If you own a small businesses, or run a business on a tight budget, the prospect of "advertising" might sound expensive.
When advertising goes wrong
Perhaps you've never even thought about advertising, or worse, you invested a huge a sum of money and were burned by a failed campaign. If the latter is the case, it's easy to understand why you may have sworn off advertising altogether. Please keep in mind, however, that doing nothing at all is hindering your business from a world of opportunity.
I'm happy to let you know that there are several cost-effective alternatives to the more traditional forms of advertising that you're likely familiar with, such as radio, TV or print. But, there's no point in spending any amount of money or effort on tactics that don't support your marketing strategies and your goals.
Understand your advertising goals
In order to invest your marketing dollars wisely, know why you're advertising in the first place and what you want to accomplish. Then, evaluate your advertising efforts carefully to measure their effectiveness so that you know what's working and what's not.
In many cases, advertising campaigns become terrible investments because not enough attention is paid to planning and evaluating their success (or failure). As the old idiom goes, "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Don't fall victim to this cycle!
Get your foundation in place
Before you start advertising, ensure that the foundation of your marketing is in place, including sales promotional tools, such as (but not limited to) your website, flyers, brochures, business cards, signage, etc. Carefully review each item and evaluate what these tools say about your business.
Signage is key to your retail business
If you own a brick-and-mortar business, signage is just as important as your website design. Retail signage should never be an afterthought. Signs are a vital part of small businesses and can be the most efficient, effective and consistent device for generating awareness.
If you'd like to explore some further reading on signage, read this post on Shopify: 5 Types of Signage No Retailer Can Afford to Ignore
Directories are great advertising tools
Directory listings are another great way to boost your brand awareness. Make sure your business is listed under the appropriate headings within directories that your customers or prospects are using. Quality online directories that have great search engine rankings can also boost your own search engine results. Choose wisely and be strategic when developing your listing description to ensure you're optimized for success.
Build your community
Finally, and possibly more important than ever, getting involved in your community is a must. Not only is community involvement great for quality networking, it can offer valuable exposure. Join relevant business organizations, service clubs and charitable organizations. Aligning yourself with notable causes is great for PR, and, in turn, great for business.
In today's world of marketing and PR, opportunities for affordable advertising and promotion are boundless. Remember, it takes time, effort and savvy to choose the right strategies that will help you achieve your goals. Sometimes, having a marketing and PR expert on your side can be the best investment you can make - if you choose the right one!
Learn more about how I can help your business leverage some of these tools. Get in touch. I'd love to help!
