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Though this class puts the emphasis on 'digital' in digital advertising, it's important to understand the foundation of why it's important to advertise at all in the first place.

Advertisements play an important role in reasonable pricing of goods as advertisements help to increase the sale of goods which helps covers manufacturing overhead and then allows for a reasonable profit margin to be met at equilibrium.
Advertisements can also raise the standard of living by encouraging the use of progressive technology in new products of ideas.
Daily newspapers, television license fees, and bus fees remain cheap because of advertising slots and the competition of the market capitalism maintains the quality of the products that are advertised and promoted.

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Advertisements: The Pros and Cons (P010)

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Advertising is the best way to let the consumer know the product well. The more we advertise, the more people will know the product. The bigger the demand, the more income the producer gets. Money spent on advertising is money well spent. Thus, it is a good idea to spend money on advertising..

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Advertisements try to influence our emotions and are sneaky in trying to acquire a conversion. A lot of advertisements are a form of lying. For example, advertising within the clothing industry will sport attractive men and women who have had photos altered in such a way that represents society's idea of "pretty", and thus, engineering a desire to look attractive like the ideal male or female, even though those falsified images aren't true versions of those models. There are implications that money will make everyone's dreams come true and inspire happiness. Advertisements can be linked to cases of depression or discontentment within those who may not have the latest clothes, cars, or may not look like the models on the advertisements.

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Negative Impacts of Advertising

Now you've done it: Your small business has finally gotten to the point where you can commit to regular advertising buys, and now you've opened the door of criticism to people who wish to remind you of the negative impacts of advertising. Yes, some sour grapes may be leading the charge, but there's no denying that bad, manipulative and poorly executed advertising gives all advertising a bad rap. Your best strategy? Size up some of those negative impacts so you can be prepared to quash those sour grapes.

Charge No. 1: Advertising Encourages Monopolies

Advertising doesn't come cheap. It's never come cheap. And even if you've been indoctrinated in the ways of inbound marketing and the more cost-effective tactics you can use to lure new customers to your website, advertising still represents an investment. For this reason, advertising has long been considered the domain of big businesses with deep pockets, which critics say gives these businesses a competitive advantage that can verge on monopolistic.

Your best comeback: By committing to regular advertising, you've upended another criticism of advertising: that small businesses stand little chance to compete in the marketplace. Lead a cheer for small-business owners - with a bowl of grapes next to the cracker and cheese platter.

Charge No. 2: Advertising Can Be Deceptive

Even casual media observers could rattle off a dozen examples of advertisements that seem manipulative, deceptive and even untruthful. Then again, in this day and age, when some people are exposed to as many as 10,000 ads per day, there aren't exactly many "casual" observers left. It's futile to argue that some advertisers, in their quest to "inform and/or persuade members of a particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations or ideas" go over the top.

Your best comeback: Definitions from the American Marketing Association are bound to get you only so far. Better to say that you've brushed up on the Federal Trade Commission's truth-in-advertising guidelines, which say that ads must be truthful, fair and "non-deceptive" and that advertisers must be able to support their claims. You're smart enough to toe the line.

Charge No. 3: Advertising Distorts Reality and Creates Unrealistic Expectations

That's a mouthful, and there are no shortage of examples to chew on. Look no further than the car ad that features a dreamy couple walking the grounds of a luxurious resort or the voluptuous knockout who smudges her lips with red gloss moments before her dashing beau presents her with a glass of bubbly - with a diamond ring inside. Critics say that ads like these plant unrealistic notions in the minds of impressionable viewers, often leading them to purchase things they cannot afford in an effort to keep up with these fictional Joneses or buttress their own low self-esteem.

Your best comeback: It's not worth disputing the obvious: Advertising is meant to entice people to buy products that make them feel something or acquire something desirable. But back to that lipstick. Even the founder of Revlon, Charles Revson, said, "In our factory, we make lipstick. In our advertising, we sell hope."

Charge No. 4: Advertising Adds to a Product's Cost, Which Is Passed Along to Consumers

So now you've come full circle, at least if you've been waiting until your business is profitable enough to justify regular ad spending. And yes, it makes sense that you're going to pass along at least some of this expense to your customers. This is why many business owners regard advertising as a necessary cost of doing business. They know that if their ads are effective, they will increase demand for their product so that the ads pay for themselves and maybe even reduce the cost of their product.

Your best comeback: From smartphones to designer jeans, consumer magazines teem with examples of products that are sold for a fraction of what they actually cost to produce. And advertising wouldn't come close to filling the gap, which makes people who take up this charge sound somewhat disingenuous; they're missing the point of what smart, creative and evocative advertising is all about -the kind of advertising that will generate attention for and loyal customers to your small business.

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For many small-business owners, it's a day to celebrate - the day they can commit to a regular advertising buy. Inevitably, some naysayers may be only too happy to point out some negative impacts of advertising. You'll be ready to respond after sizing up those affects for yourself.

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In the age of printed media such as magazines or newspapers, many advertised deals or promotions may become expired before it reaches it's intended audience. Printed media has to be changed every time the marketing environment evolves, and with tradiitonal media, costs of traditional marketing as well as the involved time gap between these evolutionary periods, can be costly. Digital advertising, especially in the context of running campaigns, can be adjusted if a campaign or advertisement isn't performing well.  Instead of having to dedicate a commitment to printed media that can't be changed, internet advertising can change an advertising strategy within minutes and can allow a brand to find the perfect phrasing for each targeted demographic.

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The world is becoming one that is based on digital content. For a brand or business to get noticed, this means internet advertising must become a consideration. This is fast becoming the primary method of attracting attention to goods and services that are being offered. Although it may seem like an easy choice to begin advertising, it is important to evaluate several key pros and cons before investing time and money so that an accurate view of the situation can be achieved.

The Pros of Internet Advertising

The primary benefit is that brands are allowed to reach prospects at the places their prospects are visiting on the internet every day. Internet advertising includes search engine results, websites that are popular, social media and networking, and even within product listings. With billions of people accessing the internet every day potentially searching for what a business has to offer, the amount of reach that is achieved is phenomenal. Anyone with a computer can advertise globally today with just a couple of clicks. Here are some of the additional key pros of internet advertising to consider as well.

1. Internet advertising allows for specific prospect targeting.
Mass marketing is easier with internet advertising, but so is sending a message to a specific population demographic as well. Brands are able to identify the traits of their key customers and clone them into their advertising campaign. This data helps the brand target specific prospects that would be attracted to what is being offered even if that individual doesn't realize it at first. Even specific geographical regions can be targeted for brands that aren't looking for a global presence, but perhaps want an extended local presence.

