Cable TV advertising usually involves the use of small chunks of time before, during, and after programming to promote a business and its products or services. Commercials are the most common type of cable TV advertising. Other products such as onscreen crawls, community channel advertising, and above-programming promotion are available in many markets. Some companies provide television viewing services on their websites as well, which means opportunities to advertise on these pages might also be available.
TV commercials generally involve a variety of individuals working together to create video content to be used in an advertisement. Often this type of promotion costs a great deal both in terms of money and time, which many new or small businesses lack. As a result, they might choose to spend their marketing dollars in other ways.
Cable TV advertising that scrolls across the bottom of the TV screen is called a crawl. This is a more cost-effective method of promotion for many businesses. In addition, it is a relatively easy method as well. Simple marketing copy is created and provided to the cable company, which then places it in the appropriate queue for advertisement.
Community channel cable TV advertising is used by many small businesses, especially if their focus is on local clientele. Many local companies have a community channel that is used to promote businesses and local programming. This method of promotion usually involves a full-screen ad that might contain logos, product pictures, and text.
Above-programming promotion is cable TV advertising that appears above program guides. While this method does not provide full-screen visibility, it does usually allow for the display of a graphic and a small amount of text. Ads of this type might rotate through at predetermined time periods to allow for a few different types to be seen.
If cable programming is viewed on Internet websites, providers might offer website advertising spots to businesses. These might be in the form of banner ads, text links, or sponsorships. Promotion in this manner might be charged based on a variety of factors such as ad placement, size, and length of contract.
When considering this type of advertising, a business owner might consider price, exposure, and target market. Certain times of day are generally better than others for advertising certain products and services and will likely gain the business more exposure. Research can usually be obtained about the cable company’s market demographics and other important factors.
