All Impressions Are Not Equal - Where to Advertise and Why

In today's fast-paced and ever-changing advertising landscape, the competition for consumer attention is fierce. 

With countless marketing options available, businesses must carefully consider where to allocate their advertising efforts (and budget) for maximum impact. 

But before delving into the diverse world of advertising channels, it's crucial to understand that not all impressions are created equal. Each channel comes with its own set of advantages and drawbacks, making strategic selection paramount. In certain instances, a single impression on one platform can yield more influence than a hundred on another. 

The key to making the most of your marketing strategy lies in understanding the nuanced dynamics of each channel. 

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore various advertising platforms, from traditional to digital, and discuss why "where" you advertise matters just as much as "how."

First, let’s take a look at this chart below that gives a brief overview into the complexities of 7 of the biggest marketing channels in 2023, detailing the reach, frequency, ROI, and cost you can expect from each channel. 

Now, let's dive a little deeper into the advantages, limitations, and the interplay between quality and quantity of impressions for each of the above advertising channels

Every Door Direct Mail: The Tangible Touch

In a world dominated by digital experiences, Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) stands out as a tangible connection between businesses and consumers. EDDM offers high-tech local targeting, giving it the ability to reach quality, local customers who are the most likely to be interested in your business. 

Additionally the personable nature and physicality of direct mail engages multiple senses and evokes powerful emotions, leaving a lasting impression on recipients. 

However, because EDDM offers such quality impressions, it can be a bit more expensive and have more limits on its scalability in comparison to its “lower quality” impression competitors (such as Google Ads, which we will get to soon)

Personalized Mail: The Personal Touch

Personalized mail takes direct mail a step further by tailoring content to individual recipients thus further expanding the personable aspect of physical mail. This personalized approach boosts engagement and response rates, as consumers are more likely to connect with relevant messaging. 

Though more time-intensive, less scalable, and costlier, personalized mail is excellent for building customer relationships and yields the highest quality impression out of all the channels on this list. 

Google Display Ads: The Wide Web Reach

Google Display Ads spread your message across websites within Google's network, granting access to a vast online audience. 

The visual nature of display ads enhances brand visibility, recall (the ability to later remember the name of a brand), and retargeting conversion rates.

Yet, ad blindness (phenomenon where website visitors consciously or unconsciously ignore banner-like information) hinder effectiveness when it comes to conversion rates of Google Ads. 

With that being said Google Ads, despite having the highest frequency (number of times user is exposed to ad), offer the lowest quality impression. But remember the bright side, that is why they are so cheap! 

Facebook: The Social Sphere

With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers unparalleled reach. And not only can Facebook reach large numbers of potential customers, its detailed targeting options enable precise audience segmentation, so that you are able to reach the customers who are actually interested in your brand!

However, given that it still is a digital ad, customers are able to easily scroll past Facebook ads unlike its physical direct mail counterparts. Overall, between their high frequency and high precision targeting, Facebook Ads offer pretty high quality impressions – which is also why the price of Facebook Ads is rising. 

Email: The Direct Connection

Email remains a cornerstone of digital communication. It offers direct access to consumers' inboxes, making it a personal and reliable channel. 

Additionally, email campaigns can be personalized which is known to increase the quality of impression. However, the frequency that a customer is exposed to a single email is low – but so is the price of sending an email! 

Overall, given its personable nature, directness, and most importantly the fact that email offers the highest and most measurable ROI of ALL types of marketing, email offers one of the highest quality impressions. 

Spotify: The Audio Engagement

Audio platforms like Spotify provide a unique opportunity to engage consumers through sound. Ads can be seamlessly integrated into users' music-listening experience and reach customers where visual media can’t, from headphones to the car. 

However, the audio ad experience Spotify Ads offer is a double edge sword. On one edge, Spotify Ads are highly targeted, allowing you to narrow down your audience based on various filters such as demographics, listening behaviors, interests, etc. This high-targeting ability allows businesses to reach a very niche group of potential customers. But, on the other hand, this highly targeted approach can limit your exposure to unique users and could result in your brand being promoted to already existing customers. 

Regardless, Spotify Ads have proven to deliver a high return on investment (ROI) and offer very high quality impressions on listeners. 

Instagram: The Visual Storyteller

Instagram's visually immersive platform is perfect for businesses with strong visual content. Stories, posts, and ads allow for creative expression. Additionally, its younger demographic makes it ideal for reaching millennials and Gen Z. 

Yet, because of its young demographic base, the exposure to unique viewers Instagram can offer is lower in comparison to a platform like Facebook. 

However, because Instagram ads can be highly-targeted, they still do offer quality impressions – especially if your typical customer profile is amongst the younger generations. 

Hulu: The Streaming Screen

While not mentioned in the above list, Hulu ads are important to include as streaming service advertisements continue to grow not only in popularity but also effectiveness. 

Hulu's ad-supported streaming service offers access to an already captive audience. With a variety of ad formats, brands can tailor their messages to different viewing behaviors, demographics, etc. 

Additionally, ad-skipping on Hulu (for those who do not have a premium membership) is not available thus making it more likely the viewer is actually watching your ad. 

However, because Hulu Ads make such a high quality impression, they can be a bit expensive for smaller businesses as they start at $500. 

Choosing Wisely: Aligning Goals and Channels

The key to successful advertising lies in aligning your goals with the strengths of each channel. 

Are you aiming for local visibility? EDDM and personalized mail might be your best bets. Seeking wide online exposure? Google Display Ads and Facebook have you covered. Want to reach a niche interest? Spotify or Hulu could be your go-tos. 

Remember, all impressions are not equal, but with strategic planning and a deep understanding of your audience, you can maximize the impact of your advertising efforts across various channels.