Remnant media buys require a specialist. And if your offer is a lead generating offer or if you simply crunch your customer acquisition numbers – pay per call TV advertising, per inquiry TV, pay for performance – whatever you want to call it is viable. We are expanding our DR digital reach into Mobile with click to call campaigns, too.
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Direct Marketing News recently interviewed me for a DRTV feature they were doing, and I explained that we are using more direct response short form spots and long form infomercials with no URL and a toll free number only. Why you ask – because web hits on their very best day convert at less than 10% and sometimes less than 2%, while telephone calls convert on a bad day at 20%, and we have one offer running all year that converts at 64%.
Pay per Call TV offers advertisers with lead generating offers a format that can mitigate media expense, get your sales force the hot leads they need, and the benefits of TV branding as well. Remember, it’s all about the payout and the length of a call. Some of the legal offers can pay thousands for one qualified lead.
DRTV Agency and Infomercial production company, InfoWorx Direct has expanded its capabilities as a per inquiry advertising specialist in short form and long form television and radio. The TV infomercial production company and media buying agency has developed a proprietary platform that can deliver :30 second or :60 second lead generator calls using the client’s 800 numbers or by providing clients with toll free 800 numbers forwarded directly to the client’s call center or in house consultants.
“Our newly developed per inquiry advertising system empowers the marketer to dictate the amount they are willing to pay for a response and also controls the number of responses they are willing to handle. We have been specializing in pay for performance TV and Radio programs since 1999,” Ron Perlstein, Executive Producer and Media Director at InfoWorx Direct explained. “Our new system allows the client to choose if they want to run spots 24/7 or custom tailor hours to conform to call center operations.”
In per inquiry TV and Radio advertising, the advertiser can specify how many calls or orders they want and set a price or “payout” for those results. This allows them to use their performance metrics to maximize the potential of their campaigns.
“We designate one toll free number per campaign, per media outlet, and can answer valid calls which can be :30 or :60 second qualified leads. We can also instantly redirect the calls to any call center or to the marketer’s live consultants,” Perlstein continued. InfoWorx Direct has relationships with hundreds of TV stations, many cable networks, and thousands of radio stations. “The beauty of per inquiry deals is that the client can work within their allowable cost per order and maintain profitability while controlling media costs. Our proprietary platform and media management systems provide complete tracking information, and can even specify call center hours for valid, qualified leads. This allows clients and media to partner with a revenue sharing media campaign,” Perlstein added.
For 20 years, InfoWorx has established itself as a pioneer in direct response TV advertising, and has generated billions of dollars of major “as seen on TV success” for clients including Emerson Electric, Innovation Direct, SnorEnz, Rubbermaid, and iRobot’s Roomba. For additional information on InfoWorx, contact Ron Perlstein, or visit http://www.InfoWorx.com.
InfoWorx Direct, LLC, is a full service direct response agency and media buying service with an evolving infomarketing business philosophy. The InfoWorx scientific approach has led to profitable results and success for established companies and newcomers alike.
Thanks for visiting the DRTV Media blog for the latest updates on infomercial airtime costs. Everyday our telephones ring with marketers looking for straight talk and information on TV and Radio airtime.We’ve been helping entrepreneurs, large corporate clients and product developers for almost 20 years now.So let’s talk Direct Response TV and DR Radio.Short Form TV or DRTV:
Each year it’s the same story. Rates go down in the first quarter, and it’s easy to clear. There are many opportunies with TV viewing at it’s highest levels of the year (think weather). Then rates begin inching up. Second quarter rates always jump because of the push for Spring and Summer activites. Now I know you think the economy is bad – but you can’t sell anything unless you advertise. Check the financial news – the media conglomerates are all making money!Long Form TV Infomercials: A lot of marketers think this format is old school – but not the smart ones! And many companies with great products well suited for long form TV, want to test with short form to see if the investment is warranted. Not the smartest strategy either. I suggest you flip through the channels late at night or on Saturday and Sunday morning. You will see that the format is alive, that many great products are being introduced, explained, pitched and sold. So what’s happening to rates? Long Form TV Infomercial Rates are flat!There are many opportunites here, and with a smart bulldog of a media buyer, you can make money with your product. Remember – the more you tell, the more you sell!Short Form Direct Response Radio: This format works great with soft offers, dietary supplements, and lead generation.With good inbound telemarketing you can convert soft offer leads into $400 sales! We know, because we’re doing it! They key to DR Radio is finding remnant time at depressed rates. It takes a lot of work, but it pays off for the client. For example, if a station sells “retail” time at $150 a minute – we expect to pay $25-$40 per spot. If a national radio network is selling their programming at $1000.00 per minute, we expect to pay $200.00!Long Form Direct Response Radio:
The more you tell, the more you sell! For nearly 20 years we’ve been explaining this and the smart clients make money! This is a tricky format to buy because the stations like to work long term deals. But savvy media buyers know that a product must be tested one or two weeks at a time. We call it Direct Response for a reason. What do these time slots cost? Anywhere from from $25 to $2500.00 per half hour. If your product does not demand visual demonstation or could work in a talk show format, give long form radio a try.Thanks again for visiting, and, as you can see, this blog is a lot more than just DRTV Media. I’ve been buying, negotiating, planning and researching media for over 30 years, and I’m happy to share my knowledge and experience with everyone interested.
