Don’t Spread Your Limited Advertising Budget Too Thin

If you have a limited advertising budget because your dealership isn’t one of “the big guys” in your market, it’s important that you do not spread your advertising efforts too thin. In so many of our blogs, we refer to reach and frequency. No matter how large or small your dealership, everyone is always looking for the right amount of each … but when you have a smaller automotive advertising budget, finding that right combination is even more important.

For example’s sake, let’s say your limited advertising budget is $20,000 for one particular month. (We’re not telling you this is what you should be spending; this is just a nice, round dollar figure to use as an example.) Dealer A opts to spend $5,000 each on TV, radio, Internet and direct mail. His logic is that he can be a player in many different advertising media sources, therefore he can “reach” many people.

Dealer B chooses to sink his entire $20,000 to cable television, but has a schedule that includes more than 15 different cable networks. Much like Dealer A, he believes diversifying his portfolio gives him the opportunity to “reach” a large group of people.

Meanwhile, Dealer C decides to devote $10,000 each to TV and radio. He decided to limit his TV buy to one broadcast station, and the radio buy to just two stations that typically target his demographic audience. Contrary to Dealers A and B, he believes that a more “frequent” message to a smaller number of people will win the day. You know what? He’s absolutely right!

Limited Advertising Budget Tips

In the long run, you are much better off spending your limited advertising budget on heavy advertising schedules and fewer media sources than the alternative. Why? “This is where the ‘frequency’ part of ‘reach and frequency’ comes in,” said Richard Brauns, JKR Senior Partner. “It allows you to break through the clutter and have your message heard – and remembered.”

What’s right for your dealership? The only way to know for certain (and get the most bang for your automotive advertising dollar in the process) is to know and understand reach and frequency; to have an encyclopedic knowledge of your particular market; to know which media sources make the most sense for your particular dealership; and to have access to the true, scientific numbers that help you make these decisions. This can’t be done without the help of an automotive advertising agency like JKR.

Are your automotive advertising efforts on target? To find out, request your FREE Automotive Advertising Review. We’ll take a close look at your marketing strategy and take notes. Before you know it, you’ll have the recommendations of one of the nation’s foremost automotive advertising agencies at your fingertips! Take the first step today by calling Eric Tigner at (321) 397-0777.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.