Media buying should be approached with a strategy that identifies targets, determines the most effective outlets for reaching them and considers a mixture of outlets and ad schedules.

How much is enough? That’s a common question when considering how many advertisements to place in a particular medium to reach and impact a target audience. Advertisers often refer to various theories to determine the number of ads they need to place, but is there really a magic number of advertising exposures needed to transform a target into a customer?

Achieving Impact

A common theory, often called the three-plus rule, is credited to two different researchers that studied advertising exposures in relation to consumer behavior in the 1960s and 1970s. In the most basic terms the theory states that advertising targets must be exposed to a message at least three times before one can expect to have achieved any sort of impact. Current industry opinion nudges the figure to a range of five to seven impressions for minimum impact, and up to 11 impressions to inspire action. The larger question is where, how often and how many advertisements should be placed in a given medium in order to achieve this impact.

Competition and clutter are major considerations that affect ad placement. With countless avenues for exposure, from broadcasting sources and printed publications to Web, outdoor, and others, messages can be easily lost in the shuffle. Some advertising outlets, such as radio or television, require placing ads at a much higher frequency to achieve impact. For example, radio advertisers often place five 60-second spots per day, three days per week, over a 30-day schedule. By contrast, achieving impact in a weekly newspaper may be accomplished by running a quarter-page ad seven times over a three-month period. Trade journals, which are usually published on a monthly basis, often require an advertising frequency of seven to 10 times in order to impact a target.

Create a Strategy

Media buying should be approached with a strategy that identifies targets, determines the most effective outlets for reaching them and considers a mixture of outlets and ad schedules. Planning advertisements in this manner allows advertisers to make the most out of each outlet’s strengths, and impacts targets on more than one level. For example, a target consumer could hear your commercial on the radio during the morning commute, notice your billboard a few minutes later and then notice your display ad in the newspaper. In this scenario, the advertiser has achieved three impressions, which were likely to be more memorable than if the target had simply heard three radio commercials within a given week.

Maintain the Message

It’s also important for your advertising strategy to consider the content of your advertisements. Consistency is key. Placing print advertisements that contain a different message than what is appearing in your television commercials can limit your overall impact. Make sure all efforts position your company brand consistently.

Successful advertising is the result of careful planning and execution. While there is no magic formula for exposing targets to your advertising message, a well-defined strategy can accomplish the results you wish to achieve. Trained marketing planners and media buyers can help guide you through the media maze and achieve the greatest impact with your target consumers.

Advertising is about communication, so it’s important to use language your customers clearly understand.

Advertising is essential to business growth. In fact, it’s one of your most powerful tools for generating customers, increasing sales and establishing credibility and name recognition in your industry. Regardless of which advertising medium you use, follow these key steps to make the most of your budget and achieve the highest degree of success.

Determine Your Target Audience

Before you decide what you’re going to say, find out who’s going to hear it. Clearly define your customers. Identify their demographics and media consumption habits to determine which advertising medium will best reach them. Do they prefer industry and trade magazines or local print media?

Set Your Objectives

Why are you advertising? Are you attracting new customers? Launching something new? Maybe you’re establishing your company’s brand or countering the efforts of a competitor. Wherever you’re headed, make sure your advertising efforts lead you in that direction. Your objectives will determine how your copy is written and the overall look and feel of your advertising.

Maintain Your Brand

The most important part of effective branding is consistency. Whether it’s your company colors, the font used in your display ads or the dimensions of your logo, always maintain your brand standards. By using your company’s familiar look and feel, your ads will be much more recognizable to your audience.

Position Your Product or Service

How do you want customers to see you? If your business offers new, innovative services, your ads should reflect that. If you’re the established market leader, make sure customers know it.

Speak to Your Customers

Advertising is about communication, so it’s important to use language your customers clearly understand. If your product or service is highly technical and you are trying to reach the average Joe, use simple language.

Sell Your Benefits

The consumer sees your product or service in two aspects: what it can do for them (benefits) and how it does it (features). Sell your benefits first, and use your features to back them up.

Be informative

People want to learn. Use your advertisement as an informational tool. Let them know why they need your product or service, always selling your competitive advantages.

Get to the Point

Make sure the intentions of your ad are clearly stated. Customers can’t react to an advertisement without knowing what action is expected.