Let's be honest, when you're running a small business in the U.S.: especially around New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ): every dollar counts. You can’t afford to throw money at ads that might work. You need results you can actually see and measure.
So when it comes to choosing between video marketing and traditional advertising (billboards, TV spots, radio, print ads), which one gives you more bang for your buck in the competitive tri-state area?
Spoiler: it’s video marketing. And here’s why.
The Real Cost Breakdown
Traditional advertising sounds glamorous. A billboard on the Turnpike. A TV commercial during prime time. A full-page ad in a local publication. But let’s look at what these can cost in the U.S.: and why NY/NJ pricing can feel even tighter because competition is everywhere.
- TV commercials: Around $115,000+ for a 30-second spot (often just production, not airtime)
- Billboards (NYC/major NJ corridors): $1,500 to $15,000+ per month, depending on location and visibility
- Print ads: $3,000 to $30,000 per campaign, depending on placement and circulation
Now compare that to small business video marketing: you can often get a high-quality video produced and set up for distribution for anywhere between $1,500 and $10,000, depending on your goals.
But here’s the kicker: with traditional ads, you pay once and it’s done. One billboard. One TV spot. One print run. With video marketing, that same budget can give you multiple videos you can use across your website, YouTube, Instagram, and paid ads: content that keeps working long after you hit “publish.”
Why Video Wins for Small Budgets
Here's the truth: video marketing is built for small businesses. It's flexible, scalable, and gives you way more control over your money.
1. You can start small and scale up
You don't need a Hollywood budget to make video work. Start with one short promotional video. See how it performs. Then create more. Traditional ads don't give you that flexibility, you're locked into big upfront costs with no room to test the waters.
2. You get better engagement
Video ads generate 2X higher engagement than traditional TV ads and 3X higher click-through rates than static display ads. Why? Because video grabs attention in a way that text and images can't. People watch, they feel something, and they take action.
In fact, businesses using video marketing grow their revenue 49% faster than those that don't. And 88% of marketers say video gives them a positive ROI.
3. You can track everything
This is huge. With video marketing on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or your website, you can see exactly how many people watched your video, how long they watched, what they clicked on, and whether they bought something.
Traditional advertising? You're basically guessing. You put up a billboard and hope people notice. You run a newspaper ad and hope someone reads it. There's no way to know if it's actually working.
The Power of Emotional Storytelling
Here's where video marketing really shines: storytelling.
A billboard can show your logo. A print ad can list your services. But a video? A video can show who you are. It can introduce your team. It can share a customer's story. It can make people feel something.
And when people feel something, they trust you. They remember you. They choose you.
Think about it, when was the last time a billboard made you feel connected to a brand? Now think about a video that made you laugh, cry, or say "wow, I need that."
That's the power of video as a storytelling tool. And for small businesses trying to build trust in a crowded market, that emotional connection is everything.
At Anibok Studios (based in New Jersey), we don’t just shoot pretty videos. We help NY/NJ small businesses tell their story in a way that resonates with real people in a crowded, fast-moving market. Whether it’s a 30-second social media clip or a full brand documentary, we focus on what makes your business different, and we make sure people feel it.
Targeting: Stop Paying for People Who Don't Care
Here's one of the biggest problems with traditional advertising: you pay to reach everyone, even if most of them don't care about your product.
A billboard on I-95 or the Turnpike? Sure, thousands of people see it. But how many of them are actually your target customer: and how many are just passing through? Same with TV ads. Same with radio. You’re casting a wide net and hoping something sticks.
Video marketing flips that around. With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, you can target your ads with laser precision:
- Age
- Location
- Interests
- Behavior
- Job title
- Income level
You're not wasting money on people who will never buy from you. You're putting your video in front of the exact people who need what you're selling.
And the best part? If something's not working, you can adjust it in real time. Change the audience. Tweak the message. Test a new thumbnail. You can't do that with a billboard that's already up for the month.
When Traditional Ads Still Make Sense
Okay, let’s be fair. Traditional advertising isn’t completely dead.
If you’re a local business trying to reach people in a specific area: say, a restaurant in Jersey City, a barbershop in Newark, or a service business in Staten Island: local traditional methods can still work. Things like:
- Local newspaper ads
- Direct mail to nearby homes
- Sponsoring a community event
- Radio spots on a local station
These can help you build a presence in your immediate area, especially if your customers aren’t super active online.
But even then, video still gives you more flexibility and better ROI. You can run those same local campaigns with geo-targeted video ads on Facebook and Instagram, reach people in specific NY/NJ zip codes, and often spend less doing it.
How Anibok Studios Makes It Easy
Here’s the thing: a lot of small business owners in NY/NJ hear “video marketing” and think it’s complicated. Or expensive. Or too much work.
That’s where we come in.
At Anibok Studios (we’re based in NJ), we handle everything: from concept to final rollout. Here’s what that looks like:
1. We help you figure out what to say
Not sure what kind of video you need? We sit down with you, learn about your business, and help you create a strategy that actually works. Whether it's a product demo, a customer testimonial, or a brand story, we'll figure out what resonates with your audience.
2. We handle the production
You don't need to worry about cameras, lighting, sound, or editing. We bring the gear, the crew, and the experience. You just show up and be yourself. We make you look good.
3. We distribute and market it
This is the part most video production companies skip: but not us. We don't just hand you a finished video and say "good luck." We help you get it in front of the right people. We post it. We run ads. We track the results. We make sure your investment actually works.
That's the difference between hiring a video marketing agency for small business and just hiring someone to shoot footage. We're partners in your growth, not just vendors.
So, Which Is Better for Your Budget?
If you’re a small business trying to grow in NY/NJ without burning through your budget, video marketing wins. It’s often cheaper, more effective, more measurable, and more flexible than traditional advertising.
You get better engagement. You build real trust with your audience. You can target the exact people who need your product: by city, zip code, and interest. And you can adjust your strategy on the fly, which matters in the ultra-competitive tri-state area.
Traditional ads? They still have a place. But for most small businesses in 2026, they’re usually not the smartest way to spend your marketing dollars.
If you’re ready to try video marketing but you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help. At Anibok Studios (based in New Jersey), we specialize in creating high-quality video content and marketing it for you: so you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Let’s build something that actually moves the needle for your business. Reach out to us and let’s talk about what video can do for you.