2. There are numerous price points to consider.
Everyone from the sole proprietor to the large multinational organization has a chance to expand their customer base thanks to internet advertising. Niche sites offer advantageous solutions to small businesses that are industry-related, while mass marketing can attract all demographics across several different platforms simultaneously. There are numerous price points available, but more importantly, the brand gets to dictate how much they spend on most campaigns.

3. Internet advertising is more responsive to changing conditions.
Printed media has to be changed every time the marketing environment evolves or adjusts. These costs begin to add up quickly with traditional media and there is a time gap between each evolutionary period. With internet advertising, responsive changes can happen almost instantaneously. If something isn't testing well, it can be changed with a few minutes of work instead of a few days of work, allow a brand to find the perfect phrasing for each targeted demographic. Less down time always equates to more overall exposure.

4. It is easier to test different demographics without as much risk.
If a brand is thinking about entering into a new demographic for prospects, then extensive testing is typically required. Interviews, product testing, samples, and shows are all a common part of the traditional testing process. With internet advertising, a brand can put all of this into the hands of the people to do all the work. If something receives a positive response through internet advertising, then an expansion may make financial sense. If not, time and money was saved in finding out this information.

5. Multiple creatives can be uploaded at once.
A simple tweak of a sentence is often enough to change a bad advertising campaign into a good one. Internet advertising allows a brand to upload multiple versions of an ad so that the best possible outcome can be achieved. Different ads can be tested against each other to determine their effectiveness, changes can be made almost instantly, and bad ads can be scrapped before too much damage is achieved. No other advertising method offers this unique set of specific benefits. Many campaigns even allow the different creatives to be swapped out for each other so that multiple creatives are active simultaneously and on display based on specific filters that have been implemented.

6. It provides for a system of instant gratification.
Prospects are more likely to turn into customers if they have the chance to experience something instantly and in a first-hand way. Internet advertising allows this to happen. All it may take is a click for a customer to discover more information about what is being advertised. If they like what they see and there is an ability to purchase it immediately, then a reward is experienced because the new customer feels like they discovered something amazing. No other form of advertising can accomplish this at this level wherever a person may be.

7. It gives a brand access to mobile advertising platforms.
About half of all internet usage in 2014 came from mobile devices. Internet advertising campaigns can appear on these devices, giving a brand access to people whether they are at home, at work, or standing in line while waiting for a barista to make their coffee. Brand access to the mobile market is expected to be a critical component of the future of advertising and internet advertising helps to bring a company in on the ground floor of the process.

8. Internet advertising is on full-time.
There aren't any off hours when it comes to internet advertising. It is on every hour of every day of every year. It is even on when someone might click on an advertisement and then decide not to purchase something thanks to follow along advertising. This allows prospects to research your brand's opportunities on their own time so they don't feel as pressured to purchase or sign up for something.

9. Links don't need to be directed toward a sales page.
Sometimes internet advertising isn't about sales. It may be more about brand awareness or other goals that are not sales related. The beautiful thing about internet advertising is that you get to stay in control of where prospects land after clicking on an ad. If you want to encourage more research on a topic, then this can be accomplished. Everything happens in real-time as well, which means active decisions can be made in the moment and allow for a brand to achieve its prospect goals more quickly.

10. There are multiple formats.
Videos, QR codes, text links, affiliate marketing, banner advertising, hashtags, social media contests - the amount of different formats that are available to internet advertising is phenomenal. It makes it possible for a brand to pick and choose which works best for their prospect base, implement an attractive campaign, and have a reasonable expectation for results to begin coming in right away.

The Cons of Internet Advertising

The primary disadvantage of internet advertising right now is oversaturation. Many websites have numerous advertising feeds and this causes "visitor blindness" to the advertising that is present. People tend to skip over advertising messages to get to where they need to go. Even when internet advertising is used to interrupt the visitor's experience to gain their attention, the most common reactions are to either close the window or install a pop-up blocker. In essence, many companies pay for impressions that don't make any impression at all. Here are some of the other key disadvantages of internet advertising to consider.

1. There is a healthy amount of competition.
There are many prospects that can be found on the internet, but that isn't a secret that only a select few know about. Everyone realizes that there is a lot of potential with internet advertising and they are thinking about getting involved just like you may be. There are plenty of businesses already running an internet advertising campaign as well. The market is saturated to the point that any industry-related advertising will likely be displayed next to a direct competitor. If your product's value proposition doesn't stand out from the rest of the pack, then people won't inspect your offer.

2. It is incredibly easy for internet users to block advertising.
All current Internet browsers have options available which block all advertising. It's not just the pop-up ads we're talking about here. Banner advertising, link advertising, affiliate efforts - they can all be blocked. The browser extensions are so good that even when advertising agencies attempt a work-around, the browser is able to adapt to it. This means there will always be a core group of people who will never see an internet advertising campaign, no matter what it is you may choose to do.

3. It creates a moment of distraction.
The problem with internet advertising is that it distracts people from what their ultimate purpose for being online happened to be. Most people don't log onto a website that offers free dinner recipes and expect to see an advertisement that they'll want to click on, right? They're looking for a new way to make one of their favorite dishes. That moment of distraction may seem like a good thing, but it really is not. When people shift their perspective to a new task, there is an attention deficit which occurs. It may take someone up to 15 minutes to recover their faculties. This means even clicks on an internet ad may not be as effective as they could be.

4. Advertising analytics can be difficult to understand.
To know how effect an internet advertising campaign happens to be, a general awareness of what the analytical information being collected by that campaign is required. For those new to internet advertising, this is a crash course learning curve that doesn't always produce quality results. Good data can be misinterpreted as bad and the reverse is also true. The end result is a campaign that is less effective because its operations are not fully understood.\

5. Not all of the information gathered is usable information.
A brand is forced to decide which information is the most important information to focus on when running an internet advertising campaign. Should total impressions be the focus? What about the click through rate? Should the effectiveness of an advertising campaign be measured on the amount of sales it can generate only? Many brands don't even think about these questions as they begin advertising, which makes it easier to misinterpret results.

6. It doesn't reach all potential prospects.
There growth of the internet has been exponential, but it hasn't achieved 100% saturation anywhere in the world. Even in the United States, there are at least 1 in 10 households that have no internet access in their homes at all. Rural prospects are much more likely to be without internet access than urban customers. Because of this, not every brand may fully benefit from an investment into internet advertising.

7. There really is no one go-to solution with internet advertising.
There isn't a "good" form of general internet advertising. Some forms of internet ads work amazingly well for some companies and the same kind of ad can have a poor performance for another. What we do know is that internet ads which are complimentary, such as those which are combined with other advertising mediums, tend to convert more customers than singular internet advertising campaigns on their own.

