My TV Ad

The scrolling of the various social media contacts was distracting, when it's TV and you want them to write ONE THING down, I'd pick phone number.

Again, for Rochester MN, it was good.
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback and yes, for Rochester...can't complain I guess. I liked the scrolling, but if you think it's distracting, I will consider that in the next ad. No other shops are doing social media here. or mobile websites, can you believe that?
 
Lisa, the ad is fine.. nice job. I think it's perfect for the Rochester area.. you might need/want a little more polish if you intend to run some ads up here in the metro area though...

I did a bit of TV early on when I was doing residential - I got a bit of business out of it, but it's very expensive. Like most advertising, it's hit or miss, you need to keep it up for it to be effective.

Of course now days, so many have DVR's and just skip the commercials (I know I do). You also might consider running that ad at the local movie theater(s)...

-Randy
 
Lisa, I'm a newbie, but I really liked your ad. I'm not sure what the elements of a good ad would be, but the things that stuck with me were that you do computer repairs, and you're in the pink building downtown. As a resident of a small town, I would know exactly where that was. I think your main points are covered in the ad. Emphasize that phone number...make it BIG and pink! Nice work, though. I hope you see some great results.
 
Owell, he hasn't come back to the post, so maybe he feels bad!

Just got our first client in the shop who saw the commercial. She also said she has driven by before...so the ad did work. We have a ton of traffic driving by, tons. I wonder why we are not busier being on this corner, but I guess when I think about what I drive by everyday and not stop...sometimes go farther away, it makes sense.

Thank you everyone for the responses.

Yankeez, I'm sure no one in your town will call me :p
 
Was going to ask how it is going, Lisa. A TV ad over here would cost thousands and is surely only affordable by large corporations.
 
I'm in small city USA, not very expensive, but enough.

2 clients now. The 2nd lady said, "I have driven by here and have seen your truck, then saw your commercial"

not bad, 2 in 2 days.

@pro
Of course now days, so many have DVR's and just skip the commercials (I know I do). You also might consider running that ad at the local movie theater(s)...

I did think about that awhile ago, but forgot lol
 
Running the ads during the news, I don't think many are recording the daily news, so skipping the commercials then doesn't seem like a problem (DVR skipping).

The 30 sec. seemed to go by quickly. Nice spot, no gimmicks, short and sweet. Larger phone number spot/continuous on that part may be better. It's different if it was just online, but on the normal airwaves it's a little different. If someone misses the # they probably will just forget about it.

Seeing yours I wonder how I can get mine down to 15 sec. spots...
 
I'm going to guess on a 40-50" TV, the number is a lot bigger. I have yet to see the commercial, I have been traveling too much.

Getting more people telling me they have seen it though, I'm glad that what spots we have done, it's working in regards to exposure...now we need to see more calls in.
 
I suppose that's the thing: exposure vs. calls

When does the transition take place? Is it even logical to believe that a short tv run will equate to more calls, or does it just equal exposure? What's the ratio of ads to exposure to calls? In other words, at what number of times does a person have to see your ads until it'll turn into short term memory and result in calls?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that 8 exposures or so, will result in consumer action. Of course, that all depends on the product and mode of advertising... There will always be a small percentage of those who respond, for whatever reason, almost immediately, but they should not be seen as the rule - rather the exception to the rule.

Remembering this, perhaps I will restrategize my own plans and go instead with the longer term online route. Always things to ponder regarding advertising choices.
 
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Lisa, the only thing I would add is the name of your business. It's missing from the full screen shot of your logo and the tag at the end.

Just my two cents, unless everyone in MN recognizes your logo, a best practice is to display "Call That Girl" with it so there is no mistaking who you are. the name of your business is in the url on the tag at the end, however it would be a good idea to display it at the top as well.

Real estate in a TV spot is expensive and valuable, so you want to make sure your name is all over it.

As far as the value of TV advertising these days, my opinion is mixed. Like radio, the success of a TV commercial depends on two things, presentation and repetition. I don't think presentation is an issue here. I think the return rate is going to hinge on the length of your campaign. The key is saturation. Commercials are short and a few plays aren't going to burn into a viewer's memory unless the spot is exceptionally memorable. That really doesn't happen very often.

