Air Time Once you've got your spot, you've gotta get it on the air! | Ready to Air? We'll Help! | Air Time Academy | Don't know how much you ought to spend? Wondering how much all this is going to cost? If you're tired of digging for answers about your media buy, you've come to the right place...

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We Place TV Ads Anywhere in the Country, On Cable, Broadcast or Satellite Networks Nationwide, Regionally, or in YOUR Neighborhood!

Broadcast, Satellite and International, TOO!

Cheap TV Spots® can place your commercial on well known cable TV networks such as CNN, FOX NEWS, MTV, Comedy Central, ABC Family, Lifetime, A&E, E! Entertainment, History Channel, Nickelodeon, HGTV, DIY, FOX Sports, Bloomberg and many more. You can air on local affiliates, or nationwide -- satellite TV, too. Cheap TV Spots® can place your ad on broadcast channels locally or nationally, on broadcast networks like NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX.  

Not sure where you should air?

Cheap TV Spots® is here to help, with recommendations and schedule negotiation -- at no extra charge. Unlike most agencies, there are no extra commissions and no retainer fees.

Got your commercial? We'll get you the air time.

Cheap TV Spots® NEVER charges additional commissions for air time.*

You can buy as little as 1 month (or even a week) of airings at a time - NO LONG TERM CONTRACTS.

Get your advertisement on Broadcast, Cable TV, or Satellite - WHERE YOU NEED TO BE... without breaking the bank.

*There is currently a small processing charge for air time purchases under $1,500.

People often ask us the same questions:

1. How much should I spend?
2. How many spots do I get for X amount of money?
3. What's the ROI for advertising on TV? (How much will I make if I spend X dollars?)

OKAY.  Let's answer these.

1.) How much should I spend?  

Depends.  How much you got?

No, seriously.  The technical answer is that you should spend at least 5 to 10% of your gross profits (the money coming in before you pay any bills) OR your projected gross profits, if you're just starting out.  Not all businesses are created equal, and your business may need to advertise tons more than this, just to get noticed.  BUT, there's definitely such a thing as spending too little on TV advertising, like buying one airing per week on cable.  Not gonna do it.

2.) How many spots do I get for X amount of money?  

Quite a lot!

Kidding aside, no respectable seller of air time can tell you exactly how many spots you get, without a bunch of details about your campaign: which network(s), how much money we talkin 'bout [see question #1], when do you start and how long do you stay on the air, do you want to get fancy and go on a particular show, are we talking the whole USA or just South Beach Miami?  One thing's for sure, EVERY AIR TIME SCHEDULE IS DIFFERENT.

Just as a house doesn't cost the same in every town in America, air time varies from place to place, time to time, and network to network.  We'll sort that out for you.

3.) What's the ROI for advertising on TV? 

If there was an absolute, etched-in-stone answer to this, we wouldn't be having this discussion because the Big Guys would have all the air time locked up for themselves.

Your return on investment depends on the demand for your product or service in the marketplace and the amount of advertising you do. Outside forces (competitors, events, trends) can also change the picture.

Air time dollars, like all advertising dollars, are an expense of doing business. Because each business is unique, there isn't a chart showing that x-dollars of advertising produces y-dollars of income. One thing is for sure - the less you spend, the less you get.

If returns on advertising dollars could be calculated exactly in advance, air time would be a whole different ball game.  We have all read those hot business books like "Seven Thrifty Habits of Rich Guys" and learned exciting terms like "return on investment" (ROI), so we're all pumped up to get out there and ask the tough questions.  The truth is, to find ROI for YOUR business, you'd have to do some mega-research and number-crunching. Ready for a little homework? Find a business just like yours in size, product type, and so on. Find out how much they spend to get one customer. OKAY, got it? Now, just spend what they're spending, maybe a little more. 

Since most of us aren't lucky enough to have a "mole" in our competitor's accounting department, the best bet is to spend what you can afford, based on your calculations from question 1, and adjust your air time expenditures to what works for you.

Air Time Services - What We Offer

Airwave Orchestration Service - Targeted, Air Time Campaign Management for no additional fee - we're paid a small fee by the networks for the air time we book on their behalf.

