There Is No Prime Time Anymore

In the 1980s, television advertising was a juggernaut. There were only three major networks, a handful of independents that didn’t have many viewers, some cable networks like MTV that took ads from taxidermists, and then there was this start-up called Fox that had the absolute worst programming you could ever imagine. But, even if you were a big local advertiser, there was one thing that eluded you—prime time! Sure, you could advertise on Good Morning America, The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, and even the local news, but shows like 60 Minutes were reserved for just the big dogs. You couldn’t afford it.

Until recently, there was still a misconception among small businesses that mobile was like television prime time. Facebook changed all that with its easy-to-use Boost Post advertising feature. Since many small businesses already use Facebook for the essentially free advertising with its organic business page posts, entrepreneurs have been boosting posts for as little as $5, thus putting them on the same marketing playing field as Lexus or even Dollar Shave Club.

Moreover, local businesses can now use geotargeted mobile advertising to pay for advertisements that will only show up in their local trading area—an area that may be as small as a single zip code. There is no waste as one might have with traditional media. Add to that the unsurpassed demographic, psychographic, and interest enhancements that mobile provides for laser-focused targeted advertising and you have quite a successful medium for local business promotions.

Most importantly with mobile, local advertisers are not at any disadvantage compared to larger nationally known brands. That is because there is no prime time when it comes to mobile advertising. With the exception of sleeping time, the audience for mobile marketing and mobile engagement is essentially the same 24 hours a day. Think about it. You check your phone when you wake up in the morning, through the workday, in the evenings, and even late at night.

A mobile advertisement at 9 a.m. is worth the same as a mobile advertisement or TV ad at 9 p.m. in prime time. You reach essentially the same number of people and you receive similar engagement and acquisition. It’s like a mini-Super Bowl every day. For local small business advertisers wise enough to be using mobile marketing, you can now play in prime time with the big dogs.

SOURCE: This is an excerpt from Relevance Raises Response: How to Engage and Acquire with Mobile Marketing. Written by Bob Bentz, President and CEO of Purplegator, Relevance Raises Response is available on Amazon. Several major universities now use Relevance Raises Response as a graduate level textbook in the Communications Department.