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Advertising a house is ridiculously expensive in Australia – could that be affecting the property market?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-graham-1264059">James Graham</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Australia has long been one of the <a href="https://www.forbes.com.au/news/investing/sydney-melbourne-adelaide-are-top-10-least-affordable-cities-for-housing/#:%7E:text=Demographia's%20annual%20report%20assesses%20housing,second%20place%2C%20and%20Vancouver%20third.">most expensive</a> places in the world to buy a house. Now, it’s apparently also one of the costliest places to sell one.</p> <p>Recent <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/16/the-symbiotic-relationship-that-makes-selling-a-house-in-australia-so-damn-expensive">reporting</a> in the Guardian has raised concerns about the market dominance of Australia’s two main real estate advertising websites, realestate.com.au and Domain.</p> <p>Facing little competition, the largest – realestate.com.au – appears to have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/16/the-symbiotic-relationship-that-makes-selling-a-house-in-australia-so-damn-expensive">significantly increased its fees</a> in recent years, while thwarting disruptive innovations from smaller competitors.</p> <p>Why does that matter? Because when it comes to selling a house, Australia <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/16/real-estate-website-fees-australia">stands out</a> globally. In most other countries, any advertising costs are tiny or bundled in with agent fees.</p> <p>Here, along with only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/16/the-symbiotic-relationship-that-makes-selling-a-house-in-australia-so-damn-expensive">Sweden and New Zealand</a>, home sellers pay their own advertising costs in addition to real estate agent fees and commissions.</p> <p>This advertising can be expensive – up to several thousand dollars for a single property listing. But it also seems necessary, with a lack of alternative platforms offering comparable reach.</p> <p>Setting aside the problems of monopolistic pricing behaviour, what are the economics of high and rising real estate advertising fees? Do home sellers get value for the money they spend on advertising? And what might be the impacts of these fees on the Australian housing market?</p> <h2>Is advertising on big platforms worth it?</h2> <p>First, it’s worth asking whether real estate advertising is actually effective and whether bigger platforms are better.</p> <p>To explore these questions, a group of US-based economists <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.99.5.1878">studied</a> the outcomes of advertising on a large platform favoured by real estate agents in the United States called the “multiple listing service”, compared with a smaller for-sale-by-owner platform.</p> <p>The study found no differences in eventual home sales prices between the two platforms. But properties on the multiple listing service were more likely to sell and spent less time on the market.</p> <p>However, the size of the advertising platform didn’t explain these benefits. Rather, the different platforms appealed to buyers and sellers with varying patience levels. This variation in willingness to “wait-and-see” affected the time it took to sell.</p> <p>Translated to the Australian context, that raises questions about the value for money of advertising on a larger platform – which here, unlike the US, attracts significant fees.</p> <h2>Housing markets are ‘search markets’</h2> <p>Next, we need to consider how high costs of advertising property might affect the housing market more broadly.</p> <p>Housing markets fall into a category called “search markets” within economics. Sellers seek buyers, and buyers seek sellers offering up properties that meet their required criteria.</p> <p>The economics of search markets have been extensively studied by the likes of <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2010/summary/">Nobel laureates</a> Peter Diamond, Dale Mortensen and Christopher Pissarides. Their insights highlight the key factors that determine search market outcomes.</p> <p>Sellers consider the costs of listing an item for sale (such as advertising) and the time it takes to find a buyer. Buyers, on the other hand, consider their alternatives to buying (such as renting) and the time it might take to find a suitable seller.</p> <p>The likelihood of a sale – and how long everything will take – depends on the number of potential buyers relative to sellers. The sales price is then negotiated after meetings between the two.</p> <p>This gives us a framework to speculate about how Australia’s high – and increasing – costs of advertising real estate could be affecting the broader housing market on both sides of this equation.</p> <h2>Costs can affect both supply and demand</h2> <p>On the supply side, high fees reduce the net financial benefit of selling a home, which could discourage homeowners from listing their properties. All else being equal, this could lead to fewer properties on the market, shorter selling times, and higher prices for the properties that are listed.</p> <p>But we can predict some effects on the demand side, too.</p> <p>High fees also reduce the net benefit of buying a home, as current buyers expect to be sellers in the future. These costs are likely to be even more pronounced for property investors, who buy and sell property more frequently than homeowners.</p> <p>Anticipation that selling costs will be high in the future could suppress the demand for housing, reducing prices and increasing the time it takes to sell a property.</p> <p>Interestingly, <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w32855">recent research</a> from the US suggests that these demand-side effects might outweigh the supply-side effects.</p> <p>Economists studied the impact of a series of court decisions that forced the National Association of Realtors to reduce real estate agent fees. They found lower fees increase the lifetime benefits of homeownership, which leads to a significant increase in house prices.</p> <p>Significantly, that suggests lowering the costs of selling property – including advertising – could increase property values.</p> <h2>Just one part of the housing story</h2> <p>High prices in any area of economic life are likely to rankle our sense of a fair deal. High fees for advertising real estate have an obvious immediate impact on a home seller’s wallet.</p> <p>But the nuanced flow-on effects to the broader housing market are harder to tease out. They are also likely to vary across different property markets within Australia. Commentators and policy makers should think carefully before leaping into action in this area.</p> <p>In the meantime, advertising fees are one more thing to keep an eye on as Australian housing costs continue to rise.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239111/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-graham-1264059">James Graham</a>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/advertising-a-house-is-ridiculously-expensive-in-australia-could-that-be-affecting-the-property-market-239111">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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The ‘yes’ Voice campaign is far outspending ‘no’ in online advertising, but is the message getting through?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrea-carson-924">Andrea Carson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/max-gromping-1466451">Max Grömping</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-strating-129115">Rebecca Strating</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-jackman-310245">Simon Jackman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>With early voting set to open next week for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, this is a critical time for campaigners to win over voters.