TARGETED BUYING - We get you the most important audience for your product, and strive to use your air time budget wisely. We're more than order-takers. We look at your product, audience, and budget, and fine tune an approach that will get you the best airings to meet your needs. Targeted Buying means you get the most efficient, effective schedule for your money. AND WE DO ALL THIS WITHOUT CHARGING YOU HOURLY CONSULTING FEES.

AIR ANYWHERE - We're NATIONWIDE! We get you on the air locally, regionally, or nationally. We can air you ANYWHERE -- not just at one cable TV or broadcast station, or some batch of low power stations that nobody watches.

• Cable, satellite, or broadcast

• Locally, regionally, nationally.

• Popular networks such as CNN, MTV, ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX NEWS, Lifetime, Home & Garden, and many more.

• NO "captive tapes" stuck at a single cable outlet or within our system.

WITHIN BUDGET - Tell us what you can afford, and we'll find the most cost-effective use of your advertising dollars. Many agencies won't even return your call unless you have $60,000 per month to spend on air time. We're not like that.  Not only will we talk to you, we'll spend as much time as it takes to explain the process along the way so you become a well-informed customer, and understand our choices and recommendations for your airing plan.

We've put many clients on the air nationwide for as little as $10,000 a month, or locally for as little as $2,000/mo. Schedules can be bought by the month. Air time campaigns typically run from 6-8 weeks to 1 year. (Prices for air time vary by location and season of the year, and are contingent upon availability.) 

NO LONG-TERM CONTRACTS - Unlike the networks and most other agencies, we won't lock you into a long-term monthly billing cycle of air time. We let you pay as you go, because this allows you, the entrepreneur, to be light on your feet, and respond quickly to your marketplace. No agonizing credit check, no long wait to find out if you qualify.

HOW WE WORK - We listen to you: who you need to reach, where you need to be seen. Then we find the best buy in airings, be they local, regional, or across the U.S. Then we place your air time order, and make all the arrangements.  Just like with our Production Service, we use our simplified Gumball Billing, which ensures you get on the air as fast as possible, without the haggling — or the hassle.

AIR-IT-YOURSELF LICENSES

Cheap TV Spots® come with a generous license agreement that enables your spot to be aired on any broadcast, cable, or satellite system, when you schedule your air time through Cheap TV Spots®.

Because we are an independent advertising agency, not bound to individual TV networks or cable outlets, we can air your commercial anywhere you desire.

Our air time media buying service doesn't cost you a penny extra, and in fact, we are often able to get you discounts that wouldn't be offered to you, if you approached the networks on your own.

Still want to book your own air time? -- Licenses for those wishing to book their own air time locally can be purchased for a one-time fee payable at commencement of production.

TV or RADIO - We'll Help You Get On the Air

Let the Cheap TV Spots® Team be your agency.  We can arrange your TV media buy.  If you already have a commercial ready for airing, we would be happy to help you.  Cheap TV Spot or not -- we'll put it on the air! (We can also book your Radio air time, too.)

Simply tell us your Air Time requirements:

1. Your company name and product or service

2. The length of your existing commercial (10, 15, 30, 60, 120 seconds)

3. Your monthly air time budget (we work within your budget)

4. Where (be seen in your city, region -- or go nationwide)

5. Your typical or desired customer (men/women, age, interests)

6. When you'd like to start (allow 3 weeks lead time for planning and securing your air time, in addition to any commercial production time.)

NOTE: Commercial production is scheduled separately.

Want to Be On the RADIO?

We can book your radio air time, too. Just let us know what geographical market you want to be in, who you want to reach, your budget, and when you need to be on the air.  Our expert radio buyers will do the rest. We'll even help you get your radio spot produced, usually at no extra charge.  GIVE US A CALL!

They say that 50% of all advertising dollars are wasted, but nobody knows which half.  We'll tell you which half, so you don't have to waste money ever again.

| TV Air Time - How the Experts Buy It |
| How to SAVE MONEY on Air Time - DON'T MAKE THESE COMMON MISTAKES... |
| How Much Should *I* Spend? (CHART) |
| The Secret to Surviving Slow Economic Times is... |

TV Air Time - How the Experts Buy It

air time prices - air time rates

If you have been searching on the web for prices so you can budget for your media buy, you probably haven't found much useful information. There's a reason.