8. Random slots can create unusable opportunities.
Some internet advertising options work on a cycle over a variety of websites. Think about how many sites use Google AdWords, for example. Some campaigns are placed in a cycle on a wide variety of sites that may not always have content that is equal to what their listing offers. If advertising content appears on a site that may be inappropriate to the message that is being communicated, the end result is more than just awkwardness. It can indicate support for that inappropriate content and drive prospects away.

9. Internet advertising may not load correctly.
A website might have an uptime of 99%, but that means a website is down 1 minute out of every 100 minutes that pass in a day. That might not seem like a lot of time, but how many people could visit a website around the world in 3-5 minutes every day and wind up not seeing an ad that has been fully finances because the site is down? This is considered a normal part of life with internet advertising, which ultimately means a business is paying for advertising that won't show up sometimes.

10. Who doesn't click on the "skip ad" link when it appears?
There might be an option for visitors to skip an ad to help get them toward the content they want to see, but the delay in being able to skip an ad doesn't mean a visitor is actually going to look at it. Most people are watching the countdown clock to see when they can click past the ad to get what they want. We all do it even if we're internet advertising already. Forcing viewership is difficult to do on the internet today and if someone has seen something once that represents your brand, even if it was hysterical, they probably aren't going to want to see it again.

The pros and cons of internet advertising show that it can be highly beneficial, but it must be carefully managed in order to encourage the highest chances of success. Evaluate these key points carefully, get involved in a way that makes sense for your business goals, and you'll be able to make an empowered decision as to whether or not advertising on the internet is right for you.

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20 Pros and Cons of Internet Advertising - BrandonGaille.com

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The world is becoming one that is based on digital content. For a brand or business to get noticed, this means internet advertising must become a consideration. This is fast becoming the primary method of attracting attention to goods and services that are being offered.

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Ethical issues have risen from sophisticated user tracking that has evolved over the years to best curate and target an intended market. Traditional banner and display ads are declining in performance and this is causing advertisers to turn to new methods of increased ad relevancy such as behavioral targeted ads. Unfortunately, this is causing a concern with privacy of information as websites like Facebook and Instagram and Google are sharing trends and data about their users in ways that not even the general public don't understand. Algorithms align data with relevancy and such information is collected and sold to improve behaviorally based advertisements. For example, your phone's GPS is being tracked to provide data of your routine, how many users may attend a certain area (traffic), how active you may be, etc.

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Privacy has emerged as a dominant topic of debate among digital marketers this year. Consumer watchdog groups are clamoring for new protective measures. The U.S. government, including the Federal Trade Commission, is considering regulating advertising methods and practices. Advertisers are taking proactive measures to self-regulate their behaviors in hopes of lessening any regulatory impact.

Why the commotion? What has sparked such concern? More personalized, behaviorally based advertisements.

Growth In Targeted Advertising
As traditional banner and display ads continue to decline in performance, advertisers are turning to new methods to increase ad relevancy, such as behavioral targeted ads. These ads are based much more on specific user actions, such as site history, browsing history, and buying behavior. Coupling together these known behaviors, advertisers can deliver more relevant ads. Many people are seeing a tremendous increase in the appearance of behavioral ads--some with ads and recommendations crossing the border from relevant to intrusive. This, in turn, is giving rise to the concern that everything they do online is being tracked.

The debate gets tricky here. Are people really concerned about being tracked--or are they really more concerned that someone has access to personal data, which can be compromised? Is this any different than the old catalog vendors sending you junk mail based on past purchases? Truth is, people are much more worried about the security of their personal information than they are about their browsing history. This is true in almost every facet of consumer behavior.

For example, look at how grocery stores interact with their customers. Grocery stores and their suppliers constantly seek ways to improve what they stock, where they place items, and how they are priced, all to improve the average customer sale. To do this, they need data. Rich customer data. Customers, looking for better prices and more relevant items, are willing to trade their data in return for discounts. Enter the loyalty card. Everyone from the grocery store to restaurant chain is hawking loyalty cards to entice users to share data. For the price of their buying data, customers are given discounts, free food, and other rewards. But this is based on trust--trust that merchants and their partners will protect the consumer. Protect their credit cards, protect their IDs from being stolen. Even protect their cars in the parking lot.

Online, it's really not any different. Consumers are aware of their data's value and have shown a willingness to trade it for better service and better prices. Subscription content and user-based sites are growing dramatically as advertisers trade content for context. But it's even more critical that online data be protected. It is no longer just what you bought at the grocery store, but what sites you browsed, what you registered for, and who you are friends with. The real issue for consumers: What are businesses doing to protect their online data? Every time a retailer loses credit card data or Facebook accidentally shares your data with their partners, consumer privacy concerns are raised.

Unfortunately, many groups can't seem to differentiate between privacy and security--which leads us to the debate today over regulation and rights. Imagine what would happen if users had to opt-in to all sites that track or display ads, and there was no browsing history available for advertisers? Here are a few possibilities:

All valuable content will end up secure--and each user would have to accept terms before viewing content. No more checking ESPN for scores; people would have log in to get the most basic content. Forget a quick check of the weather. Time to opt-in first. The Web would slow to a crawl.

Ads would be force-fed and longer. Users would be subjected to longer ads or videos prior to accessing content, similar to the never-ending previews at a movie theater.
Read Andrea Fishman's previous article, "Diminishing Returns: 5 Targeting Traps."
The cable TV model would come to online. As advertisers have to cast a wider net to reach broader audiences without rich targeting, their costs will go up. Users would be forced to pay a premium for information to help subsidize the increase in costs for advertising. Essentially, this will create cable channels for online content.

It's time to focus on what is at the heart of most user concerns: keeping the Web and digital interactions safe and secure. Protect credit card data better? Sure. Restrict sites for younger audiences? Absolutely. But when it comes to behaviors and advertising, let people decide how much they want to share and what they are willing to trade for their information.

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Privacy vs. Security: What's Behind Ad-Targeting Concern?

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Privacy has emerged as a dominant topic of debate among digital marketers this year. Consumer watchdog groups are clamoring for new protective measures. The U.S. government, including the Federal Trade Commission, is considering regulating advertising methods and practices. Advertisers are taking proactive measures to self-regulate their behaviors in hopes of lessening any regulatory impact.Why the commotion?

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According to Statista.com, the number of social media users worlwide in 2010 was 0.97 billion, and has increased to 2.62 billion in 2018, and maintains a projection of 3.02 billion in 2021. This is far more than what a triditional billboard can reach in regards to an audience, and digital advertising allows for curated languages and visual content and context for particular regions of the world. According to YouTube, users watched over 1 billion hours of video on the site every day in 2017. The audience in which can be reached by use of online advertising continues to grow.

