Cable and satellite TV providers have been known to raise their rates year after year, leaving many customers frustrated and seeking alternatives. According to a report by Leichtman Research Group, the average monthly cost of cable and satellite TV services in the US increased by 74% between 2000 and 2020. In this article, we will explore why cable and satellite providers tend to raise their rates and the impact of these increases on customers.

If you operate a business it can be really tough to find a TV solution that is affordable, legal, and can positively impact your business.

Why do cable and satellite providers raise their rates?

There are several reasons why cable and satellite providers raise their rates. One of the main reasons is the rising cost of programming. Providers have to pay fees to carry channels and content from broadcasters and content creators. As the cost of programming increases, providers pass on the cost to customers through rate increases.

Another reason for rate increases is the investment in new technologies and equipment. Providers need to continually invest in new technologies and equipment to improve their services and stay competitive. These investments come at a cost, and providers often pass on the cost to customers through rate increases.

Finally, and most commonly, providers tend to raise their rates to improve their profitability. Cable and satellite providers operate in a highly competitive market, and once they have you subscribed it is easy for them to raise your bill. Most subscribers will not notice the bump in their rates until months after it starts. And even then the majority of subscribers will stay subscribed despite the rising cost.

Impact on customers

The annual rate increases by cable and satellite providers can have a significant impact on customers. According to a survey by Consumer Reports, 30% of cable and satellite TV customers who were surveyed said they were not satisfied with their service, primarily due to the cost.

The impact of rate increases is also felt by customers who remain with their providers. As rates continue to increase, customers may be forced to make difficult choices, such as cutting back on other expenses or reducing the number of channels they subscribe to. For some customers, the annual rate increases may be the last straw, leading them to cancel their subscriptions and seek alternatives such as streaming services.

Alternatives to cable and satellite TV

As the cost of cable and satellite TV services continues to rise, customers are increasingly looking for alternatives. One popular alternative is streaming services, which offer a wide range of content at a lower cost than cable and satellite TV services. According to a survey by Deloitte, 80% of US consumers subscribe to at least one streaming service, with 55% subscribing to two or more services.

Another alternative is over-the-air TV, which provides access to local broadcast channels for free. Customers can purchase an antenna and receive local channels in high-definition quality without paying a monthly subscription fee.

But what if you are a business?
You might be surprised that businesses have even less options. Netflix, Hulu and even YouTube are not permitted to be used inside of businesses, but there are a few alternatives that have come up in the past few years to fill a business’ need for quality licensed TV.

Alternatives for Business TV Customers

There are two alternatives to Cable and satellite TV for businesses:
1) Digital Signage
2) Custom TV Networks

Digital signage is exactly what it sounds like. They transform your TV into a digital sign. This can be great if your visitors are only at your location for a 20-30 seconds, but it can be very boring if placed in a waiting room or in an area that customers have to be for an extended period of time.

Custom TV Networks on the other hand contain fully-licensed television shows, designed to be played inside of businesses. The pioneer, and current industry leader of such networks is It’s Relevant TV who also operates RELE.TV. These networks combine the entertainment value of broadcast TV with the marketing power of digital signage and custom videos.

 

Advertising your business is one of the most important aspects of marketing that can increase sales, brand recognition and customer loyalty. Without advertising, your company’s products and services can easily go unnoticed. Advertising helps you build relationships with potential and existing customers, expand your reach and create a positive public image.

Here are the Top 20 things you can advertise about your business:

1. Affordable prices
2. High quality products
3. Innovative services
4. Customer satisfaction
5. A welcoming environment
6. Wide selection of items
7. Fast delivery
8. Loyalty programs and rewards
9. Easy exchanges/returns
10. Special discounts
11. Online store
12. Money back guarantee
13. Free or inexpensive shipping
14. Exclusive offers
15. Partnerships and affiliations
16. Accessible customer service
17. Unique features
18. Multiple payments options
19. Eco-friendly policies
20. Attention to detail / welcoming customer feedback

Where Should You Advertise?

Now that you have a few ideas of what you could advertise, where should you put your messaging? The best places to advertise a business depend on the type of business and the target market. Online advertising, directories, search engines, social media, television and radio, billboards and banners, print magazines and newspapers, and sponsored events are all great places you can put advertising dollars to get results.

What Does Advertising Cost?

Advertising costs can vary significantly depending on the type of advertising, the target audience, the platform, and the region. The average cost for just one ad can range from as little as a few dollars to hundreds or even thousands. The important thing is to measure your ROI (Return On Investment). It’s OK to pay $1,000 for an ad if that ad draws in $10,000 of business. But it’s not OK if an ad costs you $10,000 and only brings you $1,000 of business. 

Where Can I Advertise for Free?

There are many websites and services that allow you to advertise for free, including but not limited to Craiglist, Google My Business, Facebook Marketplace, and YouTube. Additionally, there are a variety of product- or service-specific services that allow you to advertise for free, such as Amazon Services and eBay Classifieds. Social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter also provide ways to promote yourself without spending money.