</p> <p>If the <a href="https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n11054/pdf/ch01.pdf">2022 federal election</a> is anything to go by, Australians have developed a taste for early voting, with fewer than half of all voters actually going to a polling station on election day.</p> <p>If the same voting patterns apply to the referendum, this means more than half of Australians, particularly <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/government-and-opposition/article/correlates-of-early-voting/49D19E94A1D26F9AFE1B72DCB56AFF3F">older voters</a>, may have cast a vote before voting day on October 14.</p> <h2>What’s happening in the polls?</h2> <p>Public polls indicate support for the “yes” campaign continues to decline, despite, as we’ve shown below, huge spending on advertising and extensive media coverage of its message.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://simonjackman.github.io/poll_averaging_voice_2023/poll_averaging.html">Professor Simon Jackman’s</a> averaging of the polls, “no” currently leads “yes” by 58% to 42% nationally. If this lead holds, the result would be <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/elections/referendums/1999_referendum_reports_statistics/1999.htm">even more lopsided</a> than the 1999 republic referendum defeat, where the <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/elections/referendums/1999_referendum_reports_statistics/summary_republic.htm">nationwide vote </a> was 55% “no” to 45% “yes”.</p> <p>The rate of decline in support for “yes” continues to be about 0.75 of a percentage point a week. If this trend continues, the “yes” vote would sit at 39.6% on October 14, 5.5 percentage points below the “yes” vote in the republic referendum.</p> <p>If “yes” were to prevail on October 14, it would take a colossal reversal in public sentiment, or it would indicate there’s been a stupendously large, collective polling error. Or perhaps both.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe style="width: 100%;" src="https://simonjackman.github.io/poll_averaging_voice_2023/level_plot_standalone.html" width="100%" height="688"> </iframe></p> <hr /> <h2>What’s happening in the news and social media?</h2> <p>Using Meltwater data, we have seen a massive spike in Voice media coverage since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the referendum date at the end of August.</p> <p>In the most recent week we analysed, from September 14-21, we saw a huge jump of mentions of the Voice to Parliament (2.86 million) in print media, radio, TV and social media. This compares to about a quarter million mentions in the first week of the “yes” and “no” campaigns, which we documented in our <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-no-campaign-is-dominating-the-messaging-on-the-voice-referendum-on-tiktok-heres-why-212465">last report</a> of this series monitoring both campaigns.</p> <p>Voice coverage now constitutes 6.7% of all Australian media reporting, up from 4.2% in week one. To put that in perspective, mentions of Hugh Jackman’s marriage split from Deborra-Lee Furness comprised 1.5% of total weekly coverage, while mentions of the AFL and NRL amounted to 4.1% and 1.7%, respectively.</p> <p>Media coverage of the Voice peaked on September 17 with 38,000 mentions, thanks to widespread coverage of the “yes” rallies that day around the country.</p> <p>This was followed closely by 35,000 Voice mentions the next day, led by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/voice-to-parliament/voice-will-see-lawyers-in-sydney-and-melbourne-get-richer-dutton/video/40349a54a9f0c2f48baec7ba7263a000">claim</a> on Sky News that a Voice to parliament would see lawyers in Sydney and Melbourne “get richer” through billions of dollars worth of treaty negotiations.</p> <p>Our analysis of X (formerly Twitter) data provides further insight to these trends, showing the nationwide “yes” rallies on September 17 received the most public engagement about the Voice during the week we analysed.</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549754/original/file-20230922-21-tp54x2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549754/original/file-20230922-21-tp54x2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=269&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549754/original/file-20230922-21-tp54x2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=269&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549754/original/file-20230922-21-tp54x2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=269&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549754/original/file-20230922-21-tp54x2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549754/original/file-20230922-21-tp54x2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549754/original/file-20230922-21-tp54x2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">X (Twitter) data accessed via Meltwater.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <h2>Who is advertising online?</h2> <p>This week, we specifically turned our attention to the online advertising spending of the campaigns. We also examined the types of disinformation campaigns appearing on social media, some of which are aimed at the Australian Electoral Commission, similar to the anti-democratic disinformation campaigns that have roiled the US.</p> <p>The main online advertising spend is on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms. We have real-time visibility of this spending thanks to the ad libraries of Meta and Google.</p> <p>The Yes23 campaign has far outspent any other Voice campaigner on these platforms. In the last three months, its advertising expenditure exceeds $1.1 million, compared to just under $100,000 for Fair Australia, the leading “no” campaign organisation.</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549942/original/file-20230925-23-7tl134.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549942/original/file-20230925-23-7tl134.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=241&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549942/original/file-20230925-23-7tl134.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=241&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549942/original/file-20230925-23-7tl134.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=241&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549942/original/file-20230925-23-7tl134.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=303&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549942/original/file-20230925-23-7tl134.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=303&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549942/original/file-20230925-23-7tl134.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=303&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Top five Voice campaign spenders on Facebook and Instagram since June 2023.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Meta ad library</span></span></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <p>Yes23 has also released a far greater number of new ads in September (in excess of 3,200) on both platforms, compared to Fair Australia’s 52 new ads. The top five spenders from both sides are listed below.</p> <p>As early voting nears, this graph shows Yes23 ad spending outpaced Fair Australia on both Google and Meta platforms in week three, as well.</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549762/original/file-20230922-23-1bi7ov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549762/original/file-20230922-23-1bi7ov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=484&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549762/original/file-20230922-23-1bi7ov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=484&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549762/original/file-20230922-23-1bi7ov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=484&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549762/original/file-20230922-23-1bi7ov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=608&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549762/original/file-20230922-23-1bi7ov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=608&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549762/original/file-20230922-23-1bi7ov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=608&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Campaign ad spending on digital platforms from Sept. 14-21.