How Much Does It Cost To Advertise On TV? | It’s Relevant TV

How Much Does it Cost to Advertise on TV?

Great question! The answer depends on whether or not your ad is going to be local, or national. Local ads cost significantly less, and are the go-to for smaller businesses for obvious reasons; your business with 1 to 3 locations on the East Coast doesn’t need to reach people in California. National ads- on the other hand, will cost much more per spot, but will cost less when divided among the viewers you are reaching.

If you’re reading this, chances are that what you’re interested in is a local advertisement — however both will be covered. Before we start, it is worth noting that there’s a third option that most business owners don’t think of; which is running your ads on the TV within your business itself. If you think that’s counterintuitive to the point of playing an ad on television, keep on reading and see why more and more business owners are adopting this new strategy.

Want to Advertise on TV? Here’s what to Expect

Business owners looking to run a local ad can expect to pay upwards of $1,500 for a 30-second advertisement on a broadcast network — compared to national ads, which can cost as much as $120,000 for an ad of the same length. Cable TV networks in limited areas can cost as little as $50 per spot, but the viewing audience for those ads is very small.

A Quick Calculation:
Just think if there are 200,000 cable subscribers. 50% of them may be watching TV at any given time, so that’s 100,000 audience. Now, those people have the choice between a thousand different cable channels. Most will gravitate towards the broadcast stations like NBC, Fox, CBS and ABC. So you may only be left with 40,000 viewers that are choosing between the other 1,000 channels. Divided evenly between the channels you might expect that ad to be shown to just 40 people. So even for a “cheap” ad on regional cable purchased for $50, you’d be paying $1.20 per viewer in the example above.

Television ads are costly, and that money spent is a lot for a small business — especially when there’s no guarantee that you’re going to make that money back. When it comes to most advertising platforms; cable TV, billboards, newspapers, etc. — you’re paying to have your message exposed to thousands, if not hundreds-of-thousands of people on the off-chance that a large number of them will see it, be interested, and then act on it. That’s a lot of off-chances.

Don’t bet your advertising budget on the Law of Averages. Not when you can achieve the same goals, with the same ad, for far less money.

The Advantages of Advertising on your Own Business’ TV

Some might argue that the point of having a commercial ad is to have it play on broadcast television; in people’s homes. The “I don’t need to advertise to customers who are already in my business” stance comes from a place of logic, but it has its flaws. Most notably, it’s ignoring the simple fact that those customers- who are already in your business, are there because:

1.) They trust you, or they trust your brand

2.) You sell a product that they need, or you offer a service that you provide.

3.) They are statistically more likely to (re)visit your business than someone who had never been there before.

Less often than you might think it’s because they saw your ad at home on TV. The small handful of “those-interested” that you might get out of a TV ad will have an equal mindset to those who are already visiting your business naturally. It’s far easier, and way more cost-effective, to target customers who are already in your location.

Why spend thousands of dollars fishing for 1-in-1,000 people who are interested in your brand when you can instead target 1,000 visitors who you know are already interested?

Selling visitors on additional products and services while they’re right there — where they can buy or act on it that second, is the best strategy for generating more sales and repeat business. If you were advertise on TV, your product, service, or message would REALLY have to motivate the consumer to stop what they’re doing, get up, go out, and visit your business. No matter which way you look at it, the best place for your business’ ad is your business’ TV.

Finding the Right Advertising Platform to Stream your Business’ Ads

DIY solutions cost time, money, and upkeep to maintain; trust a business TV provider to do all the hard work for you.

Finding the right platform can be a little overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the technology. The best place to start looking for business TV software is It’s Relevant TV. The TV experts there know businesses, and they know television; schedule a call with them for a closer look at the technology, or chat with a representative if you have any questions about using custom TV software in your business.

If you’re going to advertise on TV, make it your business’ TV.

Auto Show Marketing: What Dealerships Can Learn From Auto Expos

Auto Shows are a grand affair. Top brands from all corners of the US gather together to show off new models, talk about new technology, and explore new trends in the industry with experts, innovators, and car enthusiasts alike. With so much coverage and exposure, it’s no surprise that brands have taken auto show marketing seriously. But should they?

This article will go on to explore the declining trend in car shows, take a closer look at why so many major carmakers are bailing-out, and even suggest a better way to invest those marketing dollars.

