99+ Low Cost Advertising
Low Cost Advertising - There is no better advertisement campaign that is low cost and also successful at the same time. Great business ideas when utilized effectively can save lots of money. This is not only easy for those who work full-time as an advertiser, but also for those who work from home.
Advertising from home is also a low cost option, which involves making and distributing fliers. Usually potential customers will visit home for business dealing. Print good amount of fliers and give it to anyone who is visiting home like family, friends, mailman, etc. Business cards can also be distributed. Few selected people can be given sample of the product. For those who work outside home, employ college students to distribute fliers at supermarkets, community centers, or malls, especially on weekends, when there is a rush.
Advertising from home is also a low cost option, which involves making and distributing fliers. Usually potential customers will visit home for business dealing. Print good amount of fliers and give it to anyone who is visiting home like family, friends, mailman, etc. Business cards can also be distributed. Few selected people can be given sample of the product. For those who work outside home, employ college students to distribute fliers at supermarkets, community centers, or malls, especially on weekends, when there is a rush.
Low Cost Advertising
Spread the word by the mouth. Talk to everyone about the product and ask them to talk about it to others. It's a very powerful tool to increase the network and doesn't even cost anything. When receiving a casual call from family members and friends, don't forget to tell them about the latest events, discounts and promotions and ask them about what they are up to. If the parties are into the business, it won't hurt to promote each other. Joint ventures can be started with trustable people of the same trade. The only cost that will be incurred during the whole process is of printing fliers. For a better quality, professional can be hired to design them, as they will be able to play with colors and write motivating material.
Most of the businesses have company bulletin board that they use to put up company's latest news. Fliers and business cards can be tacked on such bulletin boards. But before doing so, check out with the human resource department before placing the information as most of the HR departments make it compulsory to consult them.
Parents are required to be in regular touch with the teachers to know about the progress of the child and they have meetings from time to time. Do not miss this opportunity and spread the word. Hand them the business card and fliers personally at the meeting, instead of just giving the contact number.
Get involved with fundraiser at schools, as it's a nice approach to market business. Prior to handing out the order received, collect all necessary information like business card pack, fliers, with proper information. Information can be based on what is the company about, what are the products and services provided, or how to get in touch with the company. In each individual order, carefully place all of them and seal the package properly. Presentation, too, is of importance and should be paid attention.
Voice mails can be put to good use, other than recording messages. They can help to deliver the marketing message. Greet with a brief message, following with website and email address, so that who ever calls will be already having the telephone number and they will be able to learn more about the business by visiting the website. When the company is providing special promotional offers and discounts, include information about those in the voice mail. Discontinuation of any services of products can also be informed about. Repetitive voicemails sound boring, so keep changing the voice mail frequently and add some creativity to it.
Most of the big businesses attach business cards or fliers with out going mail. This works for companies who send bills to their customers. For those who have customers paying online, they can send the information through emails.
Advertisements can be done, in the locality, by placing fliers on the bulletin boards of the local grocery stores, businesses, barbers, or butchers. People frequent these places and there is a possibility of getting a good response. Some businesses place a jar at the reception counter where the business cards can be dropped for future reference, while visiting them.
Most of the businesses have company bulletin board that they use to put up company's latest news. Fliers and business cards can be tacked on such bulletin boards. But before doing so, check out with the human resource department before placing the information as most of the HR departments make it compulsory to consult them.
Parents are required to be in regular touch with the teachers to know about the progress of the child and they have meetings from time to time. Do not miss this opportunity and spread the word. Hand them the business card and fliers personally at the meeting, instead of just giving the contact number.
Get involved with fundraiser at schools, as it's a nice approach to market business. Prior to handing out the order received, collect all necessary information like business card pack, fliers, with proper information. Information can be based on what is the company about, what are the products and services provided, or how to get in touch with the company. In each individual order, carefully place all of them and seal the package properly. Presentation, too, is of importance and should be paid attention.
Voice mails can be put to good use, other than recording messages. They can help to deliver the marketing message. Greet with a brief message, following with website and email address, so that who ever calls will be already having the telephone number and they will be able to learn more about the business by visiting the website. When the company is providing special promotional offers and discounts, include information about those in the voice mail. Discontinuation of any services of products can also be informed about. Repetitive voicemails sound boring, so keep changing the voice mail frequently and add some creativity to it.
Most of the big businesses attach business cards or fliers with out going mail. This works for companies who send bills to their customers. For those who have customers paying online, they can send the information through emails.
Advertisements can be done, in the locality, by placing fliers on the bulletin boards of the local grocery stores, businesses, barbers, or butchers. People frequent these places and there is a possibility of getting a good response. Some businesses place a jar at the reception counter where the business cards can be dropped for future reference, while visiting them.
