You have just planned or produced a new
television channel and want to announce it to the world. You just found
out that advertising costs could be excessive. Not to worry, there are
many cost effective ways to promote your new IPTV channel.
While IPTV is quite fascinating to the average cable or television network
viewer, the bosses at those networks likely view IPTV as a potential
formidable competitor. Despite that, you can try to pitch your story to
your 'TV competitors,' shrugging off their concerns about 'little ol' you
being competition to the big fearless TV station that's been there forever
and will continue for time to come. |
even the night custodian in your
organization.
Viral marketing is virtually free: Come up
with a clever cartoon character or interesting funny poem or something
funky or folksy that people are likely to send to people who will send
to people, and so on. Come up with a clever tie-in to your programming
and turn it loose. Targeted email campaigns
are great. Email names are available for purchase or rental
inexpensively from list brokers, magazines, associations.
Write to the bloggers. Blogging is huge and they need |
Radio is a great medium to promote IPTV since radio executives don't view
IPTV as a competitive medium. You can write a 30 second public service
announcement (PSA) and send it in text "rip and read" format 6 weeks ahead
of your launch date, and they may just read it.
Radio works so nicely, let's do it |
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something to write about. Write it for the
bloggers or let them interview you. Either way works, as long as they're
writing about you.
Target the industry leaders as well as the news writers in the
newsletters, newspapers, magazines or anywhere else, including popular web
pages.
Revisiting radio again (thrice!): |
twicely: Call the producers of the talk shows
on the radio in the area of your IPTV release and ask them if you can be a
featured guest on their talk shows. It's novel and new, so why wouldn't
they want you!
Newspaper and magazines rely heavily on receiving news releases. Write the
release just as if it were a news article, ready to print, including the
basic "Five Ws" taught in journalism school: who, what, where, when and
why to your launch. Also, don't forget the 6th "W" they don't teach in
college: the "Wow!" Ask yourself, "What is the biggest 'wow' involved with
your launch and showcase it in your news release. You might have a famous
film star in your program or you may have a local angle having to do with
a personal, heartwarming story about one of the producers or |
call their news departments for interviews. If
radio PR is working for you, dip into the same well again, and remember
there are multiple shifts. Even if one news director or news assignment
editor turns you down, call again on the next shift.
Word of mouth, word of mouth, word of mouth!
The greatest single. The greatest single advertiser is a regular person
telling another person about your exciting IPTV network. Start 'm talking
about ya'! At the very least, adding a signature line to your company
emails will help to promote your new IPTV channel. |