New Hampshire is a small state—with big advertising opportunities. But do you know the best ways to reach our state’s consumers? Here are eight things to consider when creating your next media plan:
Over-the-Top (OTT) TV: The Disrupter
There are over 400K NH households that can be targeted via OTT by geography, age, interests, income and more.
Many people are cutting back on cable, keeping only their Internet service through their cable provider. These cord-cutters are instead streaming television programming via OTT. Simply put, they’re using a television connected to the Internet.
That means people can watch shows on-demand, using services such as Hulu, Discovery Plus, Peacock, Fubo, Tubi and Sling.
Cable Television: Still Hanging in There
According to CableTV.com, nearly 1,193,434 New Hampshire residents have a broadcast TV subscription, and 954,747 have a bundled subscription. There are two major cable providers that cover New Hampshire—Effectv (formerly Comcast Spotlight) and Spectrum—providing local businesses with over 200 channel placement opportunities.
A global pandemic may have disrupted TV advertising spend, but that is expected to change this year. According to AdWeek, TV ad sales are projected to grow 5% in 2021. But as with brands themselves, the “new normal” for the channels on which they place advertisements is going to look a lot different.
A once-coveted media buy across industries will see a decline in placements in industries such as retail, which are focusing more on online sales than driving in-store traffic and even moving away from physical storefronts. However, placements will likely continue to grow in the automotive, restaurant, travel and hospitality industries, as well as other service-based industries.
Radio: Steady, but Adjusting to a Digital Market
New Hampshire is well served by 114 total over-the-air radio stations, dominated by the iHeart, Saga and Binnie groups. Digital options such as Spotify add another layer of coverage, offering the option of hyper-targeted zip code segmentation.
People are always driving somewhere, so it will never be a “bad” media buy to place a traditional AM/FM radio spot. And when you consider the upcoming summer season and people traveling more by car than ever before, it makes sense that listenership is well on the road to recovery.
But with radio advertising revenue not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels at any point through 2024, you may consider supplementing your strategy with digital radio.
Over 70% of adults listen to digital audio, including Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Apple Music, iHeart Radio and podcasts. And with Spotify listenership on the rise and advertising placements available for as little as $500, this is a great place to dip your toes into the world of digital radio. It can reach Granite Staters through targeting by age, zip code, interests and preferred genre of music.
Paid Search: The New Trusty Standby
According to WordStream, New Hampshire has one of the lowest costs per click (CPC) in the country—in fact, it’s 28% lower than the U.S. average CPC.
2020 created a permanent shift in the way people shop, for anything from healthcare to cars to clothing and more. So it should come as no surprise that paid search ad spend for 2022–24 is now projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels. Due to its impact, many digital marketing strategists are committing to paid search as part of their media plan. And with businesses putting more money behind paid search than ever, you need to be showing up—or you will be losing out.
Paid Social: The Trust Builder
There are 920,000 users listed as living in New Hampshire with accounts on either Facebook, Instagram or both. According to 2019 population estimates, there are 1,104,086 New Hampshire adults in total, which means 83% are reachable through Facebook and Instagram advertising.
The terms “trust” and “advertising” don’t often go hand in hand. But when you consider that following a brand on social media leads 91% of people to visit a brand website or app and 89% of people will buy from a brand, that follow becomes more coveted than ever. So how do you get it? Oftentimes, through paid social media advertising. One of the best ways to build a following on social media is to run a page-like campaign. Looking to generate leads instead? Invite every person who engages with your ad to “like” your page.
Geotargeted Digital Display: The Local Haven
Popular New Hampshire events that attract local and out-of-state residents, like NASCAR and motorcycle weekend, offer a great opportunity to connect with new customers through display advertising.
Geotargeting is an effective way to market to your immediate surrounding area, with your ads appearing to customers most likely to immediately make a transaction with your business. Geofencing can assist in this effort by reaching users who enter the virtual perimeter during and/or after the event. If your ad is personalized to the consumer experience, such as including a product or service discount or reminding them of a gift card or existing promotion going on within the perimeter, they’ll be up to 80% more likely to do business with your brand.
Out-of-Home (Ooh): the Traveler’s Guide
Did you know that America’s oldest billboard is in Sandwich, New Hampshire? Paul Wentworth took advantage of a rock overhang to let people driving along the road know his store was six miles ahead.
There are roughly 350 billboards in the state of New Hampshire, but only around 25 are located along major highways. The reason our state has so many “rural” billboards is because most originated on people’s lawns or private property—and that’s where many have stayed.
There are many alternative types of placements available throughout the state, including vinyl, digital, bus shelters and bus wrappings. ATA, Murray Outdoor and Outfront Media are some go-to vendors in New Hampshire, with the Brady Sullivan properties and the SNHU arena being some notable places you can advertise.
Lincoln, New Hampshire topped Expedia.com’s list of top travel destinations of 2020. And with 2020 travel trends showing increased travel through small towns, along scenic routes and even in people’s own localities, New Hampshire is expected to see an increase in road traffic in 2021, making OOH and digital OOH an excellent advertising opportunity.
Print: Old Faithful
NH Magazine has the highest readership in New Hampshire, with over 100,000 monthly readers, and the Union Leader is the top newspaper in the state, with a monthly distribution of 984,614.
While many may think of print as becoming obsolete, keep in mind that consumers still make time to engage with print because it gives them a tangible break from all of their online activity.
There are many popular newspapers and magazines targeting Granite Staters, several of which have transitioned to a print-digital hybrid model. Those who have done so have seen exponentially high increases in online traffic, especially over the last year. If you do decide to advertise in a print-digital hybrid, it’s important to include a URL or QR code since they are either clickable or scannable.
When looking to make placements, our state has many great options. But if you’re going for impressions, NH Magazine and the Union Leader are the two to beat when targeting the general public, and the NH Business Review (NHBR) is particularly effective in reaching the business community.
Whether you’re looking to go fully digital, stick with traditional or find the perfect balance of both, there are plenty of opportunities for you to find media placements that will work for your New Hampshire brand. Still not convinced? Check out our media matrix to find your perfect placement.