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Number of worldwide social network users 2027 | Statista

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There were an estimated 4.2 billion social media users worldwide in 2021, which represented approximately half of the world’s population.

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This was a Google Ad and was the first link on the search for information. It didn't provide me with any information and this is a good example of relevancy, or lack of application in keywords.

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Learn in-demand skills in a 10-week, part-time course or a one-week accelerated course - on campus or online.

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While I found the topics useful, I found that the context of the article that supported the topics was not very helpful in actually formulating a few pros and cons.

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You've built your digital foundation and your online presence is good, but could it be better? Could you be doing more to reach more customers? The answer is always yes, and if you haven't tried social media advertising, then this may be the way to go. In this post, we'll go over the pros and cons of social media advertising to help you determine if it's the next step you should be taking to grow your online presence and get more customers.

Related: How to Advertise Your Business on Instagram

How Can Social Media Advertising Help My Business?

Social media advertising is among the most forward-thinking, highly-utilized, and profitable forms of digital advertising today. More than 2.8 BILLION people use it - 37% of the world's population - and it stands as an almost surefire way to increase engagement and brand awareness for your business (source: We Are Social).

From Twitter and Facebook to Instagram and Snapchat, major social media networks are becoming exponentially more popular (even in kids as young as 10), opening new worlds of brand-building opportunities, and constantly evolving to offer ease-of-use and exceptional value for your advertising dollar.

Even more professional, business-oriented social networks - like LinkedIn - focus on making essential B2B, B2C, and P2P connections and introduce users to unique brands as a "friend" or "follower" might-but with less sales pressure and urgency, building relationships for the long haul.

Advantages of Social Media Advertising

When done right, the benefits of building your business through social media advertising will almost always outweigh the potential financial gambles and the strains from the work you would have to put in to make your efforts successful. Let's explore a side-by-side comparison of the pros and cons of investing in social media advertising:

Familiarity

The best social media platform to advertise on is the one most popular among your target audience. This means you've done your research and have spent enough time on that platform to get familiar with it. Advertising on a platform with which you and your audience is already familiar gives you an automatic advantage.

Cost-Effectiveness

Social media advertising follows a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when users take the action you want them take (such as clicking through to a web page or filling out a lead form). One study by Ad Espresso found an average of $.28 per click for the US (source: Ad Espresso)

For more information about social media advertising costs, check out:
Cost of Advertising on Facebook Cost of Advertising on Twitter Cost of Advertising on Instagram
Supporting Content

In addition to paid advertising on a platform, you can also be posting and sharing various forms of content such as photos, videos, and website links through your free account to bolster your messaging and reach your audience.

Targeting

With social media advertising, you are in complete control of who sees your ads, saving you time, effort, and money. With the psychographic data available on social media, the level targeting is unmatched by traditional media. In addition to age, gender, relationship to your business, even political affiliation, you can target interests, hobbies, personality types, homeowner status, and more. With social media advertising, you can bring your message to the exact niche you want.

Also, by using tools like hashtags and unique landing pages you can make your messaging and promotions more relevant, focused, and potentially more profitable.

Build Brand Loyalty & Followers

Social media advertising lets your customers, and those people who follow your brand, know that you are human. Rather than simply pitching a product or service, and asking for a monetary transaction, you're communicating, fostering long-term loyalty, and gaining confidence so profits come easily. How easy? 71% of customers who have had a positive experience with a brand via social media are likely to recommend that company (Source: DreamGrow)

Measure Your Success

Engagement on social media -such as likes, comments, Tweets, retweets, downloads, shares, and posts-are easier than ever to track and are effective in measuring the success of your brand's reach. Correlate those devices to actual profits within a quarter/fiscal year, and you can begin to paint a colorful picture of your most lucrative social media actions.

Challenges with Social Media Advertising

Competition

Social media is crowded. According to a survey in AdWeek, more than 88% of companies in the U.S. use social media for marketing (Source: AdWeek). That means you either have to invest more time and effort into crafting unique and compelling content, or may have to hire an expert to cut through all the white noise for you. Failing to do so may cause your company to become just another grain of sand on the beach.

Constant Monitoring

Social media advertising requires constant monitoring. As a business owner, time is as precious as money. To successfully engage with your clients, answer their feedback, and consistently post the type of digital content that will get you noticed, you will have to designate a significant portion of time each week to social media ad upkeep.

Education

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to success, and even if you are savvy with social media, there is still a lot to know about paid advertising on social media-many details which, if you get wrong, can result in unfortunate consequences: your posts could be misconstrued, your cost per click could jump, or you could read your audience wrong. Social media advertising just isn't a casual pastime. It requires familiarity, attentiveness, and education.

No matter what business you operate, social media advertising is the future of marketing. Its power to make a profit while simultaneously and genuinely engage with core and new customers alike is undeniable. But, just like any investment, you need the will to put almost everything you have into it and weather the storm to reach new heights of success.

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Social Media Advertising Pros and Cons | ThriveHive

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You've built your digital foundation and your online presence is good, but could it be better? Could you be doing more to reach more customers? The answer is always yes, and if you haven't tried social media advertising, then this may be the way to go.

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There is one graph that I liked and would recommend people see which is the "Major Media CPM Comparison", but wasn't sure if I would talk on the subject of CPM.

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I actually don't understand how this would come up from my searches, but it did so twice. I didn't bring up about accuracy, though.

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By Jonathan Crossfield published May 15, 2018

You may be familiar with the oft-quoted line attributed to Mark Twain, "A lie will fly around the whole world while the truth is getting its boots on." It's cropped up quite a bit over the last couple of years in discussions about fake news and alternative facts. Twain's words seem a particularly apt description of social media's role in spreading misinformation faster than ever, while amplifying the confusion of who or what to trust.

Putting aside any political connotations, let's instead consider whether marketers are guilty of inadvertently spreading inaccurate, outdated, or just plain wrong information. Sure, getting a fact wrong or misinterpreting a stat isn't necessarily the same as telling a bald-faced lie. But neither is it trivial when our content is supposedly intended to create the impression of authority and expertise. In short, fact-checking matters just as much in a 280-character tweet as it does in a 10-page white paper. But, boy, has the bar for accuracy slipped worryingly low in this fast-paced, attention-seeking online world.

Taken on trust

Almost all the information we consume, particularly online, is crowdsourced in one way or another. Wikis are the obvious example of the community collating, curating and certifying the vastness of human knowledge. Yet most of the information we encounter is filtered and reinterpreted through a series of books, blogs, infographics, explainer videos, articles, and, of course, social media updates.

Unfortunately, this means a lot of the information we encounter as consumers of content may be the result of garbled repetition. Error builds upon error until what may once have been accurate morphs into something inaccurate. As we are also content producers, we then risk compounding the mistake.

