The Pros and Cons of Different Media Channels

The modern marketing landscape is incredibly complex, but the first choice any business owner needs to make when considering marketing a new product or service is comparatively simple, at least at face value: what type of media placement will be most effective for reaching the target audience? This article will lay out the pros and cons of the most common media channels for those interested in learning more about media buying. Let's start with traditional media placement.

Outdoor Media


Billboards, known within the industry as outdoor advertising, are capable of reaching more potential customers and clients per dollar invested than any other type of advertising. Of course, this form of advertising certainly has its limitations. Billboards can feature only one picture and a few words, making it challenging to get any kind of complex message across.

Print Advertising


Newspapers are increasingly losing favor as a media outlet due to decreased sales, but that doesn't mean print advertising no longer has its place. For instance, magazines are still popular among consumers and they allow companies to target fairly specific demographics of consumers who will be most likely to be interested in their products and services. Magazine advertising can be expensive, but it may be worth the money depending on the product or service being advertised.


Radio Spots


Radio advertising comes in a close second in terms of people reached per dollar invested. It tends to work best for companies that specialize in door-to-door services such as home repairs or products that can be easily delivered, though, as it's difficult to target extremely specific demographics.

TV Commercials


The vast majority of American consumers spend at least a few hours a day in front of their televisions, making it the perfect media form for companies that have budgets large enough to accommodate the often expensive prices of TV media buying. The variety of networks and programming available makes it easy to target specific demographics and audiences, though, and the video format can be much better for selling complex products and services than print ads. Plus, selective spot buying is an effective way to reduce cost while simultaneously ensuring that the commercial will be run during at least a few peak programming hours.

Digital Marketing


It is only recently that the field of digital marketing has truly come into its heyday. Today, though, just about everyone uses the internet extensively to research products, seek out recommendations, and keep in touch with their friends. Social media marketing is one particularly up-and-coming sub-specialty of digital marketing more generally, and although coming up with an effective social media campaign can be quite complex it typically provides the best results.

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