Air time has to be tailored to your needs. How much you spend on your TV campaign depends on:

1.) Your business's gross monthly income (or your expected gross). Plan to spend at least 5-15% of your gross income on advertising.

IF YOUR GROSS INCOME IS $50,000 THEN YOUR ADVERTISING BUDGET SHOULD BE AT LEAST $2500 to $7500.

2.) How large an area you need to cover. Could be an area as big as the entire US, or as small as your neighborhood.

INTERNET BUSINESSES, MULTI-STATE COMPANIES, ETC., SHOULD MARKET NATIONWIDE. SMALL RETAILERS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, ETC. TYPICALLY ADVERTISE ON NETWORKS THAT CAN BE VIEWED BY RESIDENTS CLOSE TO THEIR STORE OR OFFICE.

3.) The kind of person you want to reach. Some customers are highly sought after, and this drives up the prices on the networks where those coveted customers are watching. This is the trickiest part of the media buy to manage -- and it's where we can help you most!

STATISTICALLY, THE WOMEN OF THE FAMILY ARE IN CHARGE OF 80% OF HOUSEHOLD PURCHASES. THAT MAKES WOMEN AGED 25-45 A HIGH VALUE DEMOGRAPHIC.  NETWORKS PRICE THEIR AD TIMES ACCORDING TO WHO'S WATCHING.

Air time is priced like a commodity. In this way, at least, it's a little bit like buying lettuce at the grocery store. The price goes up and down, depending on the time of year, what kind you get, how much you get -- generally, good old supply and demand:
 

Supply and Demand

Air time rates depend on:

• LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION - where you go on the air (a city, a region, the entire U.S.?)
• TIME OF DAY- from a fixed prime time slot (the most expensive) to overnight airing (the cheapest)
• NETWORK OR SHOW- the most popular ones, as determined by Nielsen Ratings and other ratings systems, usually cost the most
• AUDIENCE - age, sex, race, income level, interests
• AVAILABILITY - whether there are open time slots available. Fewer openings mean higher rates!
  

Air Time Prices Change Often - Using massive computers, the networks calculate and recalculate their air time prices often, depending on the ever-changing popularity of shows and channels. Even they do not know their prices, off hand -- they use computer databases to track their hundreds of times and shows, assigning prices that change with supply and demand, and whatever they feel they can get away with.

As your air time placement agency, we sift through the hundreds upon thousands of possibilities, match them to your product, message, and potential customers, and come up with the ideal strategic plan for your air time, tempered with the requirements of your budget.

We have researched our competitors in the low cost TV commercial production area, looking carefully at what they offer for their rates. We did find a few who charge less. Listen, if they're offering production cheaper than our bargain rates, they do not produce an effective ad. IT'S NO BARGAIN!! Your commercial would look like junk -- and make your product look like junk, too.

How to Save Money on Air Time

You have two basic choices for getting your air time:

do it yourself,

or hire an agency.

Which way you go is up to you, as the advertiser. After all, it's your money.  

Don't make these common mistakes. First, ask yourself: am I choosing my air time based on any of these assumptions:

"I want my ad to air on my favorite network (show)."

"My customer is 'everybody'."

"I heard that agencies cost a lot of money, and that's why
I'm going it alone."

"I just want the very cheapest spots, and it doesn't really
matter when or where they actually go on the air."

"I have a limited budget, so I want to buy just one airing
on a really popular show."

Think again.

The Right Words in the Right Ear at the Right Time (OR: Choosing TV Air Time Is an Art Form) - The medium really IS the message. Where and when your TV spot is shown is just as important as what your commercial says. Too often, advertisers waste valuable ad dollars by choosing networks and times based on too little information, by picking sentimental favorites, or by buying based on sheer price, without thinking about who will see their TV spots. Even a carefully crafted commercial intended for Medicare recipients will probably not bring in business if it winds up on, say, a teen-oriented music channel.

We're Cheap, not Sloppy: Blasting spots here, there, and everywhere is NOT what we do. We map out your air time plan as carefully as we craft your TV commercial message.