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Authors provided.</span></span></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <p>The advertising spending data shows how drastically different the strategies of the two main campaigns are. Yes23’s approach is an ad blitz, blanketing the nation with hundreds of ads and experimenting with scores of different messages.</p> <p>In contrast, the “no” side has released far fewer ads with no experimentation. The central message is about “division”, mostly delivered by the lead “no” campaigner, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. All but eight of the ads released by the “no” side in September feature a personal message by Price arguing that the referendum is “divisive” and “the Voice threatens Aussie unity.”</p> <p>To win, “yes” requires a majority of voters nationwide, as well as a majority of voters in a majority of states. The “no” side is strategically targeting its ads to the two states it believes are most likely in play – South Australia and Tasmania. It only needs to win one of these states to ensure the “yes” side fails.</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549949/original/file-20230925-20-zgr4wg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549949/original/file-20230925-20-zgr4wg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=797&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549949/original/file-20230925-20-zgr4wg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=797&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549949/original/file-20230925-20-zgr4wg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=797&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549949/original/file-20230925-20-zgr4wg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1001&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549949/original/file-20230925-20-zgr4wg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1001&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549949/original/file-20230925-20-zgr4wg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1001&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Campaign ad spend on Meta platforms across the states since mid-August. (Dark blue = greater the ad spend).</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <h2>Referendum disinformation</h2> <p>The Meltwater data also reveal a surge in misinformation and disinformation targeting of the AEC with American-style attacks on the voting process.</p> <p>Studies show disinformation surrounding the referendum has been <a href="https://osf.io/qu2fb/">prevalent</a> on X since at least March. To mitigate the harms, the AEC has established a <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/media/disinformation-register-ref.htm">disinformation register</a> to inform citizens about the referendum process and call out falsehoods.</p> <p>We’ve identified three types of disinformation campaigns in the campaign so far.</p> <p>The first includes attempts to redefine the issue agenda. Examples range from the false <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-02/fact-check-indigenous-australians-support-for-the-voice/102673042">claims</a> that First Nations people do not overwhelmingly support the Voice to <a href="https://stephenreason.substack.com/p/the-voice-to-parliament-the-united">conspiracy myths</a> about the Voice being a globalist land grab.</p> <p>These falsehoods aim to influence vote choice. This disinformation type is not covered in the AEC’s register, as the organisation has no provisions to enforce truth in political advertising.</p> <p>The register does cover a second type of disinformation. This includes spurious claims about the voting process, such as that the referendum is voluntary. This false claim aims to depress voter turnout in yet another attempt to influence the outcome.</p> <p>Finally, a distinct set of messages targets the AEC directly. The aim is to undermine trust in the integrity of the vote.</p> <p>A most prominent example was Dutton’s <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/voice-voting-rules-confusion-stinks-dutton-20230824-p5dz41">suggestion</a> the voting process was “rigged” due to the established rule of counting a tick on the ballot as a vote for “yes”, while a cross will not be accepted as a formal vote for “no”. Sky News host Andrew Bolt <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1256952825005993">echoed</a> this claim in his podcast, which was repeated on social media, reaching 29,800 viewers in one post.</p> <p>Attention to the tick/cross issue spiked on August 25 when the AEC <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/25/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-referendum-aec-poll-unfairness-claims-rejected">refuted</a> the claim (as can be seen in the chart below). Daily Telegraph columnist and climate change denialist Maurice Newman then linked the issue to potential <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/maurice-newman-aec-rules-on-voting-could-create-confusion-uncertainty/news-story/c76bc3e1e031c2f349710dd1e9f3b51e?btr=15aad1c65d873d8f896d09618a96e228">voter fraud</a>, mimicking US-style attacks on the integrity of voting systems.</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549852/original/file-20230924-23-ob3ltn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549852/original/file-20230924-23-ob3ltn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549852/original/file-20230924-23-ob3ltn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549852/original/file-20230924-23-ob3ltn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=267&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549852/original/file-20230924-23-ob3ltn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549852/original/file-20230924-23-ob3ltn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549852/original/file-20230924-23-ob3ltn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=336&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Disinformation attacking AEC or referendum over past month.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Authors provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <p>The volume of mentions of obvious disinformation on media and social media may not be high compared to other mentions of the Voice. However, studies show disinformation disproportionately grabs people’s attention due to the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-019-0224-y">cognitive attraction</a> of pervasive negativity, the focus on threats or arousal of disgust.</p> <p>All three types of disinformation campaigns attacking this referendum should concern us deeply because they <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00104140231193008">threaten trust</a> in our political institutions, which undermines our vibrant democracy.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213749/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrea-carson-924"><em>Andrea Carson</em></a><em>, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/max-gromping-1466451">Max Grömping</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-strating-129115">Rebecca Strating</a>, Director, La Trobe Asia and Associate Professor, La Trobe University, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-jackman-310245">Simon Jackman</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-yes-voice-campaign-is-far-outspending-no-in-online-advertising-but-is-the-message-getting-through-213749">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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The soundtrack to selling: why advertising with popular music needs to be pitch perfect