"A little research is precisely what many people don't want when it comes to their digital diet ... because many of the information environments we inhabit are magnificently hospitable to meme-sharing, attention-grabbing and OMG-have-you-seen-this moments - and relatively uninterested in hang-on-a-second-let's-pause-and-think-twice," as Tom Chatfield writes in New Philosopher.

Most social media users can't afford to check the validity and accuracy of every factoid that crosses their feeds. How could they? Therefore, there's a huge element of trust inherent in that relationship between publisher and audience.

But that means we as the producers of this content must continually prove we are deserving of that trust. If we're serving up these bite-sized snackettes of information into social media, it's our responsibility to ensure that they won't rot the very trust and authority we hope to instill.

Misinfographics?

A client once supplied me with a crucial statistic for an infographic I was creating and cited a government e-book on business as the source. I was surprised to discover that the footnote for the stat in the government e-book claimed it came from a blog post published the previous year on the client's website. That post claimed the stat came from an earlier edition of the government e-book, which in turn referenced an earlier article on the client's website. The two had been unwittingly handballing the same stat back and forth for years, each attributing it to the other and each giving the information a veneer of freshness by failing to include any other contextual information or mention how outdated the information actually was. To this day I'm still not clear who conducted the initial research.

I certainly didn't continue the chain of inaccuracy by using this stale stat in the new infographic.

In my mind, an infographic without checkable references is just an untrustworthy set of icons and numbers. I'm not saying every infographic should undermine its visual appeal and brevity with a long list of fine print at the bottom. But you should still make it easy for readers to check each and every stat and fact. Too many sources? List them on a webpage and post a short URL at the bottom of the infographic.

Sources by themselves aren't necessarily a guarantee of accuracy. The way in which the fact or stat is summarized and represented can also mislead. I've lost count of the times I've scrolled to the bottom of an infographic and followed the references to discover the original research is years out of date or taken out of context. And that's if the sources are even included.

A+ for effort: D- for diligence

Having worked as a writer, journalist, and editor for many years, I've learned the hard way to be extremely skeptical when researching. If I can't verify a fact or claim, it makes me nervous.

OK, I admit I'm quite the pedant. You never forget the first time a university lecturer marks you down for failing to provide adequate references (correctly formatted) to back up the claims in an assignment into which you poured so much effort.

But this is about far more than just "showing your work." It's about applying appropriate rigor in research. When you have to document your own references so precisely, you soon learn to distrust any source that doesn't do the same.

So much content is published, shared, and remixed every day that checking the veracity of an individual claim can mean following a trail of bread crumbs from infographic to blog post to article and so on - stripping away each filter or reinterpretation to get back to the source. Therefore, it is extremely frustrating when - after spending an hour trying to confirm the accuracy of a statistic I desperately want to use - my journey ends at a blog post from someone I have no reason to trust and who didn't bother to mention where the information was first sourced.

This is why the original source is all that matters - not only when fact-checking for your own sake but also for your audience who deserves the same courtesy when verifying your claims. Otherwise, you're relying on a source less diligent than you - and then why should your audience trust anything you say? I don't care if TechCrunch says 84% of Twitter users have developed an addiction to blancmange. If I want to use the stat in a future column ("The disturbing connection between social media and pink desserts"), I need to check and cite the original research. After all, it's not unknown for a stat to be *gasp* made up!

Who said that?

Social media loves quotations. These days, it seems all you have to do to achieve viral gold is slap an inspirational quote onto a sunset image and spam it to every network. But while the right quote correctly attributed can lend authority and gravitas to your content, an inaccurate or misattributed quote can just as easily undermine it. (Just saying, but Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill most likely didn't say half of the pithy bons mots commonly attributed to them.)

The level of inaccuracy can sometimes be spectacular, but most dodgy quotations aren't necessarily deliberate. Most probably arise from poor editing, a lack of context, or unreliable sources ( Wikiquote, I'm looking at you!).

A great example of how social media can mangle a quote is discussed in a 2011 article from The Atlantic, which investigates how a Facebook user's words ended up being attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. - "mangled to meme in less than two days."
Image source
What surprised me most about The Atlantic article was the number of people who defended the quote as legitimate even after learning of the mistake. To them, the message is the thing. People most commonly share quotations that represent and support their view of the world. Because they identify with the sentiment, it feels "right." And because it feels right, they are less likely to question its accuracy or authenticity.

However, if the person didn't say or write it, it isn't a quote. Period.

Fact-checking tips

Yes, fact-checking can be both boring and frustrating, but that doesn't mean it can be skipped or taken less seriously. Fact-checking was once the responsibility of that highly endangered species, the copy editor (something for which they were never fully appreciated). However, very few of us have the luxury of a dedicated fact-checker on the team these days, so the unshirking responsibility falls to us.

Just how does a busy content producer, infographic designer, or social media manager navigate this maze of online information to separate fact from fiction?

Always search for the most recent statistics. No one cares about a social media stat from 2010 when so much has changed in the intervening years. Use your search engine tools to restrict searches to a particular time frame, such as the last year.

Trust no one. Even if the stat is published by a leading brand you think would be above reproach, check its sources. Wikipedia is NOT a source. But it does contain a lot of references and citations, so follow those links.

And get a reputable quotations dictionary.

Speaking of which, let's return to that Mark Twain quote I mentioned at the beginning. Even if you skip past the difficult fact that the quote was first attributed to him in 1919, nine years after his death, there is absolutely no evidence he ever wrote or said it.

According to the indispensable site Quote Investigator (there's another tip for you), numerous versions of the quote pop up throughout the previous two centuries, morphing with each paraphrase to become the (disputed) Twain version we're familiar with today. The earliest recorded version was penned by the satirist Jonathan Swift in 1710: "Falsehood flies; and the Truth comes limping after it; so that when Men come to be undeceiv'd, it is too late; the Jest is over, and the Tale has had its Effect."

The jest is over. Check your sources.
A version of this article originally appeared in the May issue of Get accurate quotes and great insight from the dozens of presenters at Content Marketing World Sept. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Register today for best rates and use code BLOG100 to save $100. Chief Content Officer. Sign up to receive your free subscription to our print magazine every quarter.

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What's Accuracy Got to Do With Social Media?

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By Jonathan Crossfield published May 15, 2018 You may be familiar with the oft-quoted line attributed to Mark Twain, "A lie will fly around the whole world while the truth is getting its boots on." It's cropped up quite a bit over the last couple of years in discussions about fake news and alternative facts.

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I had no interest in making an account in order to find information on this. Also, the topic didn't seem to resonate with my intentions.

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By necessity, marketers have demanded stats for viewability and guarantees of brand safety for their digital media buys. Now it's time for them to require similar rigour for their data.

