Small organizations often have small advertising budgets, but that doesn't mean you have to settle. Instead, make the most of it by making smart, cost-effective decisions about how you spend those dollars.
Did you know that on-premise signage is the cheapest method of advertising and arguably the most effective? Not only does a sign serve as around the clock advertising, but it also narrows your ad to the potential customers you are trying to reach. Drivers are bound to see your sign while they sit in traffic or run around town. Placing a well branded sign close to a busy intersection can make all the difference for your organization.
In addition, the advertising landscape has changed drastically in recent years, and this change only continues to accelerate. Traditional forms of marketing are becoming less effective and new forms of advertising are becoming increasingly expensive. Newspapers and other periodicals show a continued decline in readership. In a six month period ending in March 2010, overall Sunday circulation dropped 6.5% and weekday circulation dropped 8.7% as compared to the previous year. [1]
The number of TV channels has multiplied, shrinking individual channel viewership. In addition, the introduction of DVR technology allows viewers to skip over ads. DVR ownership has nearly tripled in the past three years to over 30 million, and more than half of users skip over ads. [2] Terrestrial radio has declined almost 9% in both listeners and time spent listening, as non-commercial alternatives such as satellite radio and personal music players like the iPod gain more prominence. [3] Internet use is on the rise, but increasing world-wide competition through a handful of channels has caused skyrocketing costs.
[1] Audit Bureau of Circulations, Audience-FAX eTrend
[2] "How DVRs are Changing the Television Landscape", The Neilson Company
[3] "Persons Using Radio Report", Arbitron, Inc. Fall 1998-Spring 2007.
