7 Advertising Basics for Small Business Owners

With many advertising options, billboards, websites, direct mail, etc., it can prove challenging to advertise effectively. Still, there are guides to lead you down the right promotional path for small businesses.

Let’s take a look.

7 Advertising Basics for Small Business Owners

1. Budget

When you think about advertising, of course, you need a budget. And most small businesses don’t have large ones.

This is probably best used in ways that maximize your return, rather than throwing it all in on one large ad on TV.

Leave that for the big businesses that have large budgets.

2. Website

A professionally-designed site can cost thousands of dollars, so try online templates. These work well to foster name recognition and promote your products and/or services.

In addition, you can add pictures, logos, and illustrations that look professional for a fraction of the cost.

3. SEO Marketing

Promote your website.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a practice that aligns your business with Google’s ranking algorithm.

Get Google to advertise it with the right tools. For example, add relevant (industry- and location-based) keywords to specific places on your website.

4. Paid search marketing

Google AdWords and Bing Ads can bring in traffic to the website and help your business feature prominently when people search for relevant phrases.

For $20 or $30 a day, you can get your name in front of the right people searching for what you have to offer.

5. Social Media

There’s also Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to get the word out. These are relatively easy to use if you know what to say.

It’s possible to hire a writer on a freelance basis who can write these for you. Or, if you have a marketing team, enlist someone to write these regularly.

This is a great way to get in front of people daily, or at least regularly.

6. Traditional Print Advertising

Use flyers, postcards, and brochures for marketing your business effectively. It’s inexpensive, and it works.

Provide coupons on the handouts to informally track effectiveness.

You can use oversize postcards to get a better reaction since they tend not to get lost in the shuffle.

7. Combine Print and Online Efforts

Print and online advertising complement one another.

For example, on your printed pieces, be sure to have a call to action that involves visiting your website. Then give them a coupon or discount when they visit.

Likewise, when they visit your website, try to capture their physical address so you can send them direct mail. This is very effective.

You can do many things to promote your small business. However, traditional direct marketing is still in high demand.

Check us out today to learn more!