If you have your own custom television network in your business you can advertise on your TV for free.

A lot of businesses are switching from Cable TV over to platforms like It’s Relevant TV in order to lower their TV bills, while taking control of what shows up on their TV. New technology has allowed this switch to take place and it really opens up a value piece of real estate for your advertising promotions.

With the right advertising tactics, you can boost sales and make your business stand out from your competitors. By showcasing your brand in front of potential customers, you can make the buying process easier and inform potential buyers, which in turn leads to more sales. Additionally, you can use advertising to draw attention to new products, offers and upcoming events, so customers have more of an incentive to purchase your product or service.

Advertising also helps you create a strong brand identity. With advertising, you can create a message that resonates with your target audience, so it’s easier for customers to recognize and remember your brand. You can also use advertising to differentiate yourself from your competitors, and showcase the unique aspects of your company that can help you stand out from the rest.

Finally, advertising can be used to improve customer loyalty. When customers are exposed to advertising, they get the sense that the company values their patronage, which encourages them to continue to support the business. Additionally, advertising can give customers an incentive to share their experiences with others, which can further spread the word and encourage more business.

In summary, advertising is a key component to the success of any business. Advertising helps increase sales, differentiate your brand, build brand identity and create customer loyalty. By utilizing the right advertising tactics, you can help your business grow and make a positive impact on your target customers.

 

Your waiting room is the gateway to your practice. When patients visit they base their satisfaction not just on the care you provide, but also on the environment you provide. Delivering a superior patient experience can be challenging, especially when it comes to creating comfortable patient waiting rooms. TV’s are an integral part of any modern medical office and it’s important to understand the Top 10 priorities for medical offices, when designing your waiting room experience.

1. Professionalism

Providing a professional environment for patients is of the utmost importance for medical providers. Patients for trust in their doctors, not just from the level of care they receive, but the environment in which they are treated. Displaying  inappropriate TV shows and films can create an uncomfortable atmosphere which can undermine what a medical provider is trying to accomplish. And Cable TV and online streaming services have much more inappropriate content than you may think.

2. Compliance

Keeping up with government requirements and regulatory protocol is important to running a successful practice. Cable TV is often not compliant with certain regulations and isn’t built with a medical office in mind.

3. Communication

Selecting specific content that relates to a medical provider’s specialty can be a great way to communicate to patients how their health is connected to their lifestyle. Using a TV in your waiting room or exam rooms is a great way to communicate with your patients.

4. Stress Free

Watching worry-free and appropriate content helps to reduce anxiety and stress levels in the patient. A cooking show, music video or celebrity interview can go a long way to easing peoples’ minds as they wait. Controlling what’s on the TV allows you to create a stress-free environment.

5. Entertainment

Entertainment is important in a medical environment. You don’t want people to be bored while they wait, or to feel like they are spending too much time waiting in your office. Being able to provide patients with a variety of content helps to keep them interested in waiting for their appointment or procedure to start.

6. Staying up to Date

Having the latest news on the TV is actually quite valuable. But not the kind of news you find on 24/7 news stations on cable. Medical offices need to have filtered news that is up to date, but won’t be off-putting to their patients. Companies like It’s Relevant TV and RELE.TV provide filtered news content for medical offices.

7. Branding

Your brand is important. This ties into the 1st point of professionalism. Having your logo on the wall, the front desk or on the TV is a great way to show the strength of your brand.

8. Educational

Being able to provide educational content related to the services you provide or specific specialties can help patients understand more about what you do. It can help them become more comfortable in your environment. But you don’t want to go overboard “over educating” them. It’s important to have a balance between providing helpful information, and giving patients too much– causing them added anxiety about being at your office.

9. Safety & Preventative Care

Content that provides tips and other elements of preventive care can be an important part of the patient experience. That’s where patients can leave the office with a few helpful action items in mind. During the peak of COVID-19, many offices moved to provide information on how to prevent the spread of the virus. Videos about proper hand washing, and social distancing were great examples of ways patients could act better to avoid getting the virus. Today many of these messages remain relevant.

10. Cost Saving

Investing in a platform like It’s Relevant TV can help to save costs related to content. By choosing from their huge library of content that is categorized and customizable to match what your patients enjoy watching, you can minimize costs that can be otherwise associated with cable subscriptions or individual streaming services. It’s Relevant does not require a cable or satellite subscription to work so you can cut the cord.

In conclusion, it’s important for a medical office to control what’s on their TV. This can help create a professional environment, as well as provide educational content. Investing in a platform like It’s Relevant TV for Medical Offices can help to save costs related to content while avoiding risks and retaining the professional atmosphere needed.

