Advertising is basically a communication that uses an openly advertised, non-personal, but somehow suggestive message to advertise or promote a product, idea or service. Sponsors of advertising usually are large businesses wishing to market their wares to the general public. The main purpose of advertising is to draw in consumers to patronize their offerings.
Advertising can consist of many different forms, such as the use of word-of-mouth, television, radio, print and billboards. In the past, newspaper advertisements were considered as one of the first forms of advertising. This form of advertising was quite popularized when dime a dozen newspapers started becoming obsolete. Subsequently, TV advertising came into being. This form of advertising is mostly targeted on a specific audience, with the aim of attracting potential customers to buy a particular product line or company.
As long as the audience is made aware of the specific brand or product line being advertised, the effect of the advertisement will be seen. If done effectively, the intended audience will see the advertised brand or product line at least a number of times. Effective ads should therefore, make an effort to grab the attention of the audience at first sight. The appearance of the advertisement should also be such that it appeals to the senses of the person viewing it.
As an effective advertiser, you need to ensure that your advertisements provide a solution to the problem that your potential customers are facing. If your target market consists of senior citizens, then your advertisements should offer them something that they need rather than something that they are currently seeking. In this way, they will be more likely to view your ad. By offering them something that they are not currently satisfied with, you will definitely attract their attention and in turn, drive a positive response towards your brand or product. This way, advertising plays an important role in personal selling.
The effectiveness of your advertisement largely depends on the medium that you choose for your advertisement. Effective advertising helps establish your credibility in your chosen industry and in turn, this can lead to increased sales. Therefore, you must always choose the right medium for your advertisement to have a good outcome.
Apart from the above, digital advertising has become a great way to advertise. Digital advertising activities include the use of electronic media such as electronic billboards, digital signs and posters. These activities are great means of publicizing your product or brand since they are very effective and cost-effective. In addition, digital advertisements save a lot of your resources. For example, you do not need to spend on producing the prints as well as employing graphic designers to do so.
Advertisements play a vital role in brand building. As a result, many people consider advertisements to be essential parts in the marketing mix. In addition, advertisers normally prefer to have their own brand building strategies rather than taking help from external companies. However, it is highly recommended that you hire an advertising agency to help you in creating your own brand building strategies since they can easily achieve this through a series of highly customized advertisements.
The effectiveness of traditional advertising can easily be undermined by the fact that it takes time before changes happen. Also, due to this long period of time, you will have to spend on these advertisements repeatedly. On the other hand, digital advertisements are very fast and can change in a blink of an eye. These factors are not enough reason to disregard the power of digital advertising. Hence, it is suggested that you invest in these types of advertisements to take advantage of their high speed of changing nature.