Most advertisers rely on repetition. In order for viewers to remember it, the ad needs to be played consistantly over a long period of time. It can take months, and that gets expensive quick. If you have the budget for it, the return can be well worth the investment.

However, it isn't as effective as it was ten years ago. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, DVR technology gets in the way. Also, TV viewership has declined significantly in the last few years, thanks in large part to mobile devices, on-demand programming and the Internet.

That doesn't mean TV advertising is dead. It means video ads may actually be more effective in those other venues in the long term. Don't be limited to placing the ad on local TV alone. You do have your ad on YouTube, and that's a good place to be. Getting your video ad in other venues such as on the Roku is another way to maximize your investment in it. These venues are growing in viewership, popularity and are less expensive than TV.
 
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Owell, he hasn't come back to the post, so maybe he feels bad!

Just got our first client in the shop who saw the commercial. She also said she has driven by before...so the ad did work. We have a ton of traffic driving by, tons. I wonder why we are not busier being on this corner, but I guess when I think about what I drive by everyday and not stop...sometimes go farther away, it makes sense.

Thank you everyone for the responses.

Yankeez, I'm sure no one in your town will call me :p


When my competitor in Mason City didn't put his phone number on his TV ad, they sure did! ;-)

What I'm saying is that we can get KTTC here in Hampton, IA and it may jog people's memory that "oh yeah, I need to get that done." Plus people tell me when they here my ad or other ads on the radio or newspaper. Sooner or later, I'll hear about your ad as well.


BUT. your competitors ARE doing social media. Maybe not to your level (yet) but they are. Again, my view of a competitor is anyone who takes a dollar out of my pocket and puts it into theirs....

https://www.facebook.com/mobilecomputerrepairservice
https://www.facebook.com/bscomputerbuilds
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Css-computers/257681184310028
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rochester-PC-Computer-Repair/284107828267820
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bright-Eyed-Computer/116635445017961
https://www.facebook.com/WheelchairdudeTechnologies
https://www.facebook.com/HaskinRepair
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Area51-Computers/166339863382013?ref=ts

What I do is LIKE all of my competitors and then I can keep an eye on anything they are doing...monthly specials, announcements or overposting Tips of the Day...etc.
 
I'm in small city USA, not very expensive, but enough.

2 clients now. The 2nd lady said, "I have driven by here and have seen your truck, then saw your commercial"

not bad, 2 in 2 days.

@pro
Of course now days, so many have DVR's and just skip the commercials (I know I do). You also might consider running that ad at the local movie theater(s)...

I did think about that awhile ago, but forgot lol

I did movie theaters....waste of money. No one takes a pen/paper into them and they are strict on cellphone usage around here.
 
The more I get out there, the more I hear others talking about my spot. It's been quite fun to hear it. Today I went into the VFW that is next to my biz and I walked in and the bartender said, "Hey, you were just on TV a few minutes ago, you're a celebrity!" and the guy sitting at the bar having lunch said, "I've seen your commercial four times now". We all shared a laugh, they see me in there for lunch often, but...with everyone telling me, I'm fine with doing this type of advertising, I hope to see pay off.

The only competition I am concerned about is myself and making wrong decisions, I try to not worry about what others are doing or who is doing what. I try to focus on my sales and marketing and how to land bigger clients. But I always keep an eye out there of course, but don't focus on them. It's a waste of time in my opinion.

Now that I have a a big enough staff, we can do bigger jobs. I just partnered with one of my competitors to land a proposal. We decided that partnering offered us more opportunites and our first deal together we won and are thrilled.

Yank, the day you get someone asking about me down there, is the day I will completely laugh. I don't see people down there doing that, but they might!

I'm going to keep the topic on the tv ad and not reply concerning facebook or social media.
 
Owell, he hasn't come back to the post, so maybe he feels bad!

