The term broadcast media covers a wide range of communication systems. Traditionally, it refers to the use of television and radio. However, it may also include the use of the internet as it fits in with the definition of distributing content to a vast audience. Further on, we will be discussing broadcast media advantages and disadvantages.
Main channels of broadcast media
There are three main ways broadcast media operates. Television, radio, and the internet.
Television
Corporate giants are known to usually pick television broadcasting, although even small businesses can avail of this type of advertising. The two main elements of TV advertising are video and audio. Both elements should work well together, but they should also be able to perform well apart.
For example, if a person is watching the TV on mute, the video must be clear and engaging enough for the audience to get the message. Consequently, if a person is doing something else, such as cooking, while the TV is on, the audio must be impactful enough to send the message across even with the distracted audience.
Radio
In a radio broadcast advertising, you might encounter the same advertisement several times, sometimes in succession. That is because radio broadcasts are most effective with higher repetition. It takes some time and some more repeats before the message truly sinks in for the listener.
The components that a radio broadcast should take into consideration are its audience and the voice talent. Your advertisement should target an audience that listens to the radio frequently, and the voice talent should be one that the audience can relate to or will appreciate the most.
Internet
Online advertisements take on many forms. It may come in the form of email marketing, social media advertising, search engine advertising, and so much more types of marketing campaigns. Each of the types of internet or online advertising has its own best practices, strengths, and best uses.
The internet is an excellent place to advertise nowadays as more and more people gain access to it. What is great about online advertising is that you can custom your ads and target specific populations for your audience. For example, a photography business may target people who recently shared noteworthy milestones such as getting engaged.
Importance of broadcast media
Broadcasting is the dissemination of audio or video material by transmitting to an audience, Therefore, broadcast media encompasses a wide range of communication methods. These include but do not limit to traditional television and radio, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, online streaming, advertising, and websites.
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Despite the advantages and disadvantages of broadcast media, its usefulness and practicality are undeniable. It serves the following purposes:
Education
Broadcast media can be a powerful tool in disseminating educational material that can benefit the masses. Educational shows and infomercials may target not only children but also adult audiences seeking general knowledge.
Public service
Public service announcements are usually most effective with the help of broadcast media. An excellent example of public service announcements is evacuation notices for calamities such as hurricanes or major fires.
Daily news and weather forecasts
Your daily dose of the news is all thanks to broadcast media. It is the easiest and cheapest way to disseminate information. Because of this, the news can quickly come in on a daily basis without much cost to the viewer or the news agency.
Interviews
Talk shows and interviews are yet another mainstay for broadcast media. Radio guesting and TV appearances are still the main methods but are thriving. They do so with the help and supplementation of podcasts and live streaming on the internet.
Documentaries
Documentaries are nonfictional materials, usually in motion picture form. As the name implies, these document reality for educational on instructional purposes. It also serves as a source of historical information for future reference. Broadcast media is a common way individuals or organizations disseminate documentaries.
Entertainment
Reality TV, sports, comedies, and movies are also all dependent on broadcast media. Almost everybody uses broadcast media to be able to access these types of entertainment.
Advantages of broadcast media
You might wonder what the advantages and disadvantages of broadcast media are. The former is a lot more obvious so let’s start with its pros.
Multi-sensory appeal
Broadcast media makes use of audio, video, and a combination of audiovisual media. That is why people are naturally quickly drawn and hooked to it. It is effortlessly more appealing to consume broadcast media than other forms such as print media.
It’s all thanks to several senses stimulated, making messages more impactful and even emotional. According to a study that analyzed the impact of audiovisual input in university academics, audiovisuals made teaching and learning more effective.
The same is true for broadcast media. When you advertise with the use of sight and sound, you tap into your customers’ interest more profoundly. Therefore you create better brand retention. That is why digital media marketing makes use of not just status updates and blog articles but also videos and images with captions.
Broad reach
Another advantage broadcast media has the scope of reach that is capable of, which is immense. If you want a piece of information to reach as many people as possible in as little amount of time, broadcast media is your best bet.
If you are a company that wants to increase brand awareness exponentially, broadcast media is a useful tool. Almost everyone has a TV and/or a radio at home. This means that if you choose to use broadcast media advertising, your potential audience is almost everybody out there.
Economical
Broadcast media is not just effective. It can also be very economical. On the consumers’ end, all they need is a TV, a radio, or even just a phone with a basic internet connection. Then, they can have unlimited access to all the information that broadcast media has to offer.
From a company’s perspective, broadcast media may take some investment, especially if you are looking to advertise on TV. However, radio broadcasts are relatively cheap and are therefore a good option for small businesses that want to get the word out about their products.
A third option is digital broadcasting. It can be as expensive as television ads, as cheap as radio ads. It can even be virtually free if you have the skills and knowledge to navigate your way through Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
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Disadvantages of broadcast media
Now it’s time to delve into the latter portion of the discussion between the advantages and disadvantages of broadcast media.
May target lower-income audience
There is a study that links high rates of watching television with poverty. You will also notice in articles that talk about habits that differentiate the rich from the poor that time spent watching TV is lesser among the wealthy.
