I read something in the Puget Sound Business Journal on Friday that captured my attention in a big way. Here is a quick excerpt: “The Times recently told advertisers that it was not raising its ad rates for 2009, the first time advertisers say they remember that happening. A half-page weekday ad costs $26,788, although volume advertisers get discounts.”
With the right client with a fabulously interesting and unfolding story to tell, I can earn multiple story placements, several bylined article placements, and a host of mentions in local, trade, and national print and online media over a year’s time with the same budget. Those stories will likely reside online indefinitely, reinforcing the client’s position and expertise in the marketplace and inviting new opportunities to be of service long after that one $26,788 ad found its way to the recycling bin.
All the advertising experts will tell you that any ad one time isn’t sufficient to deliver the goods. You have to be consistent and deliver the message three to nine times in order to make an impression that stimulates action. Multiply that $26,788 by three to nine times, and you arrive at an advertising budget that is far beyond what most small businesses can afford. Even with quantity discounts for multiple placements, that is still a formidable advertising investment, which means the expectations for results are just as high.
If ever there was a timely opportunity to revisit public relations as a cost effective, influential, far reaching, and potentially lasting tool in the marketing tool chest, this is it. Every dollar has to work with impact, especially given the demands of our current economy. Whether you engage a PR firm to deliver your message or learn to deploy DIY publicity to your advantage, your business and your marketing budget are well served to take a much closer look at sharing your message through the power of print, television, radio, and online editorial placements.
