertising is effective because by the time your prospect is looking in the classified section they know that they have a need for the products and services that you offer and are now just looking for someone who can provide them.
Display advertising (which might include televison, radio, web banners or the display pages of magazines) is about increasing awareness or educating your potential buyers about the benefit of your products or services. Many will argue that advertising simply doesnt work, however there are some huge companies with hugely successful brands that would disagree.
The thing about marketing, is that there are always ways of developing it, improving it and making it more effective. Advertising is a great way of attracting the people who are sourcing your products and services and reaching lots of potential buyers, who may have a need in the future.
If you are going to invest in advertising you need to be prepared to invest properly, with a good offer, strong message and a constant presence.
Watch this space for more ideas on how to develop and implement your own effective advertising, and examples of some effective advertising.
To find out how you could develop effective advertising and PR,
call The Effective Marketing Company now, on 01273 921130 for a free consultation.
