Television vs Social Media

In part one of my comparisons of traditional media marketing comparisons, we looked at Radio vs. Twitter. In Part Two, we’re going to compare Television and YouTube.  As a business owner and marketer, I believe that Television is best known for making stars and imagination; television is best used in your marketing plan to create your business image. We see it with great advertising campaigns, and sometimes not so great, where the individual in the spot can become a star in their own right. Jared seemed to make a living off the Subway commercials a few years back. There are countless others, and with the Super Bowl just over a week away, half of the viewing audience is looking forward to the commercials more than the Steelers vs. Packers. We invite our local news anchors into our homes, and when you see them out and about shopping or at a restaurant, you recognize them; you know who they are even though they haven’t a clue as to who you are. It happened to me just the other day while having lunch sitting next to us was an anchor form one of the local stations, the funny thing is I not only recognized her from the news but also from her Twitter avatar. I digress for a moment to shout out how well our local media uses Twitter. It seems to be the case in most markets, but props to all here in Southern Oregon who use televisions. While Television makes stars, so does YouTube. While outstanding commercials will hit viral status daily, even more non-television videos will attain viral status. Now, as a local business, you’re likely not going to do anything to achieve viral status. It’s still essential for you to have your own YouTube channel. Video is an excellent form; Television has shown us that. We all absorb information in different ways, and through viewing, it is certainly towards the top of the list. A YouTube channel allows you to communicate what can’t be done in 140 characters in a tweet or 400 characters on a Facebook post, and after, some things need to be seen and believed. A YouTube channel will allow you to display all your television commercials that people may haven’t seen. It will enable you to demonstrate what may separate you from your competition visually. It allows you to tour your establishment and introduce us to your team.   It will help you to display more of your personality. In today’s world, we have many different ways to gather information. People view their favorite television shows differently, as results from researchers at Lab42 this month showed a study of social media users and how they watch TV. It’s essential as a business owner to meet the needs of how people want to receive your information. YouTube is another form of media that allows you to be where your customers and future customers are. So, when looking at YouTube, see what has made you successful in your television advertising and go from there. The great thing is that you won’t be limited to just 30 seconds!