Overall, marketers should be asking if they're reaching the right audience. To define "right," you have to answer another question, Who are you targeting? The answer may not be as simple as it seems.

Here's an example: Is your target a 25-44-year old female travel enthusiast or 25-44 female that has indicated strong travel intent? They may sound similar but these are entirely different audience groups. Targeting each yields different campaign results. Marketers who pick the wrong one will be sceptical about data performance. More importantly, the validity of the target audience will remain in question.
So how can marketers can a better grip on data accuracy? Start asking the right questions.
Typically you hear these condemnations about third-party data providers: a) It's a black-box; b) It doesn't work, and c) it's expensive. These assumptions come from asking the wrong questions. What marketers should not be asking is: Where is the data coming from? Does it work? What kind of data is it?

Let's look at these queries. One of the most common questions marketers ask is provenance i.e. where the data is derived from. That's because most unconsciously link data origin and data quality. It's a common mental shortcut, but it is spurious and misleading.

Knowing where the data came from often has nothing to do with its accuracy. In the previous example, contextual data around travel editorial is much weaker than travel meta-search site data. If someone reads editorial related to travel, then they are very likely to be interested in the topic. If they're searching for flights though, they may merely be pricing them against other options indicating stronger intent.

That depends. What about location and commuter data? Can that be linked to intent? We don't know because unless there is a validation layer introduced to measure data sets, we can't guarantee the accuracy of the data with a high degree of probability. It's good to know the cooking ingredients, but the success of the dish will depend on many variables and taste preferences.

To demystify the above, the right and only question to ask is "How accurate is the data?" That demands full transparency and disclosure on measurement upfront. Using our example, if there's an 80% correlation between people who search flights and those who eventually book them, that gives marketers a tangible framework to work against. It also lets them bake in data cost and correlate performance uplift. There is no need for multi-variance testing or simple A/B bake-offs. Data simply works by design.

But there's a caveat: it's hard to find data players who share statistics upfront, not to mention vouch for and guarantee it.
Bake accuracy into your upfront benchmarks.
Marketers should turn the measurement framework upside down. They should input accuracy benchmarks as a probability or on-target percentage, and they should do it before the campaign goes live, instead of in a postmortem analyses.

To mandate accuracy, you need to transform the thinking around an audience construct. That requires the upfront work of getting the facts right. It's looking at how many people out of the entire universe of consumers who intend to travel next week. Is it 2% of the population or 20%? Setting this benchmark is paramount. It defines reach and sets the target to measure the effectiveness of data.

While there are third-party frameworks and methodologies to measure the accuracy of demographic attributes (like age, gender and household income), behavioural data is both difficult and very expensive to measure and guarantee in real-time.

There are no major players doing it at scale, which makes marketers think twice about the feasibility of accurate measurement as a whole. Ideally, you want to have equitable answers for questions like, "Are you still in the market for this product?' and 'Do you intend to travel abroad next week?" Validating these questions requires an "always on" assessment to build audience segments and cull stale data.

Technical limitations of real-time interoperability with some activation channels will impact reach, frequency and accuracy of "expired" users. As result, there will be media budget waste and inconsistent targeting. Ouch!
A new framework for accurate measurement.
What's the solution? The industry needs to redefine the framework for delivering data accuracy measurement.

For this to work it requires three components: a) qualified seed data; b) a scalable and dense training set; and c) data science with the validation component.

Let's look at each. Qualified seed is the most accurate, unambiguous and verified data set possible. Usually, highly paid survey companies obtain it by gathering about 10,000-15,000 online responses (sometimes also called a truth set). In the previous example that would be people who will travel next week.

The training set requires vastness and a dense data marketplace. Having 4 billion global IDs (cookies, TV, mobile device, IoT IDs etc) isn't enough if you have shallow data attributes. Depth at scale is paramount.

You need a robust set of variables plus a large amount of data to build strong data models.

Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Lookalike (ML/AL/LAL) are all used to build bespoke data models with on-target benchmarks as an input. The most important part is validation of the expanded/scaled audience, which is typically done by the panel, first-party deterministic data, or a combination of both.

With the latter, we would pose the same question ("Are you travelling next week?") to the larger group. With statistical significance (think number of responses versus the total number), you can derive an on-target percentage as an output. This yields better efficacy reduces waste and makes for a happy client.
As an industry, are we ready to shift and start transacting on accuracy as a new currency of 2019?
Dear Marketer,

It all starts with you.

Ask for upfront data accuracy measurement disclosures across the entire data supply chain. It is a data revolution. And it's one that's been a long time coming.
Evgeny Popov is vice president, data solutions, Lotame APAC.

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Are marketers ready to transact on the accuracy of audience targeting?

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By necessity, marketers have demanded stats for viewability and guarantees of brand safety for their digital media buys. Now it's time for them to require similar rigour for their data. Overall, marketers should be asking if they're reaching the right audience. To define "right," you have to answer another question, Who are you targeting?

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Very dry source without any visuals. No supporting graphs for data, no statistical comparisons.

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Ireland's small businesses have far lower digital skills than other organisations, according to our recently published Digital Skills Report. We tested the skills of 622 marketers with a set of 52 questions across the core digital marketing disciplines of SEO, PPC, Email, Display, Social, Mobile and Analytics. The result? Small businesses scored a shocking 25% lower than medium-sized businesses and 22% lower than start-ups.

It makes sense: small business have less staff, fewer resources and often lower budgets. But with Irish consumer spend up 54% year on year, it's time small businesses capitalised on the digital revolution. We've developed this cheat sheet to help you, the small business owner, learn more about cost-effective digital marketing tactics like content, SEO and social media marketing.

1. Content

Want to attract people to your website? Start by creating quality content. Valuable content includes everything from engaging website copy and useful blog articles to eye catching infographics and insightful videos. There are plenty of free WordPress blog templates available to get you started. Yes, producing great content is time consuming but it also pays in multiple ways. Here's a list of ways you can justify it to the accountant:
Benefits of Creating Quality Content:

It can increase your social media engagement by giving your fans something valuable to share and talk about.

It can also help you rank higher in search results. Google love fresh, relevant and quality long form content.

It's a great way to increase your credibility and position your brand as a thought-leader.

It helps you to nurture and generate leads. Try creating a landing page which asks people to give their contact details in exchange for access to exclusive content (e.g. ebooks and meatier reports).

Want to Learn More? HubSpot Academy
Go to: http://academy.hubspot.com/broadcasts/blogging/ The blogging section of the HubSpot Academy is a great resource for anyone eager to learn more about content marketing. It includes everything from selecting the right keywords and coming up with engaging ideas to creating an editorial calendar and tips on guest blogging.