Looking for info on DRTV Response Rates? Well, you’ve found straight talkers and the right place to look — right here at the DRTV Media Blog. So guys what are you looking for – exactly? I urge you to subscribe, follow, like, etc because this blog is for you to learn the latest trends in Direct Response TV, timely updates regarding DRTV Media costs (including how to find $50 DRTV Spots) and short form and long form Direct Response Infomercial costs.
Last week we had a new client call us and ask for media rates and a test campaign while comparing us to another “marketing company.” Folks – beware of any company that does not give you the rate for each spot and just gives you impressions or general information. We have seen this lately with some firms offering thousands of spots as part of a seemingly heavy media campaign promising millions of impressions as part of the package deal for the TV Production. Professional DRTV Media Buyers and Direct Response TV Agencies show the rates and those rates are supported by invoices and affadavits from the stations with the exact same rate. We researched these so called massive media campaigns and were able to determine that the client was paying a CPM over $28, which is more than Amercican Idol or Dancing With The Stars cost on a CPM basis. DRTV rates need to be very low to pay out. We created a plan for that client with a CPM of $0.52 and national coverage using our vast media relationships.
Make no mistake. DRTV, Direct Response TV, and TV Infomercials are a specialty that takes experience, savvy and a hard nosed approach to media negotiations. Direct Resonse TV rates change week to week and the media markets changes week to week based on supply and demand and most of all performance. Click here to learn more about allowable cost per order (CPO) and how DRTV really works.
Direct Response Radio – this advertising medium is growing again because of the use of mobile telephones and hands free driving. Remnant radio media. There’s lots of it. There are 4781 AM radio stations in the USA and 6224 FM stations in our great country. That’s a lot of ad space to fill! And radio listening can produce telephone calls which convert at much higher rates than web hits. So get your radio offers ready!
Here are 5 tips to produce compelling and telephone ringing Direct Response Radio offers.
1. Do not write a “rip and read” commercial. Consumers have learned to tune out “noise” and cramming 70 seconds of copy into 60 seconds is “noise.”
2. Test several radio direct response offers. Direct Marketing is a science. Direct Response Radio offers marketers an inexpensive testing platform for various risk free offers.
3. Repeat the telephone number 4 times! Make sure that a customer driving a car can key in the toll free number during the spot.
4. Know your audience. Smart marketers know how to catch their best customers by targeting the offer and product to the radio format and demographics. Your product may have use for everyone 8 to 80, but there is always a skew toward men or women, young or old, or in between.
5.Direct response radio rates vary widely according to market and supply and demand. Do not pay high rates! Air your offers only on stations with low CPM’s and always ask for bonus spots. Or make sure you have a bulldog for a media buyer!
What is the cost to produce an infomercial? Infomercial Production Costs 2011? You guys keep asking. TV Infomercial costs? Cost of infomercial media? The calls and emails and searches continue. Thanks for visiting the Infomercial and DRTV Blog – a good place to get straight, real information on the wacky, wonderful world of TV Infomercials. Let’s look at some different formats and talk about the range of TV Infomercial Production Costs.
Short Form DRTV: Short form TV Infomercials are actually TV commercials with a response mechanism like a toll free number or URL or both. These spots are available in :120 second and :60 second lengths with :30 seconds used mainly for TV lead generation. Production costs vary according to the Direct Response Agency or Production Company and other factors including camera equipment, size of crew, etc. Many short form direct response television producers charge about $30,000.00 plus a royalty. Beware of any producers less than $10,000.00 because too many corners must be cut. However, some companies bundle services together and provide media services in lieu of a royalty.
In addition to Short Form TV Production, other costs associated with a DRTV launch include: TV media costs, inbound telemarketing setup, fulfillment and payment processing, as well as duplication costs. As you can see, it starts to get a bit complicated so it’s always best to work with an experienced professional, not someone getting their feet wet with your project.
Long Form TV Infomercials: These are really TV shows! Since 1984 when the length of commercials was deregulated, marketers have had the ability to fully demonstrate, create emotional testimony, and make a complete pitch to truly sell their products. It’s a unique marketing platform and creates all the video assets needed for every other new media platform in the 21st century. Since you must produce about 30 minutes of content, these productions naturally cost more than short form. Rates are all over the place. Some of the best known infomercials may have a multi-million dollar celebrity and others may be shot in front of a black curtain. Costs range from the down and dirty (avoid this!) to the ultimate shoots on The Red One. Choose your producer wisely. Again, many producers must make a substantial profit on your show, while others may work close with you and gain their profits with a rollout and substantial media buying. Some product developers and owners are looking for “partners” to fund the production. If you want to keep control of your product be careful. TV Production costs and initial media tests are very affordable, and there are media funding companies who will assist with a roll out without any equity in the product.
