Sell Your Product or Service on TV For Free
There’s a way to sell your product or service on TV for free. Entrepreneurs and companies use this method all the time. However, before delving into the nuts and bolts of getting free advertising right away, let’s look at some of the elements involved in making your promotion a success.
The free television advertising pertains to cable television. And the basis for obtaining free advertising is getting an infomercial producer to include you on his 30-minute television show. The late Gary Halbert discussed the three S’s that were necessary for a successful cable television promotion in his seminar report entitled, “How To Get Yourself or Your Product Featured On Cable TV AT No Cost.” The S’s stand for “Star,” “Story” and “Solution.” All three S’s are required to make this free advertising system work. And these three elements will be the basis of your pitch to cable television producers.
You need a star to market the product. A star is an expert on a particular subject. The star can be you if you’ve found a way to satisfy a need or solve a problem. For example, you may be a doctor who just introduced a new weight-loss system, or a real estate mogul who knows how to buy houses for little money down. You must have an interesting story or angle to discuss with the buying audience. For example, you can tell people how you lost 200 pounds in one year, or how you amassed a fortune while making an average income. The key is that you have a solution to a problem or need, which is the third “S.” And your solution must be the basis of your product.
The best way to find these cable infomercial producers is to watch a number of programs. Look for people who are promoting products similar to yours. Write down the station that produces the program. Call the station and find out who is in charge of infomercials. Tell them you are interested in promoting a product on their network. An alternative is to check with some of the producers online, including Scripttoscreen.com, Marcusproductions.com and HarvestGrowth.com. Create a video, audio or cassette series about your solution or discovery, if you have information to sell. If you already have a product, record some details about how it’s used. Obtain live testimonials of people who have used your product with success. Send the producer a copy of your product along with the interesting details. Provide a website address if you have one. Follow up with these cable infomercial producers by phone several days after sending them your product and information.
The key to getting free advertising is allowing the network to keep about two-thirds or 70 percent of the revenue. You may be dealing with a third party which can provide you with their own particular revenue-sharing breakouts. That still leaves you with a 30 percent margin. Factor in the cost of producing the product to calculate your profits. You won’t have to pay a dime for advertising. Cable stations that run these infomercials are always looking for new products to market during half-hour segments. They usually have celebrity hosts that interview those who are selling the products. But you need to spend a lot of time packaging your product offer before pitching it to various producers.
It’s advantageous to tell the cable producers how well the product is selling with conventional methods. The more successful your product, the better your chance of being selected for a half-hour program. Repeat promotions are also important. You success shouldn’t hinge on just one promotion. And the producer will expect you to continue advertising a highly successful product. Just make sure you can keep up with the production.