As an ever-growing resource for setting up virtual meetings and keeping in touch with colleagues, customers and employees, it’s no surprise that more and more businesses are beginning to incorporate televisions into their spaces. Whether it’s for group meetings, videoconferences, or simply for displaying vital information in the office, TVs offer businesses a range of potential uses, making them an increasingly popular addition to the workplace.

In recent years, technology has advanced to the point that it’s now possible to use televisions for a variety of purposes in businesses. With the right setup and peripherals, it’s possible to use TVs to display important messages and visuals throughout the workplace, to communicate with employees, or even to present company-wide presentations or training sessions. Additionally, modern TVs can be turned into video conferencing solutions, allowing businesses to host remote meetings with colleagues all over the world.

1. Digital Signage

Beyond just videoconferencing, many businesses are now turning to digital signage solutions for their offices. With digital signage, businesses can display anything from office hours to important reminders in shared spaces, or even use motion sensors to display personalized messages to specific customers or employees. Additionally, with the help of versatile software and apps, businesses can connect display walls to their existing enterprise content management systems, allowing them to easily create and manage digital signage content in real-time.

2. Corporate Communications

One of the main advantages of using televisions in businesses is that it makes it possible for all employees to stay up to date with the organization. Companies can use TVs to share new policies, important updates and any other information that all employees must stay aware of. This can be especially useful in retail or hospitality settings, where quick and efficient communication to the entire staff is vital.

3. Entertainment

TVs have always been about entertainment. And television inside of businesses is no different. Using TVs to entertain your customers is a great way to help them pass the time. It’s also great to have traditional TV programming in employee break rooms to give them a break from the grind.

4. Social Media Sharing

Businesses all over the world are starting to use televisions to display their most recent social media posts. Sharing your posts from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is a great way to encourage customers to follow you.

5. Taking Control of Your Business TV

This is the single most important change in business television today. Taking control of what’s on the TV is something new. In the past you were stuck with a live unfiltered channel or with a looping playlist of promotions. But now with platforms like It’s Relevant TV, you can have an assortment of up to date TV programs and your company’s own messaging.

When integrated with the right technology, TVs can be incredibly useful tools in the business world. Depending on the company’s needs and budget, they can be configured to streamline operations, provide better customer service, or even serve as a reliable source of entertainment. In any case, they’re a great way to keep employees up-to-date and engaged.

The world is always evolving and in 2022 there are some great new ways for you to brand your business. Some of the Top 5 Innovative Branding ideas are rooted in classic marketing, while others weren’t even possible a few years ago!

Brand Your Business with Your Own TV Network

Here’s a great example of something that didn’t exist up until recently, yet is a cost-effective way of making an impact with your visitors. Forget about cable TV, or digital signs, the new trend is towards having your own custom TV Network. What does that even mean… “Custom TV?”

Well, simply put it’s a screen that displays what looks like traditional TV, while having filters and controls that the business can access. It gives customers something great to watch without the risks of regular TV. All of the benefits without the detriments.

Custom TV providers like It’s Relevant TV and Rele.TV license the content for commercial use, also keeping you clear of any copyright issues you may face when showing videos from private streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube.

And on top of it all you are able to have your own brand and own promotions on the screen for your customers to see. And that’s where the best marketing strategies come into play with Custom TV. You can reinforce your brand and give customers a great experience while they are in your location.

Brand Your Business with Swag

Everyone loves a T-Shirt; Or a pen, a bag, or anything else that they get for free. Finding some innovative items to put your brand on is a great strategy to extend your brand. T-shirts and pens used to be the go-to’s but today more and more businesses are moving towards pocket hand sanitizers, phone wipes, tablet styluses, and other useful items that people will want to hold onto. There are a ton of mainstream online businesses like Vistaprint and Custom Ink, but don’t forget to check local suppliers as well.

Brand Your Business Through Sponsorships

Some of the best branding you can do is through showing what you support. So instead of buying a billboard on the highway and giving all of those funds to a media company, try searching out the local little leagues and school-run organizations. The advertising will cost you a lot less, and the money isn’t only buying you an ad or a banner, but goodwill as well.

Brand Your Business By Creating an Event

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, whether you realize it or not, you and your team have expertise that matters. You can be fixing cars, treating people medically, baking cupcakes or offering tutoring services. Regardless of your industry, there is always room for an event.

You can have an open house to showcase your work process and allow others to appreciate what you do. You can hold a seminar at the local library to team people an aspect of your business to spark their interest in other things you offer.  Events are great because they solidify you as a prominent source of information. They also can help you generate a lead list of attendees who will be more open to future communications from you than some random person who sends them an email.

Brand Your Business By Donating Branded Materials

This dovetails nicely with the swag-strategy. You can donate branded pens, pencils, bags, water bottles etc. to local organizations that contain your target market. If you have a bakery that serves school age kids, donate some #2 pencils to the school system with your name integrated into them. If you have a restaurant you can donate mugs or cups to local hotels so visitors can discover your establishment while they are visiting.