No matter what you're selling, a TV ad can mean ginormous exposure, if you place it properly and adhere to a few rules, both old and new. The world is changing faster than you can say "Don't squeeze the Charmin!" or "Where's the beef?" and if your campaign isn't keeping up, your business gets left behind.

1. Aim To Immediately Catch Attention

It's easy to get caught up in the production of an ad, then lose sight of your intent, which is to instantly capture the attention of your viewer. Rather than focusing on elaborate scenery, a prolonged message, or professionally composed music, consider the goal of immediately grabbing the eyes and ears of the audience and keeping them. An ad with a cute cat in a cardboard box, for example, might keep people's attention, whereas a drawn-out, even well-produced ad of any length and seriousness will see viewers headed to the fridge or a bathroom break.

Whatever it takes, zap your targeted audience with the marketing magic you're certain will mesmerize them.

2. Fine-Tune Your Message For Both Audio And Visual

While silence can speak volumes, your ad may be heard and not seen, if a viewer leaves the area of the television, or, conversely, it could be seen and not heard, if the individual with the remote decides to mute the commercials. Consider covering both possibilities, with visuals that convey your message, even with no words or music, and with words and music that tell your story, even when the ad isn't being directly watched.

3. Understand Linear Vs Non-Linear Ads

Linear ads are broadcasted during programs that air on a schedule, which provides you, the marketing-meister, with additional clues about your audience. You know what they're watching when they're watching and that they've most likely set aside time in their busy lives to sit down in front of their medium (TV, tablet, etc.) for this particular type of show. Use all this information to formulate an ad campaign designed to appeal to that specific viewer, be they of an older or younger demographic, country or city folk, night owl or early riser, or whatever the case may be.

Every tidbit of data helps you customize your campaign, hopefully leading to higher engagement and, thus, sales.

4. Realize How COVID-19 Has Changed The Consumer And Advertising 

Since the advent of the pandemic, the mindset of most consumers has changed. Many are less frivolous, prioritizing need over want, but many have more time on their hands than they did prior to COVID-19. Your particular audience may be different in other ways, necessitating a more in-depth investigation on your part. Are women spending more on skincare, as opposed to cosmetics, since they're not going out as much? Are handymen focused on building recreational outlets, if their kids can't go to the local playground? Which demographic has gained weight during the pandemic, vs those who have become lean and buff?

Realizing how your target has been affected provides a specific insight you can use to your marketing advantage.

5. Gauge The Impact Of Your Ad

Pay close attention to your website, foot traffic, phone lines, and sales numbers right after your ad airs, to gauge how successful it was. You should see an increase across the board; however, depending on how your efforts were targeted, your success may be highly specified. Either way, though, it's important to understand what your TV ad did for you, so you can use that information to create an equal or better campaign in the future.

Advertising changes with the world, which means your marketing ideas must, too. TV ads are one of the most effective ways of keeping up, so your business is never left behind. Reach out to a company like NYI - New York Interconnect to learn more.