Auto Show Marketing: A Fading Trend

At the time of this article’s release, the New York International Auto Show is just beginning. It is just one of many big annual car shows that, like the NAIAS or The Chicago Auto Show; attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, and feature hundreds of new models each year. Usually, those numbers are nothing to scoff at – however for the first time ever some major car brands are thinking twice about attending.

It’s not because of cost, but rather practicality.

Some of these larger automotive shows really push marketing budgets. Cost of attendance at these things can cost upwards of millions for a single week! Bigger brands don’t have trouble putting forth the money, but regardless of whether or not they can afford it, the question becomes “is it really worth it?”

The Growing Problem with Car Shows

The people who purchase spaces at these events spare no expense. It’s go big, or go home- So of course it’s going to cost millions for the space, the stage, and all of the lights, carpeting, and furniture – all of which are branded, brand-consistent, and designed to stand out and steal the splotlight. The problem? So is everyone else’s space.

Some of the major carmakers who are backing out of these grand auto shows are citing the presence of competition on the show floor as being the reason for calling it quits. It just isn’t worth it – not when they could be getting better mileage out of those millions outside of the show. As a result? The major brands are looking for new ways to invest their money, and achieve true ROI.

A Better Use for your Auto Show Marketing Budget

The same energy, flare, and attention that goes into sprucing up your space at one of these big auto shows could go a long way at your brand’s dealership locations. Making sure the people you have attracted to the door enjoy their visits, and ultimately decide to purchase from you is of the utmost importance. And it’s something you can likely achieve for much less.

By investing that time and money into improving your waiting areas, show floor, and amenities, you’re improving the things that really make a lasting impression on the people who are visiting your dealerships – which are really the people you want to impress, and please, to get them to purchase. Customers are the ones driving your product around, they’re the ones who will buy from you again, and they’re the ones who will talk positively about your brand, for free, and recommend you to friends and family. The right approach, and the right message, go a long way.

Getting the Message Across with It’s Relevant TV

If you’re investing some of your marketing budget on branding and enhancing visitor experience, the TV is a great place to start. How you get your message across to visitors is just as important as the message itself. TVs are effective at getting people’s attention. If you put something on a TV people are watching, 9 times out of 10 someone is going to see it.

It’s Relevant TV is a television service that more and more dealerships are switching to. It doesn’t come with the high monthly cost, lack of control, or risk of competitor ads that cable does. It replaces all of those things with a custom channel that’s easy to manage, is fully customizable, and allows you to showcase your own personal videos, messaging, social media and brand. It’s a great way to get all the things you want noticed, and all the content that comes with it is designed to keep people entertained, and informed. All while keeping brand consistency across the board.

Business Owners: Get More Mileage out of Your Videos

Does Your Business Have A Video?

More and more businesses are creating videos and seeing the value. Videos are a great way to demonstrate a product, detail a service, or introduce people to your staff. Videos can be time consuming to create, and expensive to make. While we have observed a growth in the number of businesses making videos, the majority of them fail to think about the next step: How do you get customers to see it?

We see the video process as having two parts: Production & Distribution. Production is the planning, shooting and editing of the video. Distribution is taking the finished video and putting it in front of people. While there has been a great increase in attention paid to the production, distribution is something many forget to focus on.

Where Are You Putting Your Finished Videos?

So where do your videos go? How do you get them seen? How do you measure the success of a video you’ve made? These are all questions you should ask yourself.

We’ve found that many business owners take a “Field of Dreams” approach to video distribution. The famous quote from the movie, “If you build it they will come”. If you build a great video and throw it on YouTube, you will soon find that your intended audience will not find it automatically.

It’s similar to printing fliers. Just because you’ve printed 100 fliers and have them stacked in a box, doesn’t mean people will seem them. You have to do the work to get those 100 fliers into 100 prime locations to reach your desired audience. Video works in much the same way. Even though you aren’t passing out physical videos, you do have to think about how to place them in front of people you want to see them. Youtube, your website, community pages etc. are all places you can start. We have found a primary space for these videos should be on TV in your business location(s).

Putting Your Videos on TV

download — This doesn’t have to be your TV solution.

Having your videos on TV will draw more attention to them. It will get them seen by customers that are more likely to act upon your messaging.

There are many ways you can get your videos onto TVs in your locations. We have details the top methods in this article: 3 Ways to put your videos on TV.