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/morteza-abolhasani-1346513">Morteza Abolhasani</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-open-university-748">The Open University</a></em></p> <p>At some point today, it’s likely that you’ll listen to music. It may be during a commute or school run, while you do some exercise or take some time to relax. Music is all around us – an accessible and popular art form which <a href="https://online.ucpress.edu/mp/article-abstract/22/1/41/62190/Uses-of-Music-in-Everyday-Life?redirectedFrom=fulltext">accompanies our daily lives</a>.</p> <p>Advertisers have long understood the popularity and emotional power of music and used it to sell us things. Much time – and money – is spent on securing the right soundtrack to adverts in a bid to boost sales, such as when Microsoft <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1999-05-23/sing-a-song-of-selling?leadSource=uverify%20wall">spent a reported US$3 million</a> (£2.4 million) to use The Rolling Stones’ song Start Me Up as part of their advertising campaign for Windows 95.</p> <p>So how do companies choose the right music for their product? And why is it such a valuable ingredient in the mission to make us consume?</p> <p>Research suggests that the specific qualities of music as an art form enhances the science of selling. As one researcher <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.4220010303">puts it</a>: “Music […] is the catalyst of advertising. It augments pictures and colours words, and often adds a form of energy available through no other source.”</p> <p>Other <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-531-18916-1_19">studies have shown</a> how music transports, underlines or amplifies the persuasive message of adverts. Used well, it creates memorable commercials which influence our attitudes to a product or service.</p> <p>Take the visually simple but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6bGnSEwdKY">compelling advert</a> for Air France, with the soundtrack of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23. It projects grandeur and elegance, in the hope that viewers will associate those qualities with the airline.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6bGnSEwdKY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470593117692021">My research</a>, which looked at hundreds of viewer comments about the music used in advertising, suggests it was successful. Air France’s use of a sophisticated piece of classical music created a direct perception of a sophisticated and premium airline.</p> <p>This is supported by other <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/38632/chapter-abstract/335307151?redirectedFrom=fulltext">research</a> which suggests that music which matches the main message of an advert has a positive effect on consumer engagement. This alignment, known as “musical congruity”, can result in enhanced attention, a positive emotional response, and improved brand recall, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of an advert.</p> <h2>Down memory lane</h2> <p>Music is also effective at triggering <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1470593114521451?journalCode=mtqa">feelings of nostalgia</a>. The extent to which music arouses emotional memories – “musical indexicality” – in adverts creates associations with consumers’ past experiences.</p> <p>The music for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NwBcCUh24I">an advert</a> for Old Navy inspired <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470593117692021">positive comments</a> based on viewers’ memories. A good choice of music allows businesses to tap into this nostalgia for commercial benefit, and my <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470593117692021">research suggests</a> that music with autobiographical resonance can be particularly effective.</p> <p>Another example of this is when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pink+moon+vw">Volkswagen used</a> Nick Drake’s <em>Pink Moon</em>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_-kqUkZnDcM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>As one viewer commented: “Rarely do I get sentimental with commercials, but this one takes me back to the time when I was dating my wife and when we were first married. We used to take drives like this in the mountains and I remember looking at her beautiful face in the moonlight. The music is perfect. The sentiment is perfect.”</p> <p>(In this case, the 1999 advert also had a big impact on Nick Drake’s popularity, with album sales <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nick-drake-pink-moon-song-volkwagen-commercial-182739/">dramatically increasing</a> after the advert’s release. Drake, who died at the age of 26, never saw commercial success in his lifetime.)</p> <h2>Commercial clash</h2> <p>But using music to advertise products doesn’t always work. For one thing, music can infiltrate the mind, repeat itself continuously and become extremely difficult to dislodge.</p> <p>This is why we can’t get some jingles out of our heads for ages. Involuntary and repetitive exposure to a piece of music can quickly reach the point of annoyance.</p> <p>The use of popular music in advertising can also provoke arguments around <a href="https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/currentmusicology/article/view/5206">the tensions</a> between artistic endeavour and commercialism. Some people believe a work of art should not be used for the pursuit of profit.</p> <p>In fact, the findings of my study on viewer comments showed that consumers sometimes passionately oppose the use of music by revered musicians being used in adverts, as they believe that doing this undermines its aesthetic integrity.</p> <p>For example, Nike’s use of the The Beatles’ song <em>Revolution</em> was seen by some as exploiting John Lennon’s lyrics to sell shoes. It made some Nike wearers so angry that they boycotted the brand.</p> <p>One wrote: “This is disgusting. Shame on Nike for exploiting priceless art. I will never buy another Nike shoe again.” Another said: “John didn’t mean change the brand of your trainers!”</p> <p>So advertisers need to be careful. For while the right choice of music can attract customers, boost sales, and inspire brand loyalty, the wrong choice can create something of a backlash. For many people, music is precious, and using it as a marketing tool does not always have harmonious results.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203856/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/morteza-abolhasani-1346513">Morteza Abolhasani</a>, Lecturer in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-open-university-748">The Open University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-soundtrack-to-selling-why-advertising-with-popular-music-needs-to-be-pitch-perfect-203856">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

