Page 144 - 101 Ways to Market Your Business

MAKE EVERYDAY ADVERTISING IDEAS WORK

56 Making a cheap television commercial that
works

Television advertising can be expensive but of all the major
mediums it can produce the best results in a very short
amount of time. We have produced television commercials
that have cost $75 000 and some that have cost $200. Both
have very different applications but both have been equally
successful.

The key to success with television advertising is pro-
ducing a good commercial and placing advertisements in
quality time slots. The most important point to remember
is to decide what message you want to get across and stick
to it. Too many companies try to say too much, leaving
the customers confused about what they should do next.
People tend to switch off and ignore poor advertisements.

Some of the key points to consider when producing an
effective low-budget television commercial include:

• Plan the commercial to run like a story. Have a start
and a finish.

• Decide on three or four key points that you want to
get across.

• Try to be humorous. Cheap advertisements are OK if
they are funny.

• Make sure people know where to find your business.
• Tell the people watching your commercial why they

should buy something from your business.
• Test the commercial before airing it by showing it to

friends and colleagues.
• Accept the fact that some people should never stand in

front of a camera.

Television stations have all the necessary staff to help
you produce your own advertisement. However, it has been
my experience that you will have much greater success if

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