20 Low Cost Marketing and Advertising Ideas for Frugal Entrepreneurs
Just because you don't have a million dollar budget to spend on promoting your business doesn't mean you can't still be effective in advertising.
There are many low-cost marketing options available that you can implement and use in your business. What's even better is that is that a lot of these marketing strategies can be implemented for free.
Low Cost Marketing and Advertising Ideas
Here is a list of 20 low cost marketing and promotional ideas that you can use to kick off your marketing campaigns for the New Year:
1. Canvassing
This method involves printing out some inexpensive flyers and handing them out at local business parks or stores. Canvassing works very well for service-related businesses.
2. Content Marketing
I am sure by now that you have heard all of the hype surrounding content marketing. Well, I am here to tell you that content marketing is not hype and that it does in fact work. Content marketing involves writing valuable content and then marketing that information via different platforms such as social media platforms, your website and etc.
3. Invest in Door Hangers
Door hangers can actually be even more effective than mailings because they are hung directly on the customer's door and have a greater chance of being noticed.
4. Invest in a Professional Website
You can create a professional-looking website by using any number of free website builders online. WordPress is a great platform to use for building a professional website.
5. Create and Offer Free Coupon Cards
Free services or consultations, you'll encourage customers to give your business a try. Here is an additional tip: consider using the back of your business card as an area to offer freebies.
6. Start a Blog
Blogging is an excellent way to market and promote your business on the cheap. Make sure to write frequently and keep your customers in the loop about what's new with your business. Check out my step by step guide for starting a business blog.
7. Get Active on Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are free and excellent platforms that you can use for promoting your business. Not convinced that social media is a right fit for your business, check out these statistics courtesy of Convince and Convert.
8. Create a Free Facebook Fan Page for your Business
Facebook averages more than 1.23 billion monthly active users and counting. Creating a Facebook Fan page is a great way build your brand, stay engaged with your loyal customers and gain new visibility to potential clients.
9. Start a LinkedIn Group
LinkedIn Groups allow you to connect with others in the same industry, and also allows those with similar interests to share with one another, post and see jobs, make new contacts, and otherwise get established.
10. Create an Email Newsletter
Email newsletters are an excellent way to fill in your current customers on the happenings of your business. Aweber is a great resource that you can use to start an email newsletter.
11. Write a Press Release for your small business
A press release is basically an announcement where you can give details about your business and the services you offer.
12. Start participating in Network Events
This is an easy way to get to know and interact with others who are in your community and possibly even in the same industry. Meetup.com allows you to search by location and find different events and groups to participate in.
13. Guest Post and Submit Articles to other Blogs in Your Industry
Connect with influencers in your industry and offer to submit informative articles to their blogs. Guest posting for them will give you another avenue of gaining exposure in your industry.
14. Offer Incentives and Rewards Programs to your current customers in exchange for referrals
Current customers will be happy (and more motivated) to refer you to a friend if there is some sort of incentive involved. Check out this blog post to get some ideas for incentives and rewards that you can offer clients in exchange for referrals.
15. Setup Joint Ventures with other Companies in your business niche
Joining forces with another business in your industry will give you more exposure and allow you to get more visibility to potential customers in your niche. Consider participating in a joint event with another company similar to yours.
16. Conduct Free Webinars or Seminars on hot topics in your industry
People will log on to listen to a webinar, especially if they believe you are an expert on a topic in which they are not.
17. Get Endorsements on LinkedIn
LinkedIn allows others to "endorse" you – use these endorsements on your website as credibility building boosting testimonials.
18. Give away free trials of your products or a Free Consultation
People love freebies! Whether it be a product or a service, you can offer a deal for first-time customers for a free consultation.
19. Comment on Blogs in your Industry
Leave comments for other business blogs in your industry. This helps you get more traffic to your website, which can lead to more business leads.
20. Brand Your Email Signature
Your email signature is one of the most overlooked places that you can use to market and promote your business each time that you send emails. Wisestamp (aff link) is an excellent resource that you can use to create a branded email signature.
Just because you don't have a million dollar budget to spend on promoting your business doesn't mean you can't still be effective in advertising.
There are many low-cost marketing options available that you can implement and use in your business. What's even better is that is that a lot of these marketing strategies can be implemented for free.
Low Cost Marketing and Advertising Ideas
Here is a list of 20 low cost marketing and promotional ideas that you can use to kick off your marketing campaigns for the New Year:
1. Canvassing
This method involves printing out some inexpensive flyers and handing them out at local business parks or stores. Canvassing works very well for service-related businesses.
