Should You Still Advertise on Television?

People still watch television. According to a recent Nielsen report, people watched approximately 141 hours of television per month in the third quarter of 2014. But with all the other ways available to reach your prospects these days, is television worth the investment? Here are a few things to consider before you decide.

Is your target audience watching? Older people are more likely to watch traditional television than younger people; according to Moffett Nathanson Research, the median age of cable and broadcast television audiences during 2013-2014 was about 44 years old. As the traditional prospect for many forms of insurance tends to skew older, that indicates there’s plenty of opportunity in television advertising for insurance products. However, this demographic doesn’t fit for every product, so it’s important to do your research when choosing the shows, channels, and time slots to advertise in.

Do you have the budget? Television advertising is expensive. Unless you’re advertising in a less in-demand spot on a local cable network, you’ll pay a lot for a time slot. You also have to pay the ad agency that comes up with your concept, foot the bill for production, and pay actors, scriptwriters, and other professionals. Creating a television advertising campaign is not for those with a small budget.

Is your television ad campaign integrated? People want to connect with you in a variety of ways. To get the most bang for your buck, it’s often best to create a television ad in conjunction with a larger marketing scheme that touches your prospect in a variety of places. These could include social media, your website, email, and more.

How broad is the appeal of your product? Television advertising is usually more effective for a broad audience—as you can’t segment your campaign the way you would for email and other forms of marketing. Generally, television advertising is more suitable for retail insurance than commercial and wholesale, for instance, as the potential prospects for those products are far broader.

Fewer people watch traditional television now than ever, but people still do watch—especially in the older demographic. Advertising on television can be useful for insurance agents—but it should be done in conjunction with a marketing plan that encompasses a number of mediums, depending on where your target audience can be reached. Ideally, television advertising can be an effective part of a broader campaign that appeals to a broad retail audience for insurance.

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