Additional costs for Long Form DRTV are the same as Short Form DRTV, except your duplications fees are higher. The trick is knowing which format works best with your product and establishing proper metrics and goals for success. Check some of our older blog posts for lots of information on these issues.
The bottom line: TV Infomercials and Direct Response TV commercials represent a low cost, high exposure advertising method that can take your product to marketing heaven.
Our clients and potential clients call with many questions. The first question is almost always about the cost of TV Infomercials or Short Form Direct Response TV. Here’s a link to one of our recent posts that may help answer some TV Infomercial Production cost questions. Infomercial TV Production costs vary widely but Short Form TV Media costs will represent the largest portion of a budget.
OK, OK, now you’ve decided that your product can work in a short TV format. Great, but how long should your TV Commercial be? 30 Seconds? 60 Seconds? 120 Seconds? 5 Minutes? Wow…..let’s see if your Short Form DRTV Infomercial guru can help!
Let’s face it media rates will drive the success or failure of your project. Unless you are deeply funded and have a long term branding strategy like a beverage company or an automotive marketer, you need frequency and immediate results and sales. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each length in Short TV Infomercials.
5 Minutes or 360 Seconds: Pros: This format has many of the attributes of a Long Form TV Infomercial. You can tell a convincing story, include testimony that can touch emotional notes with customers, and still have enough time to pitch an irresistible offer. With this format you will have all the video assets necessary for shorter spots and interactive viewing on your web site.
Cons: The 5 minute format is in limited distribution. Most of the Discovery Networks offer them, including OWN as do many NBC Universal properties. But, there is not enough inventory for a full roll out. In addition, the short form TV media available make it difficult to fine tune your customer targeting which is a major benefit of Short Form DRTV spots.
2 Minutes or 120 Seconds: Pros: This format is the standard for As Seen On TV product launches. There is enough time for magic product demos and the spots usually make an offer pitch for about 20 seconds and then the telephone number is pitched for 15 more seconds.
Cons: The 2 minute format is in limited distribution. There’s no chance to get your product on Lifetime or USA, for example. Most of the major cables have limited 2 minute inventory. And the rate is 400% over the 30 second rate! The world is changing and shorter spots are the trend.
1 Minute or 60 Seconds: Pros: Goldilocks was looking for something that was “just right”. In one minute you can show negative shots, solve the problem, include multiple demonstrations and pitch a compelling offer. There’s not a second to be wasted, though. No time to say “call now” several times, no time to pitch the toll free number twice. But, nowadays 30% to 65% of the sales will come from e-commerce. Make no mistake, our world is changing, and the consumer knows that they do not have to call now. There is a lot inexpensive, cheap, if you will, media availability. Your spots can air on Lifetime or any other major cable network in a variety of distribution networks. Heck, we can get these on the air in over 27,000,000 homes for as little as $20 per spot.
Cons: You cannot waste one second or one word. If you have a high priced product, you need more time. The short form media cost is double the 30 second rate.
30 Seconds: Pros: These spots are usually considered branding spots. However, we have been successful many times using 30’s for lead generation and a drive to the web. There is more inventory in this format at the lowest cost per spot than any other length.
Cons: You cannot sell a product directly with this length. There is just not enough time to tell the story and ask for the sale. Your messaging must be perfect and the call to action must be short.
If you’ve been following this blog, then you know that we are here to educate you and position you for success in the DRTV short form and long form infomercial marketplace. I’ve talked with over 10,000 potential DRTV marketers in the last 19 years, and worked with hundreds of them. Successful marketers always test several factors to optimize their direct response products and services. Ask yourself a few questions when formulating your strategy.
1. For my short form product do I have enough premiums and stuff to create an irrestible offer?
2. Do I have an upsell stream or the retail backend to support a higher allowable cost per order?
3. Could DRTV or infomercials work better for me by gernerating leads and a drive to my website for closing the sale?
If you empower your DRTV Media Buyer with small test budgets to test various offers, premiums, and upsell stratgies, then your success rate will soar.
Here is your short form DRTV, Spring, 2011 update. As many of you know, in the second quarter TV media rates often rise. And 2011 is no exception. The year started out stronger than most expected, and by late January any media buying service working with national cable networks like CNBC or Bravo found DRTV clearance getting difficult. For those of you who are new to this blog, all Direct Response TV Media is pre-emptible by higher rates.
TV media rates often increase in the second quarter and this year we have had some major consolidation in the market as the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal takes hold. Comcast, while best known as the largest cable provider in the USA, has been acquiring cable networks with content for several years. E!, Style, Golf, G4, Versus, and Sprout have all been under the Comcast brand for several years, and now those networks all come under the NBC Universal umbrella.
Small networks with limited national distribution still offer the best opportunities for direct response television marketing. There are over 100 cable networks, giving viewers many choices to surf their TV…looking for just the right programming. Remember our advice – your media buyer better be smart.
DRTV AND INFOMERCIALS 