You paid to get your name in the Yellow Pages, (door stop) you took out ad space in the newspaper, (packaging material & keep Fido from pooping on the floor) you even bought a 30 second spot at 3am on a local TV station (TiVo – zap that commercial.) How much did you spend?
This is called “old media.” It’s been around for a long time and it will be around for a long time as long as there are people who don’t use computers, watch Hulu or use Google. Sadly, the newspaper is a dying breed. They must adjust as Kodak did when the digital camera reached its tipping point in popularity.
I remember a day when people would say “Did you see the ad for so and so?” I haven’t been asked that question in a long time (excluding ads for the Super Bowl.)
This brings me to my point….Free Advertising.
Now you may look at this in a different light but the way to get free advertising is by utilizing social networks. If you are “old media” you are saying “Why that’s absurd, why would we use Facebook or Twitter to advertise.” Well, if you aren’t using the social web to get your business or brand out, I’m sure your competitor is already doing it and seeing an increase in sales.
It doesn’t cost a dime to set up a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin account. It may cost you 3-4 hours a day to employ someone to update these sites. Now don’t just go setting up a Facebook page and throw your brand or product all over the place. That’s not the way to use it. You must engage people. Ask questions. Develop loyalty. Be transparent.
Can you accurately measure how many people watched your 30 second ad on TV? Hmmmm. No. Can you accurately measure how many people watched your 30 second funny ad on YouTube? Yes. What is keeping you or your business from setting up a YouTube account and telling people about your brand?
A Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or Linkedin page is like getting an entire full-page ad of space in the local newspaper. Facebook has 350 million users. A newspaper can’t even come close to those circulation rates.
Old Media Vs. New Media
Category : Old Media Vs. New Media & Social Media
