The Difference Between TV Advertising and Videos For The Web.
One question that seems to come up a lot (sometimes from clients, but mostly between professionals) is what is the difference between online videos and traditional TV advertising? I think the answer is simple…
NO ONE WATCHES COMMERCIALS ON THE INTERNET!
Sorry for yelling but I feel this point needs to be made. Now it’s true that some companies (Hulu) are running commercials and being really successful at doing so, but these are the television guys doing it. The entry to these guys is really high. It now costs more to run an ad on The Simpsons on Hulu, then it does on TV.
So, if your on the smaller end scale, where and how can you advertise on the internet. You have two options. You can create short, and I mean short, 5 sec tops, commercials that run on other online video content. You can go through a traditional advertising network and they will target your ads, as best they can, to videos they hope will relate to your customers.
The second, and better plan, is to create those videos your customers are watching, yourself. These are branded, content filled videos. The internet works on an added value system. If what you offer can’t add value to someone’s life, then they don’t care. This doesn’t apply to your normal business or service. I’m sure that adds value and customers would love it, but online when advertising, people won’t watch or respond if your advertising doesn’t also add value.
This is where the content comes in. The goal is to create content that answers questions your customers have, or videos that can solve a problem a customer has before they have to come see you. All these things build trust and add value to their day, making them more likely to find you when they need the service you offer.
So there you have it, my thoughts on the difference between advertising on TV and online.
Feel like I missed something or have a different opinion? Let us know in the comments.
Travis Berry
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