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Gym slammed as “fatphobic” over detail in advertisement

<p dir="ltr">A small detail in a gym’s advertising calling for models to promote their new apparel range has sparked outrage online for being “fatphobic” and lacking size inclusivity.</p> <p dir="ltr">The gym chain shared a notice online looking for female models between a size extra small and a small.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hundreds of people called out the gym for the “sickening” size requirement, saying it is unfair to gym-goers bigger than a size eight.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, some pointed out models of larger sizes could already be included or casters are trying to find people who fit in sample sizes. </p> <p dir="ltr">The gym has explained the post was a “miscommunication” and that they were looking for models of a specific size based on the clothing their suppliers provided.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How's this for size inclusivity?” one of the gym members wrote online alongside a screenshot of the advertisement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are looking for male and female eCommerce models to shoot our new apparel - Melbourne based,” the message from the gym read. </p> <p dir="ltr">It said they were after medium-sized male models and female models who fit an XS or S.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s post reached hundreds of people, many sharing their outrage over the ad.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yuck they actually put this on the internet," one woman wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hate it here. How hard is it to just support inclusivity??” another added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Because people still don't like us fat people, especially gyms,” a third replied. </p> <p dir="ltr">Many came to the gym’s defence and didn’t see any issue with the detail asking for smaller models.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm a chunky girl and honestly this isn't that serious or offensive. More important things to worry about!” one woman wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It's really not that deep, they are probably modelling sample sizes,” a second added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's also a gym so they're gonna wanna be promoting 'fitter' people more than likely,” a third responded. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sample sizes refer to clothing sent out by brands and designers for press, modelling and PR purposes. </p> <p dir="ltr">They are typically made in small sizes supposedly to save money on fabric but have been slammed for not representing average body types.</p> <p dir="ltr">Those angered by the ad were not convinced by the defenders’ reasons, with one saying, “The fact there are so many 'what ifs!' Instead of just supporting body inclusivity is mind boggling to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm gonna need a follow up when they post photos from their model call because the amount of people in here assuming they've already shot larger sizes are sweet, but most likely wrong,” a second added.</p> <p dir="ltr">After explaining it was a “miscommunication”, a spokesperson for the gym added that it did not intend to exclude anyone or insinuate negative stereotypes.</p> <p dir="ltr">They said they had only received clothing in extra small and small from suppliers despite requesting a range of sizes. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-973765ca-7fff-a9e2-91dd-ca3c86a8aa80"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Instagram/Shutterstock</em></p>