There are many possibilities for this phenomenon. It could be that rich people can afford better entertainment that does not involve television as opposed to the lower or middle class whose only entertainment is the TV.
It could also be that rich people are too busy making more money that there is little time left to sit down for some TV time.
Distracted audience
People may not realize that they are multitasking a lot of times. It is very rare to see someone glued to the radio and just listening. Also, when the news is on, people are usually busy doing other things at the same time, such as cooking dinner or doing chores.
Sometimes, people even check messages, emails, or their social media feed even when they are already seated in front of their wide-screen TV. If you want to advertise with broadcast media, you have to make your material attention-grabbing enough to be memorable; otherwise, your audience will easily forget you amidst the surrounding distractions.
Inconsistent costing
While cost is an obvious advantage, it is also a disadvantage of broadcast media. Sure, you can find cheaper means to advertise, but if it does not apply to your product or business, that would be a bad spend. Worse is if you invest in expensive broadcasting and end up with little or no revenue at all.
You need to find the right balance between the type of broadcast media you choose, its cost, and its applicability to your business. Sometimes, it takes some mistakes which can cost you money to find out the exact media that will work for your business.
Media convergence through social media
Media convergence is the phenomenon where information technology converges with communication technology. It is inevitable and has been happening since the dawn of technology.
You might not have felt it, but social media is a solid example of media convergence. As you may have experienced, radio broadcasts, television, newsletters, and even magazines are now accessible through the internet. What once required a TV or a radio or a newspaper now only requires a smartphone.
Advantages of media convergence
Media convergence is the way forward to the future. It is no wonder because it has a host of benefits for both information and communications technology. It also benefits the public, business, and industry. Here are some of the benefits of media convergence.
- Media convergence halves the expense of having to combine visual and audio broadcasts by conveying all types of messages with one medium.
- The public can easily interact with the media in a more efficient manner.
- Media becomes more accessible.
- It becomes more engaging and comprehensive.
- Content creators have the option to make specialized content to target specific demographics. This option is commonly available on social media sites.
- Social media is everywhere. Almost anyone has access to social media, which makes it a powerful roof for broadcasting messages.
Disadvantages of media convergence
Nevertheless, it also comes with its own disadvantages. This is not shocking as nothing is perfect. The main point is to cope with the disadvantages in order to perfect our experience of media convergence. Here are some of its drawbacks.
- Too much sensory input may be overwhelming for some people.
- Older populations may not be able to cope or adapt to media convergence, such as in social media.
- One channel dominates all media types, so if anything happens to it, the message is lost. In traditional broadcast media, if you broadcast images on print media and audio on a radio broadcast, you have a back-up should one of them fail.
- The quality of your content will be subject to the main media service provider’s terms. For example, some social media sites may lower your image quality in order to fit in other images, videos, or elements.
Main drawbacks of social media
Looking further into social media, one can see that social media is here to stay. It is now an important tool to keep connected, foster distance communication, and even manage businesses and marketing. Still, it is also imperfect. There are still several major drawbacks of social media which include:
Threat of security
People need to take extra care when including personal information on social media. Nowadays, there are plenty of malicious individuals who can easily take advantage of the information you publish and use it for their own gain.
Of course, there is the dilemma of social media no longer serving its purpose to connect people if you include too little or no information at all. To some degree, social media users need to find the right balance between sharing and concealing information. You have to be knowledgeable about which type of information is safe to share on social media and which ones are not.
Diminished emotional connection
In a world where your friends are just one tap away, people start to take for granted their social connections, knowing that it is easily accessible through their social media accounts. However, what they do not realize is that relying solely on social media to sustain your social life is not healthy at all.
Socializing purely through social media takes away other key features of communication such as nonverbal communication, physical presence, and even touch–all of which are important components of human communication and connections.
These days, many people complain that they experience a lack of sincerity and thoughtfulness that they once enjoyed several years ago before the boom of social media. That can be attributed to our growing dependence on social media to keep in touch with other people even if it does not make up for the lost emotional bond.
Altered self-image
The combination of social connections and advertising in one platform has proven to be unhealthy for many. Social media seems to be like a virtual mall where not only do you meet and interact with friends but also get exposed to a lot of advertising.
This may lead to a rather skewed self-image and can affect a person’s self-esteem. Younger people are more particularly prone to self-image distortions probably because they spend more time on social media than the older generation or because they are more impressionable and easily manipulated by images and heavy social media marketing.
People who succumb to the pressures of having an altered self-image on social media might develop self-esteem problems and mental issues such as eating disorders or body dysmorphia.
Distraction
Finally, the bane of many, social media is so engaging and so addictive that it can be easy to get distracted by it. On a daily basis, you can easily spot people scrolling through their social media accounts even needlessly. People who are bored or feel uncomfortable simply take out their smartphones and flick away at their screens instead of interacting with other people or doing other physical activities.
This distraction impacts almost all aspects of life. Social media can distract you from your work, take time away from your friends and family, or even demotivate you from your goals because you spend a large amount of time in front of the screen.
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