For super-up-to-date content tips check out what the experts at Content Marketing World 2014 are saying.

2. Organic SEO

Some business are under the illusion that SEO costs a lot. While this can be true for paid search, there's also lots of steps you can take to help your website rank higher organically. Don't panic, you don't need to be a technical wizard. To get started all you need is a bit of know-how and some useful tips.
Organic SEO Tips:

First assess your website's SEO as it stands. To do so set up a Google Webmaster account. All you have to do is register, verify your domain name and follow the outlined steps. Google will give you tailored tips on the SEO elements your website needs to address.

When you're creating fresh content make sure you're filling in all the meta data Google asks for. Worth remembering: Google search spiders can only read and understand words so it's important to add meta descriptions to your images too.

Google now looks for and ranks for longer tail keywords - each one of your website pages should have a specific theme or topic. And remember: never stuff your pages with keywords as you will be penalised.

Google prefers in-depth content and has indicated that longer posts of 1,500 to 2,000 word length are rewarded accordingly. However, quality is always key.

Want to learn more? Google's Webmaster Academy
Go to: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6001102?rd=3 Google's Webmaster Academy teaches you how to set up and use Google Webmaster and gives you plenty of tips on how to improve your search ranking and create a site that Google will love. It also includes some handy tips on how not to fall fowl of a Google search penalty.
Moz
Go to: http://moz.com/learn/seo The Moz learning academy contains an array of resources on beginner's marketing from SEO and link building to social media. Well worth a look.

3. Social Media

Social media is a must-have for smaller businesses looking to increase their brand's visibility. It's a great way to connect with your customers. Used in the right way, it can be an effective customer service tool, allowing you to instantly respond to any problems or questions that might hinder purchases.
Social Media Tips:

Choose your social media sites wisely - it's best for smaller businesses to concentrate on a few select social media channels. Anymore and you might not have the time to manage them all. The only channels you should be using are the ones your customers are using.

Take advantage of free analytics. The major social media channels like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter give a quick and easy-to-understand synopsis of how your posts and pages are performing.

Identify with key influencers in your industry and engage with them. Those with a high Klout score are a great place to start. The goal is to eventually get people with a large social media presence to share your content. But first you've got some relationship building to do - try offering a favour and/or sharing their content.

Use a scheduling tool like Hootesuite or Buffer to schedule your posts to send throughout the day. Choose the times that give you the highest traffic and social media engagement.

Want to Learn More?
Here are a few social media blogs worth bookmarking for future reading:

Keep tuned in over the next few weeks where we'll reveal some cost-effective email marketing tips small businesses can implement.

Before you embark on your digital learning journey you might want to test your own digital skills. You can take our Digital Diagnostic test for free. It takes 15 minutes to complete and allows you to test your knowledge across the core disciplines of SEO, PPC, Email, Display, Social, Mobile and Analytics. Upon completion you will receive an individual score along with a few suggestions on the next steps to take for your digital learning journey.

You may also be interested in

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The Small Business Cheat Sheet for Cost-Effective Digital Marketing

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Ireland's small businesses have far lower digital skills than other organisations, according to our recently published Digital Skills Report. We tested the skills of 622 marketers with a set of 52 questions across the core digital marketing disciplines of SEO, PPC, Email, Display, Social, Mobile and Analytics. The result?

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I thought this would be a dead-on source for my search, but it speaks more about the different agencies that offer digital ads, like Google and Facebook and why you would choose Google over Facebook or vise versa. Not about the pros and cons of advertising itself.

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Getting your business visible online is the sole goal of social media ads. Although paying for advertising on these platforms can become expensive quickly, digital marketing ads offer exceptional return on investment. But you can't be visible on every platform, can you?

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Article begins talking about Ancient Greece and the origins of advertising. I didn't end up using this.

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History of Advertising | The Pros and Cons of Advertising

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The invention of the printing press in the 1440s had a big effect on advertising. Flyers and posters could be made very cheaply and by 1600 newspaper ads were common.

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"Creating Effective Online Advertising" vs. "The Role of Digital Advertising in Society". This goes more into depth on the tips and tricks of a campaign of sorts.

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Online advertising is business for the modern world. Also known as online marketing or Internet advertising, the potential for success is huge. There are many strategies to learn and, while that in itself can prove to be pretty intimidating for a lot of people, the benefits of online advertising are varied.

So, in case you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, we created this article to remind you what you're fighting for. Here are 5 advantages of online advertising:

Benefit 1: Online advertising Is A Long-Term Strategy.

Let's look at the facts. Whether we're talking about a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop, most of us own a gadget of some sort. Furthermore, we're on the Internet all of the time. What does that mean?

Well, thanks to technology, customers have never been so accessible. Online advertising can generate leads from all over the world. But crucially, over half the population of the world is under the age of 30 . And technology is only going one way, so online advertising is only just starting.

Benefit 2: You're In control With Online Advertising.

The trouble with traditional advertising strategies is that it's often hard to justify your ROI (return-on-investment) and keep on top of what you're spending. Flyers, brochures, banners, cold-calling... it's all the same. It's really hard to execute a laser-targeted campaign. By contrast, online advertising is different. Yes, it's still possible to waste ad budget, but if you know what you're doing, you're greatly reduce you're exposure.

The main reason for this is data and analytics. You can drill down into many different areas and identify which parts of a campaign are working and which aren't.

Benefit 3: Online advertising Can Be Extremely Effective.

Regardless of whether the advertising is paid or free, the Internet can deliver a global audience to your door. Identify your USPs, refine your branding and get your copywriting in order, then you can really unlock your true potential.

The key word here is: traffic. The idea is to establish trust and use clever hooks to convince and persuade consumers to buy into you, just as much as what you're selling. However, bear in mind that any form of paid advertisement only really rents you traffic. If your budget runs out, that traffic stops. And so, therefore, does any potential revenue.

As such, you have two possible solutions. The first is to keep on top of your advertising and constantly measure your progress. That should greatly reduce the chances of having any wasted ad spend. The other option is to work on organic online advertising strategies. By embracing SEO (search engine optimization) and content marketing, you could get quality organic results for free or on the cheap.

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Online advertising is business for the modern world. Also known as online marketing or Internet advertising, the potential for success is huge. There are many strategies to learn and, while that in itself can prove to be pretty intimidating for a lot of people, the benefits of online advertising are varied.

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This talks about Pay Per Click, Social Media Advertising, Banner Advertising, Newspapers, etc. The only useful info here would be the few pros and cons of the Social Media Advertising section.

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If you are ready to get the word out about your business, one of the steps that you need to do is to select the right advertising medium where you will promote your small business.