Body

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Desperate measures: Shed advertised as three-bedroom rental

<p dir="ltr">As Australia’s housing crisis continues, prospective tenants have been left desperately searching for accommodation.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some homeowners have taken the chance to exploit the anguish of renters by listing their own version of “budget” accommodation to make a few bucks on the side.</p> <p dir="ltr">The latest makeshift housing solution comes from a landlord in Melbourne who has listed their garden shed a three-bedroom rental.</p> <p dir="ltr">The homeowner claims the shed boasts enough room for three bedrooms and a bathroom, while photos of the “property” show a singular room, adorned with astroturf.</p> <p dir="ltr">The listing, which is believed to have been shared on Facebook, was priced at $350 per month, with pictures showing one open-plan "room" with a large mattress shoved in one corner of the shed along with what appears to be a desk.</p> <p dir="ltr">The walls have no form of insulation and pieces of wood can be seen balancing in the rafters overhead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Facebook listing was seen by an outraged man, who reposted the ad to a group which warns prospective renters about subpar rental properties.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said he was left "speechless" by the advertisement, which he described as "sweatshop style accommodation".</p> <p dir="ltr">"These sheds will be a sauna in summer, freezing in winter and attract all sorts of vermin. People will get severely sick. This should never, ever be an acceptable substitute for housing," he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I feel like this has to be someone actually genuinely joking?" one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Disgusting, the nerve this person has," another raged.</p> <p dir="ltr">The listing comes amid unprecedented pressure on the Australian rental market, with record-low vacancy rates pushing prices sky-high.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tenants have little choice but to pay up, with the national vacancy rate at just 0.9 per cent.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Viewers slam Kath and Kim for “false advertising”

<p dir="ltr">Viewers have been left disappointed with the reboot of <em>Kath and Kim</em> after months of promoting the return of the Aussie show. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Kath &amp; Kim: Our Effluent Life</em> aired on Channel 7 on November 20 with fans gearing up for the show’s exciting 20th anniversary. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, within minutes of the show airing, social media was flooded with messages of “disappointment” because only 10 minutes of new footage was aired. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Well this is disappointing. I thought it was a new episode #KathandKim,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This episode is like watching the bonus content you get when you buy a special edition DVD from Sanity #kathandkim #oureffluentlife,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Anyone else feeling cheated that we're not getting a whole new episode,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 20th anniversary reboot, which showed never-before-seen bloopers and moments from the previous seasons, went on for 74 minutes.</p> <p dir="ltr">There were special appearances from Kylie Minogue, Michael Bublé, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Eric Bana, Mick Molloy, Tony Martin, Richard E Grant, Barry Humphries, and Julia Gillard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Channel 7 did make it clear however that the show will only include around 10 minutes of new footage.</p> <p dir="ltr">Avid fans defended the screening, pointing out that it was evident from the beginning that the 20th anniversary episode would not be something new. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The only people complaining about #kathandkim are the ones who chose not to read anything about it prior to tonight. It was never advertised as a new episode. It was always going to be a celebration of the show’s history,” someone pointed out. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel like I'm the only person in Australia who picked up this was going to be a greatest hits/behind the scenes special, not a brand new episode #kathandkim,” another wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If you are one of the morons complaining about the #kathandkim retrospective, if you had half a brain you'd be dangerous. It was always promoted and advertised as a retrospective, it's not their problem you're dumb,” someone else commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite all the anger, 786,000 Aussies tuned in to watch the show. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Channel 7</em></p>

TV

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FatBlaster slammed and banned for misleading advertising

<p>A popular weight loss pill will be banned from being sold after Australian regulators deemed there was no medical evidence the pill leads to weight-loss, as advertised.</p> <p>The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) removed FatBlaster Max – Australia’s leading weight loss supplement – from shelves across the country on Monday including at Coles, Woolworths, and Priceline after its creators registered the medicine without any weight loss properties.</p> <p>“The TGA considers that the name ‘FatBlaster’, as used on the label for FatBlaster Max and on a website where Cat Media Pty Ltd advertised that medicine, would be understood by consumers to represent that the medicine causes loss of body fat and therefore weight loss,” they said.</p> <p>“When the medicine was listed on [the register], however, Cat Media Pty Ltd had not included weight loss or body fat loss in the list of indications for the medicine. Thus, the TGA is unable to ensure that the medicine is effective for this advertised purpose.”</p> <p>Consumers were recommended by the FatBlaster Max creators to take one tablet every three hours, with each pill containing the same amount of caffeine as a cup of instant coffee.</p> <p>University of Queensland researcher and Accredited Practising Dietician, Dr Veronique Chachay, told NCA NewsWire “it’s about time” the “misleading” product was banned from sale.</p> <p>“Having this being taken off the shelf is only a little drop in a big ocean of issues, but still, it’s a step.”</p> <p>“People need to understand that weight loss doesn‘t happen this way. There’s no magic pill.”</p> <p>A FatBlaster representative told NCA NewsWire they are “disappointed” by the TGA’s decision to cancel the product.</p> <p><em>Image: FatBlaster</em></p>