The problem with most display solutions is that they loop. Unless you have a large library of content at the ready, people are going to watch the same thing again and again with no break and nothing new. Maintenance and upkeep are also issues – often needing to brave a utility closet full of wires, re-load physical drives or USB sticks, or having to hire a specialist in order to update or fix what’s on the TV.

Making the Most out of Your Videos

Putting an easy-to-use system in place that will play your videos and mix them with other TV programming is key. It’s Relevant TV takes the majority of the work away- providing your business with relevant TV programming, and a way to make the most out of your media.

It’s Relevant is a cable alternative that provides businesses a TV solution in the form of a living network of short-form content. IRTV’s library of videos is broken up into categories for you to choose from based on your customer’s interests, and gives you full control over what’s on your TV. The service provides compliments to your own videos as well as complete management of one or multiple TVs. IRTV tracks everything so you can know how many times each of your videos were displayed, along with specific timing and location.

The big difference between It’s Relevant TV and other solutions is in the content. IRTV provides interesting and entertaining content while inserting your own messages and real-time social media for people to see while engaged.

Visit itsrelevant.com to learn more about the easy-to-use and cost effective TV solution.

iOS 11 Hidden Feature That Will Help Your Business (iPhone/iPad)

With Apple’s release of iOS 11 on Tuesday September 19, 2017 many new features have been introduced to the iPhone and iPad. Most of these features matter mostly to consumers, not to business owners. But there is one feature in particular that businesses should take advantage of.

QR Code Scanning on the iPhone

Apple has made it easier than ever for consumers to scan QR codes while they are out and about. What are QR Codes? They are a lot like barcodes in that they are quick to scan from a compatible device but they are used in much more of an interactive way. QR codes have been used for about a decade now to bring users to web sites while out and about. They are really big in Asia, but never really took off here in the U.S.

What’s different now?

You used to need a dedicated app to scan a QR code on your iPhone. The problem has always been that once you saw a QR codeyou wanted to scan you had to fumble through your apps, find the QR scanning one, wait for it to load and then shoot the code. This long process made it hard to use QR codes in dynamic ways. Now Apple has built the technology into their standard Camera App. The Camera App remains one of the easiest to access apps on the phone, available right from the lock screen.

What are the opportunities for businesses?

Getting customers to access your websites while in your retail locations, or through ads in remote locations are a great way to grow your business. Once users access a link through a QR code, they can fill out a survey, join a loyalty club or even purchase a product that’s not available in the store.

iOS 11 QR Code Scanning App — QR Code Editing Tool inside of It’s Relevant TV

Make the most of this update with It’s Relevant TV

As you’ll see in the video below, It’s Relevant TV has a QR code generator built right into their free iPhone/iPad app. You can design, edit and upload interactive ads right from your phone to all of your business TVs using the service. IRTV puts these QR codes in a place that your customers can see and interact them. Customer awareness will be key to your success.

There is really no quicker way to easily build active links into your business signage. We hope that you’ll take advantage this great technology that is surely to gain usage in the months to come!

If you have questions or want to chat about ways to make this technology work for you, please reach out to us.

Using Netflix & DVDs in Your Business: Don’t Put Yourself at Risk

There it is – did you read it? You probably saw it, but did you really read what it says? Me neither. At least not after years and years of seeing it, or a similar message at the beginning of every movie I’ve ever watched.

Well, in case you still haven’t read it, it says:

“Federal law provides severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution or exhibition of copyrighted motion pictures, video tapes, or video disc.”

So what does this mean exactly? In short, it means that if you own something like a DVD of a movie, or a CD, you can’t legally burn copies of that disc and sell them to people, or even hand them out for free. Nor are you allowed to show that movie or play that album for the general public without the expressed consent to do so. If you’re looking for a something you can play instead, take a look at It’s Relevant TV.

You might be wondering where the line is drawn, and it’s a fair question. Just like when you get a driver’s license that allows you to drive a car, when you buy anything like a DVD you’re buying the license to watch or listen to that media privately.

Now before you go taking a hammer to your home theater, it’s important to note that while those licenses are private, it doesn’t exclude friends and family from enjoying them as well – the means to actually traffic and enforce that would simply be ridiculous. So long as your viewing is limited to personal and non-commercial use, you’re not in violation of the Terms & Conditions.

Is it Legal for Me to Show Netflix in My Business?

