Not all marketing tactics are created equal, especially when it comes to targeting local consumers. When crafting your client’s next local marketing strategy, there are a few media formats you should avoid at all costs. Here’s what they are.

Why Your Clients’ Local Marketing Strategy Should Avoid These Media Formats

Ads that Aren’t Skippable

U.S. consumers want to watch or listen to their content without getting interrupted by ads. When their content is interrupted by ads, especially ones that aren’t skippable, they get annoyed if not outright angry. And they’re going to blame the brand that’s being showcased in the ads keeping them from their content.

A local marketing strategy has a tough time getting ads in front of consumers who will care about the products. Don't add stress to the process by wondering if the media your client is utilizing is hurting rather than helping. It is easy to speculate on what will turn potential customers into avid avoiders of the brand.

According to Nielsen’s 2023 Consumer Survey Report, consumers are exposed to different ads depending on the platform. Here are the media types that consumers intentionally avoid advertisements on when they can.

Free With-​Ads Video Services

Video service providers that are free because of the ads that support them, like YouTube, are very popular. But that doesn’t mean that the consumers who use them enjoy the ads that make the content free. According to Nielsen, 85% of consumers avoid ads on ad-​supported video services at least some of the time.

What if your client wants to keep the YouTube portion of their local marketing strategy? There are ways to get around consumers’ distaste for interruptive ads. Simply limit their disruption.

Don’t make your client’s video ads unable to be skipped. Put incentive information in the first few seconds of the ad to catch viewers’ interest. However, don’t make viewers watch the full ad if they don’t want to. Or just make your client’s ads as short as possible so that their interruption is minimal.

Ads on Live TV Streaming Services/​Local TV Stations/​Paid With-​Ads Video Streaming Services/​Paid TV

An average of 76.5% of consumers sometimes avoid these ads. Just like with standard YouTube, even ads that make a service free are still annoying interruptions. So, they should be left out of your client’s local marketing strategy.

However, if your client demands to have them, again, be sure to make them as short as possible. And don’t set it up so that viewers are seeing your client’s ads over and over again during their viewing.

With-​Ads Audio Streaming Service

Just like ad-​supported video, consumers go with ad-​supported audio services because they’re free. However, that doesn’t mean viewers enjoy listening to ads. Around 74% of consumers sometimes avoid these ads.

And you’re probably getting the drill of how to make do with these ads if you must: make them short.

Podcast Ads

“What?! But podcast ads are supposed to be super effective!” … They can be, as long as they’re not pre-​recorded and interruptive ads.

Ads that are read out loud by the podcast’s host are WAY more effective than those that aren’t. According to a previous SalesFuel blog post based on data from eMarketer, podcast listeners trust the host. Why else would they be listening? 

So, if the host reads an ad themselves, listeners will be more likely take an interest in what’s being advertised. This format can be a personal recommendation from the host as they may review the product or services. Consumers are more likely to trust the host, rather than the prerecorded ads that are obviously just supporting the podcast.

Need help choosing which types of podcasts will give your client the best ROI? Look up which types of podcasts their target audience listens to on their profile on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel. With that information, you can easily develop the best podcast ads for their local marketing strategy.

Photo by: Alexander Grey