2. Content Marketing
I am sure by now that you have heard all of the hype surrounding content marketing. Well, I am here to tell you that content marketing is not hype and that it does in fact work. Content marketing involves writing valuable content and then marketing that information via different platforms such as social media platforms, your website and etc.
3. Invest in Door Hangers
Door hangers can actually be even more effective than mailings because they are hung directly on the customer's door and have a greater chance of being noticed.
4. Invest in a Professional Website
You can create a professional-looking website by using any number of free website builders online. WordPress is a great platform to use for building a professional website.
5. Create and Offer Free Coupon Cards
Free services or consultations, you'll encourage customers to give your business a try. Here is an additional tip: consider using the back of your business card as an area to offer freebies.
6. Start a Blog
Blogging is an excellent way to market and promote your business on the cheap. Make sure to write frequently and keep your customers in the loop about what's new with your business. Check out my step by step guide for starting a business blog.
7. Get Active on Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are free and excellent platforms that you can use for promoting your business. Not convinced that social media is a right fit for your business, check out these statistics courtesy of Convince and Convert.
8. Create a Free Facebook Fan Page for your Business
Facebook averages more than 1.23 billion monthly active users and counting. Creating a Facebook Fan page is a great way build your brand, stay engaged with your loyal customers and gain new visibility to potential clients.
9. Start a LinkedIn Group
LinkedIn Groups allow you to connect with others in the same industry, and also allows those with similar interests to share with one another, post and see jobs, make new contacts, and otherwise get established.
10. Create an Email Newsletter
Email newsletters are an excellent way to fill in your current customers on the happenings of your business. Aweber is a great resource that you can use to start an email newsletter.
11. Write a Press Release for your small business
A press release is basically an announcement where you can give details about your business and the services you offer.
12. Start participating in Network Events
This is an easy way to get to know and interact with others who are in your community and possibly even in the same industry. Meetup.com allows you to search by location and find different events and groups to participate in.
13. Guest Post and Submit Articles to other Blogs in Your Industry
Connect with influencers in your industry and offer to submit informative articles to their blogs. Guest posting for them will give you another avenue of gaining exposure in your industry.
14. Offer Incentives and Rewards Programs to your current customers in exchange for referrals
Current customers will be happy (and more motivated) to refer you to a friend if there is some sort of incentive involved. Check out this blog post to get some ideas for incentives and rewards that you can offer clients in exchange for referrals.
15. Setup Joint Ventures with other Companies in your business niche
Joining forces with another business in your industry will give you more exposure and allow you to get more visibility to potential customers in your niche. Consider participating in a joint event with another company similar to yours.
16. Conduct Free Webinars or Seminars on hot topics in your industry
People will log on to listen to a webinar, especially if they believe you are an expert on a topic in which they are not.
17. Get Endorsements on LinkedIn
LinkedIn allows others to "endorse" you – use these endorsements on your website as credibility building boosting testimonials.
18. Give away free trials of your products or a Free Consultation
People love freebies! Whether it be a product or a service, you can offer a deal for first-time customers for a free consultation.
19. Comment on Blogs in your Industry
Leave comments for other business blogs in your industry. This helps you get more traffic to your website, which can lead to more business leads.
20. Brand Your Email Signature
Your email signature is one of the most overlooked places that you can use to market and promote your business each time that you send emails. Wisestamp (aff link) is an excellent resource that you can use to create a branded email signature.
22 Low-Budget Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses
Don't have many bucks to spend on your biz? No worries – there are plenty of marketing tactics you can make use of that won't blow your small marketing budget. Let's see how far you can stretch those dollars! Here are 20+ marketing ideas for small businesses working on a small budget.
limited budget marketing
1. Publish Great Content. I don't think I even need to say this, but it'd be neglectful not to mention the importance of kick-ass content. If you can create it yourself, all the better (isn't free always better?). Even if writing isn't your strong point, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting someone on your team to crank out some articles for your blog. Try top 10 lists, tip collections, best practices for your industry, etc. I shared a bunch of creative content marketing ideas here, and Elisa recently rewrote the rules of content marketing for small businesses.
2. Create Instructional Videos. Video content is really valuable, and while it can cost big bucks to get professional YouTube videos produced, there's nothing wrong with giving it a shot yourself or hiring a film student off Craigslist. Wistia offers a great video tutorial showing you how to shoot expert-looking footage on your regular old iPhone!
3. Get Ad Promo Credits. While massive ad campaigns may be out of your budget, there are often discounts and coupons floating around for paid Facebook ads or Google ads. Some web hosting services offer advertising discount codes as part of their membership offerings. Check and see if yours does.