Body

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“Old Mate” from controversial SA tourism advertisement is back

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last month, an advertisement by the South Australian Tourism Committee made quite a few people upset.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ad, which showed an old man called “Dave” shedding tears of regret at not travelling to Adelaide with his loved ones sooner.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The advertisement was called “appalling”, “depressing” and “shocking”.</span></p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5jyndIVod4k"></iframe></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the campaign is getting results for the South Australian Tourism committee, as it has reached 10.59 million Australians.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rodney Harrex, SATC chief executive, is thrilled with the results.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When interstate people experience Adelaide, they become ambassadors for the state. Like a new band or TV show, they feel like they’re the first to discover it and so take a sense of pride in promoting it to their friends,” Mr Harrex told </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/south-australia/old-mate-from-sa-tourism-ad-to-make-a-comeback-on-the-big-screen-at-afl-nrl-grand-finals/news-story/731fce7d4afbfc3bab9af589dc1cf352"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is where Old Mate’s Mates leaps off. He has gone back to Sydney, told his mates about his overwhelming experience, and guess what? They’ve never been to Adelaide either.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This sequel also provides us with the opportunity to show more of what Adelaide and South Australia has to offer, with experiences such as the d’Arenberg Cube, Sellicks Beach, Adelaide’s city laneways, urban beaches and, of course, South Australians themselves being featured.</span></p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/84Zj2TbWQwU"></iframe></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Old Mate really enjoys showing off Adelaide to his mates. But the lesson lives on. Now it is his mates who have the regret of not having come to Adelaide sooner, but they are consoled by seeing Old Mate revelling in his new favourite city.”</span></p>

Domestic Travel

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Alan Jones radio show under review due to “appalling” Jacinda Ardern comments

<p>Radio veteran Alan Jones has been put on notice after Macquarie Media announced a pending “full review” of his program.</p> <p>This comes after his controversial comments about NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern that saw more than 100 companies withdrawing their advertising dollars from the radio station.</p> <p>The scandal initially began when the 78-year-old Jones said that Ardern is a “complete clown”.</p> <p>“She’s a clown, Jacinda Ardern; a complete clown,’’ Mr Jones said.</p> <p>“I just wonder whether Scott Morrison is going to be fully briefed to shove a sock down her throat.’’</p> <p>“She is a joke, this woman; an absolute and utter lightweight,” he said on social media.</p> <p>Macquarie Media chairman Russell Tate publicly warned Jones that he would be sacked if he made similar comments in future.</p> <p>According to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/alan-jones-breakfast-show-to-undergo-full-review-macquarie-chairman-20190910-p52pqs.html" target="_blank"><em>Sydney Morning Herald</em></a>, Macquarie Media have reportedly sent a letter to advertisers pledging a review of <em>Jones’ Breakfast Show</em> on 2GB and 4BC.</p> <p>“This incident has brought into sharp focus the need for all Macquarie Media broadcasters to ensure that the debate they bring to the microphone and the words they use are, at all times, respectful and reflect the standards expected today by our listeners, our clients, and the wider community,” the letter allegedly reads.</p> <p>“Through this incident, we have experienced the ability of offended groups to greatly amplify their complaints and to actively disrupt you, our clients and your staff, who have done no more than seek to engage with the audience which chooses to listen to us,” Mr Tate said in the letter.</p> <p>“Of course, we have seen valued commercial partners withdraw from Alan’s program, but the fact is we got it wrong in the first place and we must now do everything possible to ensure that doesn’t happen again,” he said.</p> <p>“To that end, we have already commenced, with Alan’s encouragement and support, a full review of the 2GB/4BC Breakfast Show’s content, presentation and controls with a specific focus on audience and guest/third party engagement. That review will extend into all 2GB/4BC programs.”</p> <p>As to what the “pending review” will uncover remains to be seen.</p>

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The Queen advertisers for a new cleaner for Windsor castle

<p>The Queen has announced that she’s on a hunt for a new cleaner for Windsor castle.</p> <p>While no salary has been mentioned as yet, the job is for 20-hours a week and involves to “clean and care for everything from carpets and furniture to historic vases and irreplaceable paintings.”</p> <p>The advertisement on the royal website states that the job of “daily cleaner” reports to the “master of the household’s office”.</p> <p>See the full ad below. It sounds like quite a job.</p> <p><img width="651" height="434" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/23675/ad3_651x434.jpg" alt="Ad3 (1)"/></p> <p>Do you think you could “admire a spotless room before doing thousands of the same”? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><strong> Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/06/duchess-of-cambridge-spectacular-outfit/"><em>The Duchess of Cambridge steps out in her most spectacular outfit yet</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/06/queen-sends-her-second-tweet/"><em>Queen sends her second tweet</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/06/queens-scolds-prince-william/"><em>The Queen scolds Prince William on live television</em></a></strong></span></p>

