THE FRACTURED MIRROR OF TODAY'S MARKETING.

A plain-English guide from PS Media.

Folks ask me these questions all the time, and the answers usually get buried under fancy words. So let’s skip Mr. Big Shot talk.

What does “TV placement, pay per play” mean?

Imagine you made a little jingle for your hardware store. Every time the TV station plays that jingle during a commercial break, that’s one “play.” You pay the station for each play.

If they air your ad 50 times this week, you pay for 50 plays. More plays equals more eyeballs equals more folks walking through your door. Simple as that.

What about “Radio placement, pay per play”?

Same exact idea — just through the speaker instead of the screen. Your ad runs on the radio, and every time the DJ hits play during a commercial break, you pay.

Folks listen to the radio while they’re driving to work, fixing the truck, or making dinner. So a radio ad sneaks into their day when they’re not even looking at a screen.

Facebook Post vs. Facebook Management vs. Facebook Ads

These are three different things, and people mix them up all the time.

Facebook Post

This is like tacking a flyer on the community bulletin board. It’s free. Only the folks who already follow your page might see it and honestly, most won’t. Facebook only shows your post to a small slice of your followers unless you pay.

Facebook Management

This is when someone (like us) runs your Facebook page for you. We write the posts, answer messages, reply to comments, and keep things looking sharp. Think of it as hiring a friendly receptionist for your online storefront so it’s never quiet and never messy.

Facebook Ads

This is the paid stuff. You give Facebook some money, and they show your message to people who aren’t following you yet. The neat part? You get to pick who sees it. For example, “show this to women over 50 in Phoenix who like gardening.” That’s how you find new customers instead of just talking to the same folks.

So what is “Digital Marketing”, anyway?

Big umbrella term. Anything you do to market your business using the internet, a phone, or a computer screen. Emails, websites, Google searches, Facebook posts, YouTube videos, text message campaigns — it’s all digital marketing.

If a screen is involved, it’s digital. That’s the whole secret to the word.

Facebook Ads vs. Digital Ads vs. Google AdWords

They all sound the same, but they’re not. Here’s the easy way to keep them straight:

• Facebook Ads — These show up while folks are scrolling Facebook or Instagram. They aren’t shopping. They’re relaxing. So your ad has to grab them with something interesting.

• Digital Ads — This is the whole family. Facebook ads, Google ads, YouTube ads, banner ads on news sites — if it’s paid and online, it counts as a digital ad.

• Google AdWords (now called Google Ads) — This is when somebody types “roofer near me” into Google and your business pops up at the top. They’re already looking for what you sell. That’s the powerful stuff.

Easy way to remember it: Facebook ads interrupt people. Google ads answer people.

Why hasn’t your ad gone viral?

Honest answer? Because “viral” is lightning in a bottle. Most ads don’t go viral, and they don’t need to. The businesses winning aren’t the ones with one famous video — they’re the ones showing up consistently, week after week, month after month.

A steady drumbeat beats fireworks. A good ad doesn’t need to be seen by a million people. It needs to be seen by the right people, at the right time, with the right message.

Want a simple plan that actually works?

Book a FREE consultation with PS Media Inc. We’ll look at what you’re doing now, talk through what you actually want, and put together a plain-English plan that fits your budget, no fake big words, no pressure.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (509) 737-1166

— The PS Media Inc. Team