Media Bites-September 27 2010

If you’re a small or start-up company, you may not have advertised at all beyond the Yellow Pages. Your company is doing fine but it’s not growing the way you’d like. You want to do more, but you’re not sure how to measure your results. To you, marketing or advertising is like throwing your money up into the air on a windy day and hoping that it will come back to you. Up until now you may have relied completely on word of mouth and you’ve done pretty well but you’d like to do better. You’re unsure of what to do because you don’t know how to decide how much to spend or how to spend it. You’re not even sure you can afford to advertise. But in today’s competitive economy, the real question is, can you afford not to advertise

We’ll make this as simple as we can for you. The benchmark for budgeting is to plan on spending 1% to 5% of your gross sales on advertising and media. And here are 3 tips to help you with the process:

1) You'll have to spend money to make money. Most small businesses are launched on a shoestring with no advance planning. Now is the time to give that some real thought based on cash on hand, projected revenue stream and gut instinct.

2) Check out media websites. Most local TV, radio and print outlets will either provide a planning rate card or a contact page for more details.

3) Talk to peers in your network. Ask them about their spending patterns. Use sites like LinkedIN to ask broad based questions such as : 'What is the average cost of a billboard in St. Louis' ? 'What sort of impression delivery should I expect from the Post-Disptach.com website? What should I expect to pay for a transit ad in Des Moines? Although it won't be exact, these answers will give you something to work with.

To learn more about how to set up an advertising budget as well as many other tips and tricks, take a look at 'Your Ad Here De-mystifying the Business of Media and Advertising'

Visit http://youradherethebook.com and enter your email for a chance to win a brand new Kindle. No purchase necessary. Winner will be announced October 31 2010

Media Bites-September 23 2010

So where do you go to get the tools and information you need to begin using the strength of radio? Start by checking out www.youradherethebook.com for a preview of Your Ad Here: De-Mystifying the Business of Media and Advertising. And since we know that’s it’s all about fattening up your bottom line, we’re offering a 15% discount when you enter the promo code SBN at checkout. Leave your email address and sign up for our free e-newsletter and you’re automatically entered to win a Kindle. Winner will be announced on October 31^st.

Media Bites-September 15 2010

Go Big. Go Bold. Go Outdoor

According to statistics published by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, outdoor advertising is not facing the declining viewing, listenership or circulation that other traditional media is struggling with. In a recent Outdoor Advertising Association of America article it was noted that the industry saw a 3.6% increase in Q2 2010translating into a $1.88 billion dollar effect. Outdoor advertising is big, it’s bold and it’s in your face. One of the greatest advantages of outdoor advertising is that, while other media circle around the audience trying to get their attention, the audience circles around the boards while running their daily errands, participating in a car pool or taking public transportation.

You can learn more about out of home as well as all other forms of media by clicking on http://youradherethebook.com/preview for a quick view of Your Ad Here: De-mystifying the Business of Media and Advertising. Enter promo code OUTDOOR at checkout and sign up for our e-mail newsletter and you’ll receive a 15% discount until September 30. Rather have an e-version and start learning how to maximize your ad dollars now? Your Ad Here is available for immediate download on Scribd.com.

Media Bites-September 10 2010

Woof Woof Lick Lick

In the never ending world of interesting and quirky ways to promote a business, media giant Time Warner has gone to the dogs. Boomerang (http://www.boomerangtv.co.uk/), TW’s kids channel, wanted to come up with event that would highlight the pooch loving brand in London's posh Regent's Park. So did they decide to give away free dog food? Nope, that's been done. How about a free Pooper scooper? Believe it or not, that, too, has been done. They went to the dogs by creating the K99 doggy ice cream van which blasts out the Scooby Doo theme song while providing delectable icy treats for the love of the dog flavors like 'Dog Eat Hog World' (chicken and ham sorbet) and 'Canine Cookie Crunch' ( a specially baked biscuit reminiscent of cookies and cream).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUh49cpDvw0&feature=related

The event drew over 6,000 dogs with their human companions and all of the proceeds were donated to Berkshire Search and Rescue Dogs. Perfect fit for Foursquare (check in at the k99 van) and Tweet-up ( share a tea and 'biscuit' in Regent's Park with Fido). What a fun and frivolous way to enjoy a day out with your dog and 5,999 others. Check out 'Your Ad Here De-mystifying the Business of Media and Advertising on http://amazon.com and http://barnesandnoble.com for ways to get the right message in front of the right audience at the right time. Doggie ice cream not included.

Media Bites-September 7 2010

Now for something you don't really hear about anymore: Imagine receiving a gift of free groceries and other goods. This is exactly what happened to a group of neighbors near Baton Rouge LA. Save-A Lot (http://save-a-lot.com/) supermarket which has reduced newspaper ads and circulars in that market. Instead they embraced a true grassroots community campaign. The supermarket, an affiliate of St. Louis based chain Supervalue, was searching for something to do that was unique and would set them apart in a sea of groceries stores and mega chains. According to a recent Ad Age article, with a limited media spend for 6 months of $1.9 million, they had to think creatively.

"We're always looking for new ways to break through," noted Mark Kotcher, director of brand marketing and design for Save-a Lot. "A lot of grocery advertising today is people saying 'Our prices are the lowest, our prices are the lowest.' Well, we believe in proof points and what better way than to take it right to [the customer's] front door?" Mr. Kotcher added, "I would imagine you'll see this promotion in other places."

The company, which currently has just over 1,000 stores, is looking toward a goal of doubling that number by 2015 and believes that strategies like this one will build brand recognition.

The challenge that Save-A Lot faced is not unlike what any small business faces on a daily basis-without the benefit of an advertising budget of $1.9 million to work with. The bottom line here is that with a little creativity, there are ways to communicate with your customers in interesting and engaging ways without breaking the bank.

A few options you might consider would be to Tweet out any new specials you have to encourage followers and build recognition. Write an article about your business and post it on Scribd.com or Docstoc.com. Generate some buzz by creating a series of two minute videos and upload them to multiple sites using tubemogul.com. The possibilities are endless. Read more about them in Your Ad Here De-mystyfying the Business of Media and Advertising available at http://www.youradherthebook.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com or as an e-book at Sribd.com.

Media Bites-September 1 2010

Radio. Its come a long way since the early part of the 20^th century when families sat in the

living room to listen to President Roosevelt’s fireside chats or to enjoy the latest adventures

of Amos and Andy. Radio was king until the 1950s when a little invention called television

came on the scene changing the world forever. Fast-forward 50 years and radio is still

around today. According to a March 2008 radioworld.com article, there are 13,977

licensed commercial radio stations in the US and over 151 Stations on Sirius satellite radio.

And spot radio continues their growth pattern with another positive quarter. According to the Radio Advertising Bureau, radio revenues are up 6% in Q2 2010 compared to Q2 in 2009. It was the second quarter of positive numbers, following a long period of negative growth. In the period from April-June 2010, local radio revenue was up 3%, to $3 billion, while national increased 17%, to $702 million.

That being said, one of the greatest strengths of radio is its ability to target locally. Wherever you live, radio is a part of your community. Beyond that, because local radio does not have a long lead-time from production of your ad to the airing, it’s sales and promotions groups work diligently to help you develop an event around your sale or promotion that fits with their station’s target audience.

To learn more about the power of Radio as well as the ins and outs of all other forms of media, check out our book: Your Ad Here De-Mystifying the Business of Media and Advertising. Available NOW at http://www.youradherethebook.com, http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com. Download an e-book version at Scribd.com.