Television is one of the most powerful ways to connect with consumers. By delivering broad reach, high engagement, and emotional storytelling, TV advertising offers brands a trifecta of value that’s hard to replicate in other platforms.
When your commercial appears during viewers’ favorite shows or live events, your message becomes part of their entertainment experience—strengthening brand recall 2X better than mobile ads placed on YouTube and Facebook.1 If you’ve been wondering, “How do I advertise on TV?” here’s a brief overview to get you started.
How TV advertising works
Businesses of all sizes can use TV advertising to effectively target the right audience, build brand awareness, and drive measurable results.
Here are the key steps for planning and launching your successful TV advertising campaign.
Identify your target audience
As with any kind of advertising, you must be clear about who you want to reach. Be specific. Start with demographic data such as age, gender, and household income, and then describe their lifestyle, how they spend their free time, and what kind of media they consume. Having a clear picture of your ideal customer’s geography, demographics, and viewing behavior will help you target audiences and place your ads in front of potential customers.
Set your budget
A common question for new advertisers is: How much does it cost to advertise on TV? The answer depends on how large a market you’re in, how many people you want to reach, and the programming you select. Television advertising can range from a few hundred dollars for local placements to thousands of dollars for programs with higher viewership.2 Setting a clear budget helps determine where and how often your commercial will run.
Understanding how CTV and linear TV differ helps advertisers decide where to invest their budgets and how to reach audiences most effectively.
Create your TV ad
When setting your budget, don’t forget to factor in the costs associated with producing your ad. To make the most out of the television platform, your commercial should be visually compelling and emotionally engaging, with a clear call to action. The right creative is one of the biggest drivers of TV advertising success,3 so make sure the production value of your ad does justice to your brand. If you don’t have the resources internally, ask your advertising partner if they have a client creative team that can support you with writing and producing your ad.
Purchase the TV advertising space
To secure airtime, begin by selecting mediums that are best suited for your target audience. To advertise on broadcast networks, you will work directly with the TV station to make your ad buy. If your audience is primarily watching streaming programming, there are services that allow you to manage your own ad buys on these digital platforms. To reach audiences on cable TV or across cable and streaming, you can work with a partner like Comcast Advertising, which is equipped to help simplify the buying process for TV advertisers and ensure you get the most value from your investment.
Measure your campaign’s effectiveness
Not long ago, the only ways advertisers could track the performance of their TV ads was to use unique URLs and promo codes to measure direct response. Today’s TV advertisers can evaluate the impact of their campaigns better than ever thanks to advanced reporting and attribution tools. Some of these tools connect TV impressions to digital actions such as website visits, app engagement, and online conversions. Others correlate purchase information from retail sales to TV ad exposure. Track your campaign’s performance and use the results to inform your future messaging, placements, and creative.
Bringing your TV campaign to life
Advertising on TV is more approachable than many first-time advertisers expect, and with the right planning, it delivers powerful results. From identifying your audience to creating strong creative and measuring performance, each step plays a key role in building a successful campaign.
Choosing the right advertising partner helps simplify the process for you. Look for providers that offer multiscreen solutions, addressable targeting, creative support, and detailed performance measurement. Whether you’re advertising locally or aiming for national reach, the right guidance ensures your TV campaign is built for impact.
Ready to connect with new customers by advertising on TV? Contact us to start reaching your audience wherever—and however—they’re watching.
Sources:
1. Comcast Advertising, “What Makes TV Ads Memorable?”
2. Simulmedia, “How Much Do TV Ads Cost? Complete 2025 Pricing Guide,” May 2025.
3. Circana, “The Right Five Keys to Unlock Advertising Effectiveness,” 2023.