In short: No.
But this is an easy question to clarify by looking at Netflix’s terms of service:

“The Netflix service and any content viewed through our service are for your personal and non-commercial use only. During your Netflix membership, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, license to access the Netflix service and view Netflix content through the service. Except for the foregoing limited license, no right, title or interest shall be transferred to you. You agree not to use the service for public performances.”

This is a prime example of how companies lay out licensing agreements. Does this mean you can’t show Finding Nemo in your waiting room? Unfortunately, you can’t. The difference between throwing the movie into your DVD player at home, and the TV at your office – is that one is at home (personal), and the other is a business (public). It’s the same reason you can’t buy a Taylor Swift CD and play her songs outside your store to attract customers. You can try, but it’s illegal, and it’s not good when you get caught. Companies take this sort of thing very seriously.

But Were DVDs or Netflix a Good Idea in the First Place?

When your visitors are at your location do they really want to watch a movie? Not really. They’re there for a reason and don’t want to be around long. People want to watch the TV as a distraction while they wait, but can’t be invested in a long-form program or movie.

The average time spent in a waiting room varies from business to business. Dentist offices come in at 5 to 10 minutes, whereas you could be waiting up to 20 minutes at a doctor’s office. Even if you could play the movies you wanted, a typical feature-length flick usually runs over or just under two hours. So unless you’re waiting over an hour for your car to be serviced, you’d only catch 1/12th or 1/6th of the movie – starting from who-knows-where.

The sort of programming that runs in a lobby should compliment the length of time people are going to be waiting there, with the notion that they’re not going to be fully invested in whatever’s on the screen.

So What Can You Play Instead?

It’s Relevant TV features a network of original content spanning across a vast selection of categories. And unlike a DVD or Netflix, all of the content is licensed for public display. From kid’s entertainment to the national news, the programs are on average two and a half minutes long – long enough to hold someone’s attention in a waiting room and feel as though they left entertained or informed.

Utilizing Television to Benefit Your Business

Your Customers Didn’t Come to Watch TV

If you print a sign to promote a new service, and then you never hang it in the business, you’re missing an opportunity, right? That seems pretty clear, and yet business owners think nothing of buying a TV and filling it with useless programming. But how is that helping your business and customers?

Reality Check

There is an important reality about including a TV in your business location: your business is not the customer’s living room. They have a TV in their own living room and they have complete control over that one. Having a TV in your business with the remote freely available is not going to draw anyone off their own couch to come sit in your waiting room.

You may have a television in the waiting area of your doctors office or automotive service center. And you might leave the remote out for your customers to pick what they want to watch, but why? Did a customer ever say “I feel like watching the Steelers game, so I’m going to the doctor’s office”? Of course not!

Additionally, leaving the channel selection to your customers poses some risks. What will they choose to watch? Will they be annoyed by the preferences of the other customers? Some business owners who hold the remote at the desk or behind the counter complain that dealing with changing the channel wastes time and frustrates employees also.

Customization is your Right and Duty

The truth is that you designed your business location with purpose. The paint color, the flooring, the lighting, the furniture: you selected these to create a certain feeling in your space. Until now there were very limited options to customize your TV with that same care, but now you can.

Your TV can influence your customers to spend more money, come back more often, and follow your business on social media. Choosing the right programming is all you need to do to make your TV worth something. With It’s Relevant TV, your TV is an asset that helps drive greater sales.

Magnetic Television

Whatever channel you have on, your customers will look at the television at least once – it’s human nature. But how can you keep them looking without giving them the remote? Keep changing the type of content every few minutes automatically!

If you have national news, sports, travel, gardening, food/cooking, fashion, kids programming and more available to mix at all times, you’ll have something for everyone. It’s Relevant TV is the subscription service that provides you this flexibility. The system automatically mixes content from categories you choose so your customers are never bored or frustrated with what’s on the TV.

And While You Have Their Attention

When your customers are looking at something, you put your brand on it, right? Custom water bottles, notepads, refrigerator magnets, this is a pretty common practice. With your TV, you have the opportunity to do so much more! Put your logo on the screen, add your own informational videos, and add your own marketing messages and specials as images next to the broadcast. Show off your social media posts to gain followers. All of that would be impossible with cable TV.

It sounds like a promotional dream, but it’s very easy to achieve with It’s Relevant TV. Get your customers to look, keep them watching, and harness their attention to grow your business.