No, but I don't mind telling you why I didn't until now.

a) You sell your expertise. Do you give away any of your three tutorials for free to members of this forum? Like the social media one?

b) You weren't looking for critique, you were looking for accolades. The whole point of the ad, as I viewed it, was to stroke your ego and did a whole lot of talking about you...which isn't the point of ads.

c) I'm way, way too busy to stroke egos. If you were serious, a different response would have been something to the effect of "what are you offering?" or "what is your expertise" or something questioning the value of the advice.

d) If you have money to burn to stroke your ego, you have a few bucks to show you're serious. Would I have taken them? No. I've given a few other people advice from what I've learned in PMs. My mission is to help others. But you can't help others if they don't want to be helped. I knew the answer and your silly responses supported my intuition.

e) I have absolutely no patience for nonsense. What I bring has value. If you don't want it, that's fine, there's always someone else who does.

So did I miss the point of TN like I see someone commented in cowardly fashion in my rep? You can decide.
 
First off, I am sorry for not jumping in sooner, some how I keep missing this thread. Anyways, I think the ad was pretty good considering you were on a budget. As others have mentioned, consistency is key in any type of advertising, so you will want to run this and similar commercials for a while. Also, I think that it was good that you not only showed your face, but your company vehicle and shop. Your branding was consistent and rememberable.

I think the voice is just fine. There's merit to voicing your own spots and putting your own face on the ad, especially if you're the face they see when they come in.

I like the cute little shop too. It fits in well.

Unfortunately that's all I liked about it. It missed all the elements of a good ad.

I love his great advice here. Very helpful, I think I will use it for my first commercial.


It missed all the elements of a good ad.

Do you mind telling me what those elements are?


Nope, you got to pay him for that . . .


Pay me and sure, I'll help you, one on one. You'll get more value out of it that way.

No comment needed here.

Jerk. That's all I have to say.

Yeah, thats kinda his thing.


No, but I don't mind telling you why I didn't until now.

a) You sell your expertise. Do you give away any of your three tutorials for free to members of this forum? Like the social media one?

b) You weren't looking for critique, you were looking for accolades. The whole point of the ad, as I viewed it, was to stroke your ego and did a whole lot of talking about you...which isn't the point of ads.

Im sorry, but did anyone else think that Lisa was trying to get us to stroke her ego? Did anyone think that she was trying to become a celeberty? Of course it was probably fun to hear people mention the commercial to her, but more importantly it opens her up to marketing her business.

As for the commercial, it is about her. It's about her and her business and the services she offer. But then again, I am not you, so therefor I know nothing about commercials.

c) I'm way, way too busy to stroke egos. If you were serious, a different response would have been something to the effect of "what are you offering?" or "what is your expertise" or something questioning the value of the advice.

Maybe if you would stop stroking your own ego every time you get on here, maybe you would have time to give her some real constructive criticism.


d) If you have money to burn to stroke your ego, you have a few bucks to show you're serious. Would I have taken them? No. I've given a few other people advice from what I've learned in PMs. My mission is to help others. But you can't help others if they don't want to be helped. I knew the answer and your silly responses supported my intuition.



e) I have absolutely no patience for nonsense. What I bring has value. If you don't want it, that's fine, there's always someone else who does.

So did I miss the point of TN like I see someone commented in cowardly fashion in my rep? You can decide.

All I can say is WOW . . .

=================================


Sorry guys, I just had to get that out. Lisa is probably one of the most helpful people on this forum. She has freely contributed her knowledge and expertise several times on this forum and she does not deserve to be thrown under the bus by a . . . . well I will leave that part out.
 
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im going to wade in here and say npinc offered me lots of help and advice when i posted about taking our first radio ad out a couple of months ago. He was very honest and provided excellent information for what i need to look at and what i should be doing.

On the advert of lisas, Im not a fan, but then again the way alot of the American ads are different to the ads in the Uk so it didnt work for me.
 
I'm on page 3 and I can't remember if I saw a phone number. Is this your first tv ad? If so, not too bad.


To the guy asking for money to help in a forum.... wtf? Dude you are in the wrong place.
 
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