Advertising can make the difference between a booming success and a failure of a business that nobody's ever heard of.
Well, making an ad is easy enough, right? Just slap some words and pictures down and send it off to be published, right? Think that one over again, because not all advertisements are created equally.
If your idea of advertising strategies is "internet, radio, TV," you need to get up to date. There are virtually infinite ways to advertise, and each ad strategy has its pros and cons.
If you're not familiar with advertising strategy examples, don't worry. That's why you're here to read this list of 6 types of advertising strategies. When you're through, you'll have more ideas for your next advertising campaign than you know what to do with.
1. An Email Ad Strategy Saves a Buck
Email advertising is inexpensive and direct but requires you have a list of email addresses on hand.
If you have an already-successful business, offering promotions and discounts in your emails will keep customers coming back. If your business isn't yet successful, offering coupons or discounts on your website or at your retail location when customers set up an account or subscribe to your email list is a way to build that list.
2. The Not-So-New Trend: Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has a new ring to it, but celebrity endorsements have been a part of advertising for centuries. In the 1760s, royal endorsements became popular and led to the celebrity ads we know today.
Traditionally, celebrities and other figures feature in other kinds of ads, like video advertisements or radio spots. Nowadays, celebrities and their lives essentially are the advertisements themselves.
Influencer marketing refers to a type of advertising where companies work with celebrities and other figures, who in turn encourage their fans to try the products. With the rise of social media celebrities on platforms like Instagram, influencer marketing hit new highs.
This isn't always the most affordable form of marketing, but if you have a product well-suited to it, it's very effective. Lifestyle products can go viral in a snap when paired with the right celebrity or another public figure, and that could save you a lot in the long run.
3. Google AdWords, Bing, and Other SEM
SEM, or search engine marketing, targets keywords that people are likely to search for. Writing an article or blog post using search engine optimization (SEO) services puts your business at the top of the search results, funneling consumers your way.
Google AdWords (now known simply as Google Ads) is the most well-known form of SEM, but ads appearing in Bing and other search engines use a similar system. Focusing on these other less well-known search engines when running paid ads can save you money.
Pay attention to the success of your cost-per-thousand ads at the end of each campaign, because it's easy to overspend. After all, you're billed for 1000 impressions, but you can't totally guarantee that 1000 people will click. It will usually be a very small percentage of that, but you still want to maximize results the best you can. Tracing your success over time will help you maximize PPC advertising efficiency.
4. Advertising on Podcasts
Podcasts are a popular pastime for many and have the advantage of being a format that people can and do listen to anywhere. With a podcast for every interest, mood, and person, you have a wide variety of options.
If you work with specific podcasts, you can target people with particular interests, and demographics that are likely to engage with particular kinds of content.
For example, a hobby shop might run ads on a crafting podcast. A kids' clothing store might too because they know that kids and parents who do crafts together are likely to listen to the podcast.
Working with a group of content producers or a company that makes multiple podcasts gives you the option of broadening your scope.
5. Running Radio Ads
While podcast advertising is popular lately, people still listen to FM and AM radio, too. One of the biggest benefits of FM/AM advertising is that you're guaranteed a local audience. If you want to advertise a car dealership or a new restaurant, this is a great option.
Unfortunately, you don't have a good idea of how many people hear your radio ads. However, like podcasts, the audio format means that people will hear them all over the place: in stores, in the car, at work, at home, and more.
6. Video Ads On-Air or Online
Video advertising on both broadcast television and streaming platforms like Hulu remains a popular and effective form of advertising. If you can keep production costs down, or have enough cash to make a well-produced ad, you can target viewers who watch certain programs.
On broadcast television, choosing a channel and timeslot allows you to do this. If you have a good spot for your industry—think beer ads during the Super Bowl and retirement home ads during daytime soap operas—then you can make a lot of money. The unfortunate part is that you don't know who is or isn't seeing your advertising.
On Hulu, you get to take advantage of the streaming giant's database of user data, viewing preferences, and watching habits. The popularity of binge-watching on streaming channels gives you an advantage, too, as viewers will see your ads over and over again.
Hulu also offers local ads, so you can reap some of the same benefits of advertising on local TV. This is a great advertising strategy option for small businesses.
Hulu's sophisticated targeting options make them a good way to get the most bang for your buck for a video ad.
Boost Your Business and Enrich Your Life
Now that you've read about these six different types of advertising campaigns, you can plan your next ad strategy to best capture customers' attention. A good advertising strategy will set your business on the road to success in no time.
When you take a break from working on your next campaign, take a look at our blog for more prudent business ideas and advertising articles. We've tailored our biz blog for people like you, who want to live life as masterful marketers, awesome advertisers, and business bosses. Go ahead and click on another article—It's made just for you!