Is Television Advertising Still Relevant for Contractors?

TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Google… with a plethora of digital places to advertise, many contractors are wondering, “Is TV advertising still effective today?”

If you’re in that boat, we don’t blame you – but we’ve got some news. Television advertisements are far from dead, especially for local businesses.

In fact, it’s estimated that global television advertising revenue is forecasted to recover to pre-pandemic amounts. Additionally, 67% of brands are planning to increase their spending on advanced or connected TV spending.

Even in the wake of modern social and digital technology, there’s still a relevant place for TV commercials. Even one strategically run ad can make an enormous difference for trade businesses – including HVAC technicians, plumbers, electricians, and other contractors.

Not convinced? Let us share some of the key advantages of television advertising, specifically for contractor businesses.

1. Reach a Large Audience

Television advertising has one specific (but grand) purpose: to deliver your marketing message to the general public. This is why TV marketing is often referred to as “mass advertising.” You’re not pinpointing a narrow section of social users or searchers, but instead casting a wide net.

The global television market is expected to surpass 1.8 billion households by 2026. No matter what area you service or which kind of trade you specialize in, people will see your commercials.

That’s the whole point, and one of the reasons TV is still widely considered to be an effective advertising medium.

Additionally, TV’s audience isn’t just large in numbers, but in diversity. Unlike some forms of social media, which tend to mostly target young adults and teens, television is a medium enjoyed by everyone.

The thing is, most trade service providers benefit immensely from targeting a large (but local) audience. Everyone needs to know a great contractor for plumbing or HVAC, so why not get your name in front of the biggest audience possible?

2. Maximize Your Ad Budget

In comparison to some advertising mediums, TV advertising is relatively affordable. This makes it especially enticing to small local businesses with restricted marketing budgets.

For most local television ads, businesses can expect to pay as low as $5 per 1,000 views in an average-sized market (for a 30-second ad slot). Generally, you’ll want to budget around $5,000 to reach a million viewers.

In comparison, online banner ads typically cost about $5,000 per 500,000 impressions – possibly half the reach of a strategically placed TV advertisement.

National TV ads, of course, cost substantially more – although it depends on what channel or show you want your commercial to air with. The more popular the slot, the more you’ll pay to place your advertisement.

The bottom line is that you might not be able to afford to advertise during an NFL game, but most contractors can afford to advertise in key local markets with broadcast television. To learn more about the cost of television advertising in your area, speak with a marketing team experienced in contractor advertising.

3. Establish Trust With Viewers

There’s something about seeing a brand on TV that makes consumers want to trust it. When your plumbing business or HVAC team has a presence on television, people are more likely to recognize your company as legitimate.

Furthermore, TV marketing can help people better understand your trade business and what it does. You can even demonstrate your services, showing them what it looks like when you replace a washer or handle dangerous wiring. This instills a sense of credibility in your services (and makes people more likely to reach out when they need help).

In a 2022 study conducted by Effectv, 188 participants were surveyed. The results indicated that participants who viewed ads in the TV environment showed a higher “brand attitude” – specifically when it came to lesser-known brands, not big chains or easily recognizable companies.

In other words, if you want people to feel good about trusting your contracting business, you might want to get your TV advertisement out there. It could very well result in more brand trust and a lift in purchase intent.

4. Garner Measurable Results

Are you wondering, “But how will I know if people actually see my TV ad?” Don’t worry – there are ways to obtain data on view counts and the overall success of your advertising.

Traditionally, viewership (how many people have seen your ad) is the predominant form of measurement. However, we don’t recommend stopping once you obtain that number – not every viewer actually engaged with your brand or converted, so to understand the true ROI of your TV advertisement, you’ll need to dig deeper.

There are a few ways to garner measurable results when advertising on TV:

• Pay attention to your website traffic right after your ad runs. Does it spike? Are people being driven to engage with your content in the wake of seeing your ad?
• Survey your customers. Did they find you because of your television ad?
• Use a unique phone number. Many contractors choose to feature a specific number on the television ad. This allows them to easily track how many calls are coming in from viewers who saw the advertisement.

If you feel overwhelmed by monitoring the success of your television advertisement, consider letting a marketing firm do the job for you. They’ll know how to determine your true ROI, then make changes along the way to improve the ad’s effectiveness.

5. Work in Tandem With Your Digital Ads

Lastly, we want to explain that advertising on television should be used in conjunction with digital marketing mediums. We’re not saying to give up on your social media ads or SEO strategies. Instead, we’re staying to make them work together.

In fact, achieving synergy between traditional and digital advertising is one of the best things any local business can do. 

In that same Effectv study we referenced earlier, researchers found that TV advertising can actually help enhance other advertising mediums due to its high attention and engagement,  which drives recall. Unaided recall fell around 45% for viewers who saw TV and digital ads, versus 20% for those who were only exposed to two digital mobile ads.

It’s simple, really: when one of your potential customers sees a mobile ad, then repeats that cognitive attention while seeing a television ad, you’re establishing a strong connection. If you saw just one social media ad, you might quickly forget it… but if you’re seeing the same contractor’s name multiple times in multiple mediums, you’re more likely to recall it.

Interested in Advertising Your Contracting Business on TV?

At All Contractor Marketing, we’ve been in the contractor advertising game for a long time – and we’ve seen the powerful impact of television when it comes to establishing local businesses as household names.

We assist with placement, timing, and repetition to reap the highest reward for your television ad cost. Our team doesn’t just create TV ads – we ensure they’re worthwhile and effective for your contracting business.

Ready to see what TV advertising can do for you? Reach out online to discuss your contractor advertising initiatives.

• Category: advertising