Rates...depends on who's asking! Each broadcast network, cable, or satellite system offers different rates depending on who is buying. (Do they purchase a large volume of air time, are they ready to buy right now for cash, do they have a good track record of on-time payment, etc.?) Essentially, the price depends on who's asking. Only an advertising and air time placement agency like Cheap TV Spots, who has cultivated a good relationship with the broadcast networks and cable/satellite systems (they remember us for our efficiency, high volume of business, and because we always pay our bills), can navigate the air time buying maze and get you priority placement at a good rate.

How we're paid: We receive a small commission from some of the broadcast networks and cable/satellite systems for placing air time with them. A fee (usually 5% to 15%) is included in the price of each airing. This fee is for the time and effort of marketing and arranging for the air dates, and frankly, it helps us defray production costs for your high quality, low cost TV spot, allowing us to go the extra mile for your message. We are frequent buyers of air time, so we receive the generous discounts available to us as a full-service TV advertising agency, and we pass along 100% of this discount to our clients. Air time really does cost less when you buy through Cheap TV Spots.

The complexity of air time pricing, plus our aggressive stance toward finding the best times, networks, and programs for your message (and your budget), are why we encourage you to let us place your air time.

How Much Should I Spend on Air Time?

People often ask how much they should be spending. Ultimately it is a tradeoff between what is affordable for your business, and how much advertising is necessary to achieve your marketing goals. It also depends on the type of business you are operating.

NOTE: THESE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES.  This is NOT a "price list" or "rate quote."  The amounts listed are for budgeting purposes only and should not be construed as exact prices. These are examples of what other advertisers in your business are spending, so you can budget for your own campaign.

The table below shows the minimum you should typically prepare to spend per month for a 2-3 month, budget-savvy campaign. Your actual advertising expenditure will vary by location and goals.

For faster results, make a larger air time buy.

Do Any of These Businesses Sound Like Yours? Read On:

Start-up Businesses - You need new customers to survive. You'll need to do more marketing than an older, established business, which has previous customers, general visibility, and trust in the community. Remember, you're trying to make your mark!

Established Businesses - Well-established businesses that rely on repeat business from existing customers can spend less than a business that needs new customers to survive, such as a start-up, or a business that offers products or services that are typically a one-time purchase.

Heavy Competition - No matter what business you're in, you'll need to spend as much as other businesses like yours are spending. You may even need to spend more, if there is lots of competition. Restaurants, for example, need to spend more than other single-location businesses because of the highly competitive restaurant industry.

Low Margins - If you have a small profit margin and rely on high sales volume, you need to spend more on marketing than a business that gains a high profit margin from a small number of sales. Why? You need to attract more individual customers. This is especially true in competitive business sectors where price is the main selling point.  Why do you think car dealers advertise so much?

NOW LET'S LOOK AT YOUR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING BUDGET

If you're like many small or start-up businesses, you may not have a clear picture of your marketing and advertising budget. Think of your marketing budget as a percentage of total revenues. Very generally speaking, in an "up" market, when business is booming, an average business can expect to spend 5% of revenues on marketing. In a "flat," or "down" market, when business is slow, expect to spend 10-25% of revenues.

Let's look at a really cheap TV ad campaign. Ms. Smith, owner of an auto body repair shop that is not part of a chain and has only one location, wishes to promote her services within her county, especially within just a few miles of the shop. She has already purchased a Cheap TV Spot, so she is ready to go on the air. Cheap TV Spots jumps in to locate cable networks in her area that give her the best air time bargain (greatest target audience for the lowest cost). Ms. Smith's sales are around $12,000/month. Since she knows there's lots of competition, she decides to budget $1,200 (10%) per month for advertising, which she puts into television airings. This amount is enough to place a minimal schedule which, over the course of several months, will provide Ms. Smith with plenty of positive exposure for her advertising message.

Ultimately, you get what you pay for (just ask Pepsi® and Pizza Hut®). If you already know where your audience will be watching, a single airing on a highly rated network during a popular TV program (again, based on Neilsen and other ratings systems) can provide more - and more effective - exposure than a large number of un-targeted spots scattered randomly among various networks and times. Additionally, by selecting the network and TV program carefully (based on your target demographic and your message), your commercial is seen by the people most likely to buy from you, at a time when they are most receptive to your message. This is why companies like Pepsi and Pizza Hut pay millions to air their commercials during the Superbowl.

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