For a small business, every dollar is precious. Small businesses do not advertise for the sake of advertising. Instead, they want to get the most return for their investment. Your advertising campaign should translate to greater sales, more profits and healthier bottom line.

While there are a number of venues where you can promote your business, you need to ask three important questions:

Where are my target buyers?

What is the best medium to reach them?

Can I afford to launch an effective campaign using this medium?

An important step to developing your sales and marketing plan is to select the right media to send out your message. There are no hard-and-fast rules as to which media is better. The right media for one business may be wrong for another.

>> RELATED: The Truth about the Different Types of Advertising

Below are the relative advantages and disadvantages of the various advertising medium used by small businesses:

Pay Per Click Advertising (Search Engines)

As the Web becomes a must-use daily medium today, pay per click (PPC) advertising has grown by leaps and bounds. PPC advertisement is a form of advertising where ads are run and shown in search engines (including their partner sites). PPC ads allow advertisers to pay for visitors on mostly cost per click basis, though some options for cost per impressions are available as well.
Advantages of Pay Per Click Advertising Disadvantages of Pay Per Click Advertising
For more information, read the following:

Social Media Advertising
Advantages of Social Media Advertising Disadvantages of Social Media Advertising
As Web has evolved into a medium that fosters social connection, social media has experienced an astounding growth in the last few years. Social media consists of both social networking sites and social bookmarking sites and includes blogs, video sharing sites such as Youtube, microblogging platform Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Stumbleupon and the like.

For more information, read the following:

Banner Advertising
Advantages of Banner Advertising Disadvantages of Banner Advertising
Banner advertising is one of the dominant forms of advertising online. It entails the display of a graphical advertising unit, with the typical size the 468×60 banners. However, it also includes buttons, leaderboards, popups, popunders, interstitials, and flash banners. Banner advertising can be run for cost per impression, cost per click or even cost per action.

For more information, read the following:

Direct Mail
Advantages of Direct Mail Advertising
Direct mail, often called direct marketing or direct response marketing, is a marketing technique in which the seller sends marketing messages directly to the buyer. Direct mail include catalogs or other product literature with ordering opportunities; sales letters; and sales letters with brochures.
Disadvantages of Direct Mail

Your advertising message is targeted to those most likely to buy your product or service.

Marketing message can be personalized, thus helping increase positive response.

Your message can be as long as is necessary to fully tell your story.

Effectiveness of response to the campaign can be easily measured.

You have total control over the presentation of your advertising message.

Your ad campaign is hidden from your competitors until it's too late for them to react

Active involvement - the act of opening the mail and reading it - can be elicited from the target market.

For more information, read the following:

Newspapers
Advantages of Newspaper Advertising Disadvantages of Newspaper Advertising
Newspapers are one of the traditional mediums used by businesses, both big and small alike, to advertise their businesses.

Ad space can be expensive

Your ad has to compete against the clutter of other advertisers, including the giants ads run by supermarkets and department stores as well as the ads of your competitors

Poor photo reproduction limits creativity

Newspapers are a price-oriented medium; most ads are for sales

Expect your ad to have a short shelf life, as newspapers are usually read once and then discarded.

You may be paying to send your message to a lot of people who will probably never be in the market to buy from you.

Newspapers are a highly visible medium, so your competitors can quickly react to your prices

With the increasing popularity of the Internet, newspapers face declining readership and market penetration. A growing number of readers now skip the print version of the newspaper (and hence the print ads) and instead read the online version of the publication.

Advantages of Magazine Advertising Disadvantages of Magazine Advertising
Magazines are a more focused, albeit more expensive, alternative to newspaper advertising. This medium allows you to reach highly targeted audiences.

Yellow Pages
Advantages of Yellow Page Advertising Disadvantages of Yellow Page Advertising Advantages of Radio Advertising Disadvantages of Radio Advertising
There are several forms of Yellow Pages that you can use to promote and advertise your business. The Web version of Yellow Pages (and its many competitors online) have been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years, with many foregoing the traditional Yellow Pages supplied by phone companies. But you can also check out specialized directories targeted to specific markets (e.g. Hispanic Yellow Pages, Blacks, etc.); interactive or consumer search databases; Audiotex or talking yellow pages; Internet directories containing national, local and regional listings; and other services classified as Yellow Pages.
Advantages of Television Advertising
Television
Disadvantages of Television Advertising

Television permits you to reach large numbers of people on a national or regional level in a short period of time

Independent stations and cable offer new opportunities to pinpoint local audiences

Television being an image-building and visual medium, it offers the ability to convey your message with sight, sound and motion

Telemarketing
Advantages of Telemarketing
Telephone sales, or telemarketing, is an effective system for introducing a company to a prospect and setting up appointments.
Disadvantages of Telemarketing

Provides a venue where you can easily interact with the prospect, answering any questions or concerns they may have about your product or service.

It's easy to prospect and find the right person to talk to.

It's cost-effective compared to direct sales.

Results are highly measurable.

You can get a lot of information across if your script is properly structured.

If outsourcing, set-up cost is minimal

Increased efficiency since you can reach many more prospects by phone than you can with in-person sales calls.

Great tool to improve relationship and maintain contact with existing customers, as well as to introduce new products to them

Makes it easy to expand sales territory as the phone allows you to call local, national and even global prospects.

An increasing number of people have become averse to telemarketing.

More people are using technology to screen out unwanted callers, particularly telemarketers

Government is implementing tougher measures to curb unscrupulous telemarketers

Lots of businesses use telemarketing.

If hiring an outside firm to do telemarketing, there is lesser control in the process given that the people doing the calls are not your employees

May need to hire a professional to prepare a well-crafted and effective script

It can be extremely expensive, particularly if the telemarketing is outsourced to an outside firm

It is most appropriate for high-ticket retail items or professional services.

Specialty Advertising
Advantages of Specialty Advertising
This kind of advertising entails the use of imprinted, useful, or decorative products called advertising specialties, such as key chains, computer mouse, mugs, etc. These articles are distributed for free; recipients need not purchase or make a contribution to receive these items.
Disadvantages of Specialty Advertising

Flexibility of use

High selectivity factor as these items can be distributed only to the target market.

If done well, target audience may decide to keep the items, hence promoting long retention and constant exposure

Availability of wide range of inexpensive items that can be purchased at a low price.

They can create instant awareness.

They can generate goodwill in receiver

The items can be used to supplement other promotional efforts and media (e.g. distributed during trade shows).

Recommended Books and Products on Advertising:

Similar Posts:

Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Advertising Mediums ,

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Advertising Mediums

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If you are ready to get the word out about your business, one of the steps that you need to do is to select the right advertising medium where you will promote your small business. For a small business, every dollar is precious. Small businesses do not advertise for the sake of advertising.