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How to use the internet to advertise your business

<p>If you want to expand your business’ reach, or if you’re starting a new business and want to get the word out there, there are a variety of low-cost advertising and promotional tools that you should take advantage of. Customers enjoy being able to research companies and read about them online, so building your presence in this space should go to the top of your priority list. Here are some top tips that will help you to get the word out there.</p><p><strong>Set up a website</strong><br>Whether you set up your own website or pay someone to set it up for you, having a company site offers customers another touch point to your brand, gives your company credibility and allows people to search and stumble across your offering. There are now many sites where you can quite easily set up your own website using a template, or the other option is to pay someone to build a custom website for you. Depending on your budget, the costs range from relatively low to extremely high contingent on your needs and how bespoke you require the site to be.</p><p><strong>Pay-per-click advertising</strong><br>Advertising online has a large reach and is the way many sites prosper or survive online. The good news is you only have to pay when someone clicks on your ad. These ad formats allow you to set up a daily advertising budget giving you the freedom to cancel and restart your ads any time.</p><p><strong>Get on Facebook</strong><br>If your company is not on Facebook, then this should be the first thing you do! And if your business does have a Facebook account, make sure it is optimised to get the most out of it. Facebook ads, updates and fan pages are a great way to keep customers informed on your business activities while promoting engagement with your company.</p><p><strong>Guest blogging</strong><br>Writing for other popular blogs in your area of specialty is very beneficial in generating traffic, especially if the places you guest write for have a big following. By including a link to your website somewhere in the guest post, you can draw in new visitors.</p><p><strong>Look at companies that advertise well</strong><br>Understanding the evolution of online advertising from the beginning, and how it has developed into a multi-million dollar advertising industry, is crucial in ensuring you advertise your company in the right way. Open2Study offer a free online course, Online Advertising, which covers the key players in this field, as well as exploring the major digital platforms, including search, social, and mobile, in terms of each marketplace. To read more about what you’ll learn from the course, <strong><a href="https://www.open2study.com/courses/online-advertising" target="_blank">head to Open2Study website</a></strong>.</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://www.open2study.com" target="_blank">Click here</a> </strong>to read about the wide range of FREE courses offered by <strong><a href="https://www.open2study.com" target="_blank">Open2Study</a></strong>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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How to use the internet to advertise your business

<p>If you want to expand your business’ reach, or if you’re starting a new business and want to get the word out there, there are a variety of low-cost advertising and promotional tools that you should take advantage of. Customers enjoy being able to research companies and read about them online, so building your presence in this space should go to the top of your priority list. Here are some top tips that will help you to get the word out there.</p><p><strong>Set up a website</strong><br>Whether you set up your own website or pay someone to set it up for you, having a company site offers customers another touch point to your brand, gives your company credibility and allows people to search and stumble across your offering. There are now many sites where you can quite easily set up your own website using a template, or the other option is to pay someone to build a custom website for you. Depending on your budget, the costs range from relatively low to extremely high contingent on your needs and how bespoke you require the site to be.</p><p><strong>Pay-per-click advertising</strong><br>Advertising online has a large reach and is the way many sites prosper or survive online. The good news is you only have to pay when someone clicks on your ad. These ad formats allow you to set up a daily advertising budget giving you the freedom to cancel and restart your ads any time.</p><p><strong>Get on Facebook</strong><br>If your company is not on Facebook, then this should be the first thing you do! And if your business does have a Facebook account, make sure it is optimised to get the most out of it. Facebook ads, updates and fan pages are a great way to keep customers informed on your business activities while promoting engagement with your company.</p><p><strong>Guest blogging</strong><br>Writing for other popular blogs in your area of specialty is very beneficial in generating traffic, especially if the places you guest write for have a big following. By including a link to your website somewhere in the guest post, you can draw in new visitors.</p><p><strong>Look at companies that advertise well</strong><br>Understanding the evolution of online advertising from the beginning, and how it has developed into a multi-million dollar advertising industry, is crucial in ensuring you advertise your company in the right way. Open2Study offer a free online course, Online Advertising, which covers the key players in this field, as well as exploring the major digital platforms, including search, social, and mobile, in terms of each marketplace. To read more about what you’ll learn from the course, <strong><a href="https://www.open2study.com/courses/online-advertising" target="_blank">head to Open2Study website</a></strong>.</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://www.open2study.com" target="_blank">Click here</a> </strong>to read about the wide range of FREE courses offered by <strong><a href="https://www.open2study.com" target="_blank">Open2Study</a></strong>.</em></p>

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