Infomercials entice viewers to place an order.
Infomercials are relatively low-risk direct marketing vehicles because the results are easy to track and measure. This simply can’t be done with traditional commercials because there is no direct correlation between the number of viewers and interested prospects, and it’s difficult to trace the impetus for a purchase back to a commercial campaign with any certainty.
Infomercials, also known as long-form television, are considered direct marketing vehicles because they have an intended immediate effect upon the viewer – that the viewer will pick up the phone or visit a website to order the product. In contrast, thirty-second commercials, also known as short-form television, are primarily used to increase brand awareness. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for commercials in marketing campaigns; infomercials are meant to complement existing campaigns and require minimal risk in terms of expanding an existing campaign.
Infomercials feature amiable, approachable hosts who inspire confidence in viewers selling the latest select products. Through their geniality and sincerity, infomercial hosts persuade consumers that the product or service will benefit them, thus creating a need for the product or service. Even if viewers don’t place an order, they are often motivated to request more information, bringing them closer to a buying decision. And yet another possible outcome is for consumers is to purchase the product at a retail outlet that features “As Seen on TV” items, which are typically grouped on the same aisle and easy for customers to locate.
As the name implies, infomercials inform consumers about the product or service. There simply isn’t time to do this in a thirty-second commercial, at least not to the degree possible in a 20-25 minute paid program. Commercials can only explain one or two benefits in the allotted time; infomercials not only detail the benefits, but repeat them, which is an important part of penetrating consumer awareness and overcoming objections. Infomercials have the ability to anticipate and assuage consumer concerns, while commercials can leave consumers hanging.
Infomercials also increase consumer investment in the concept of the product or service being advertised because they entertain viewers. Consumers who have laughed, learned something, felt accepted by the hosts, and determined that the audience is similar to them in lifestyle and demographics are more likely to decide that the product being offered is right for them. This may seem like a simplistic view of viewers, but the fact is that many products are purchased by rather ingenuous consumers. Many other forms of marketing are created to target these same consumers because their demographics indicate that they can and will buy particular products.
Infomercials are a viable form of direct marketing that has not been explored by many business owners. If you’d like to increase your revenue and market share, give serious consideration to infomercials as a direct marketing vehicle.
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