Reaching The Target Audience

Advertising is an effective way of promoting your products and services to your target audience. It is

usually a paid form of promotion. When you advertise, you tell prospective customers who you are where you are and what you can do for them.

Good advertising should build the image of your business, explain the benefits of your products and services, increase awareness of new products and services before, when and after they are launched,

generate interest from your target market as well as from new audiences or prospective customers, encourage customers to ask for information about your business and provide options so that they can contact you, increase the demand from customers and push up your sales.

Understanding the wide range of advertising strategies available will allow you to use the one that is best for your business. You may find that using a combination of strategies gives you the strongest results. The most suitable advertising option for your business will depend on your target audience and the most cost-effective way to reach as many of them as possible, as many times as possible. The advertising option chosen should also reflect the right environment for your product or service. There are some advertising tactics that could be used in business.

Newspapers
Newspaper advertising can promote your business to a wide range of customers. Display advertisements are carried throughout the paper, while classified listings are placed under subject headings in a specific section. You may find that a combination of advertising in your state/metropolitan newspapers and your local papers gives you the best results.

Magazines
Advertising in a specialised magazine can reach your target market quickly and easily. Readers (your potential customers) tend to read magazines

in their leisure time and keep them for longer, giving your advertisement multiple chances to attract attention.

If your products need to be displayed in colour, then glossy advertisements in a magazine can be ideal, though these are generally more expensive than newspaper advertisements. Magazines do not usually serve a small area such as a specific town. If your target market is only a small percentage of the circulation, then this kind of advertising may not be cost-effective.

Radio
Advertising on the radio is a great way to reach your target audience. If your target market listens to a particular station, then regular advertising can attract new customers. However, sound has its limitations. Listeners can find it difficult to remember what they have heard

ahd sometimes the impact of radio advertising is lost. The best way to overcome this is to repeat your message regularly. This, however, increases your costs significantly. If you cannot afford to play your advertisement regularly, you may find radio advertising ineffective.

Television
Television has an extensive reach and advertising through this medium is ideal if you cater to a large

market over a large area. Television advertisements have the advantage of the use of sight, sound movement and colour to persuade a customer to buy your products. They are particularly useful if you need to demonstrate how your product or service works.

Online
Being on the Internet can be a cost-effective way to attract new customers. You can reach a global audience at a low cost Many customers research

businesses online before deciding whom to buy from. A well-designed website can entice customers to buy from you. There are a number of ways in which you can promote your business online via paid advertising, or by improving your search engine rankings.