Ideas To Advertise Your Small Business

As a small business owner, advertising your business to new potential customers is a must, and while word of mouth is nice, it rarely happens fast enough in order to be able to sustain your business or substantially grow your customer base.  For this reason, let’s look at the most effective small business advertising that you can use for advertising your business in a cost-effective and efficient way.

 

Most Effective Small Business Advertising Print Advertising Direct Mail

Direct mail can be a very effective form of advertising for a small business.  Even if you don’t have a mailing list, you can still geographically target your mail to reach a large number of potential customers in your local town/city.

 

Local Newspaper

Don’t forget about your local newspaper.  Aside from box ads and advertising inserts, papers will often offer special advertising features showcasing particular businesses.  An excellent place to advertise is in a special interest paper like Coffee News.  These types of papers are specially designed and delivered to reach consumers in a unique way and can be one of the most effective forms of advertising for a small business.

 

Professional and Community Opportunities for Small Businesses

 

Professional Organizations

Every professional or business organization offers exclusive advertising opportunities for its members.  This can range from free promotion on their website to special section newspaper advertising.  Just being a member can be good small business advertising.

Trade Shows

Trade shows can also be a good way of getting a new business or idea known.  While participating in large trade shows can be quite expensive, there are a lot of smaller opportunities that may work well for your business, from trade shows put on by your local business association, or through trade shows focused on particular industries.

 

Philanthropy

Another effective form of indirect advertising is a visible, tangible involvement in your local community.  Partnering with other small businesses or local charities can be more than just good public relations.  It can give you valuable market research, and connections with other businesses who can then refer customers to you when appropriate.

 

Non-Print Forms of Advertising For Your Small Business

 

Television

Advertising on the television can give you an incredibly wide market range.  Some cable TV companies offer advertising ideas that are within the budget of small businesses, from advertising on the TV Guide Listings or Real Estate channels to running an infomercial.

 

Radio

Another idea you may not have thought of is radio advertising.  Running ads on a local radio station can be both effective and relatively inexpensive.  A catchy tune or phrase can stay with a potential customer long after they’ve turned off the radio.

 

Digital Advertising

 

In this digital age, you cannot forget the power of online advertising.  Start by making sure that your business is listed on websites providing business information for your local area.  Many municipalities offer business listing on their websites.  Also, make sure that your business has its own website too.

 

If you already have an in-house mailing list, email advertising can work for you.  Two of the benefits are that you can customize your emails to target specific groups of customers, and that pretty much everyone has at least one email address so you can have a wide audience base.

Facebook can be another effective advertising tool when used correctly. 

 

While it can be difficult to gauge how successful the ad campaign is, it still offers the largest audience of online consumers.  It's also relatively inexpensive compared to many other advertising options.  You simply pay for ads as you post them, with no future requirements or contracts.

 

Learn What Works For Your Small Business

 

Each of the advertising methods listed above has the potential to help your small business succeed.  The best practice would be to choose a couple of methods and focus mainly on those.  Ask other small business owners in your area what forms of advertising they have found to be most effective.  Most importantly, develop an advertising plan that meets your business needs, taking into account your advertising budget and your target audience, and keep track of your results.