4. Reddit. Reddit, a bare-bones social network self-titled as the "front page of the internet," can be a powerful tool when used strategically. Reddit is composed of a very tech-savvy audience that bristles at any obvious marketing tactics.
To win at Reddit, share only truly awesome content, and post only to extreme niches. In Reddit, there are subcategories (known as subreddits) that deal with some of the narrowest, most specific interests in existence. There's a subreddit for lockpicking (/r/lockpicking ), a subreddit for unicycles (/r/unicycling), and there's even a subreddit for admiring beautiful handwriting (r/PenmanshipPorn). (And of course there's one for SEO.) Find your niche and dominate.
5. Be a Savvy Social Networker. Create business accounts and participate in the big social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest. Add Instagram in there too if your business is image-oriented. Also check out this list of easy Facebook marketing ideas for any type of business.
Need even more ideas? Get our (free!) all-star playbook to online advertising.
6. Stumble Upon Advertising. If you want to try some paid advertising but you're not looking to break the bank, Stumle Upon's Paid Search Discovery could be for you. Paid Discovery delivers users straight to your site, ready to engage. What works best on Stumble Upon? Photography, visual assets, and humorous content.
Stumble Upon is pretty cheap compared to other paid ad structures. You start with a base price of 10 cents per click, then add +2 cents for age targeting, gender targeting and device targeting. You can see the whole price list for detailed info. Whichever way you spin it, Stumble Upon's paid offering is leagues cheaper than most other social media ads; Facebook ads, for example, can cost as much as 80 cents per click.
To really benefit from Stumble Upon, use targeting options to make sure you're hitting the right audiences and niches.
7. DIY Infographics. Infographics are insanely powerful marketing tools. They're visual eye candy, they're easy to digest, and people love to share them, so they're a great way to drive up referral traffic and links. Hiring a designer to make you an A+ infographic can hit your wallet hard, but you can make your own on the cheap if you don't mind a bit of a challenge.
infographics marketing tactic
If you have some understanding of Adobe Illustrator, try out these free vector kits that provide all the elements needed to make a stunning infographic. Not sure where to start? Check out Visual.ly for inspiration. They have beginner and advanced examples for you to browse through.
8. Give New Life to Old Data. If your marketing budget it tight, you might not be able to always afford content writers to whip up content for your blog. If you're in a dry spell, instead of making something new, breathe new life into something that already exists on the web. There are a ton of data studies and stats available on the internet. While some of these studies may get initial traction, many often go unnoticed.
Find a study that relates to your industry and polish it up. Highlight the most important or interesting parts of the study, add images, crank out some charts, and make your own thoughts and predictions based on the data.
You don't need to be a master writer for this strategy – the data will do most of the heavy lifting for you. One man's throwaway data is another man's content success story! Just be sure to cite your sources and give credit where it's due.
For government data, check out data.gov or The Census Bureau. Global statistics can be found through UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Ultimately, you'll have to find source data that relates to your industry and audience interests.
9. Lounge About on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a major social media site that is often under-utilized. Don't just add network connections and sign out – join groups, enter into dialogue with connections, and share your blog posts. There's a ton happening on LinkedIn, and it can be a great place to promote your content, share ideas, and build your brand. Larry recently shared some tips for getting more LinkedIn connections, and here are some ways to spruce up your LinkedIn profile if you're a recent college grad.
marketing tactics for small budgets
10. Recycle Your Content. Just as you can repurpose existing data studies, you can rehash your old content into new creations as well! Turn a webinar into a video tutorial. Transform a collection of blog posts into an ebook. Never be afraid to mash-up your old content – chances are there will be a ton of people who never even saw your old stuff, so it'll be a fresh, 100% new content piece for a large segment of your audience.
11. Develop a Customer Referral Program. Offer existing customers a free product, free month of service, or some other reward for referring new customers. Remember, word-of-mouth is powerful stuff, so friends telling friends about your business is incredibly valuable.
12. Online Contests. You'll need to cough up some dough for a prize, but the number of participants and new potential leads you get will be well worth the price. Really tight on budget? You don't technically need a super expensive prize to get participants. Even a couple high-end water bottles or fancy backpacks might be enough of a draw for some users.
Not sure how to host a contest? Go with Rafflecopter – they make it super easy to set up a contest and embed the contest entry form on your website.
13. Industry Partnerships. Team up with a business related to your industry (but not a direct competitor) for a joint project. This can be done locally offline through some kind of special event, or online with a webinar or promotional giveaway.
Partnering with another business means twice as much notice. If you're partnering with an industry-relevant business, you're getting introduced to a whole new audience related to your niche. People pay big money for that kind of access!
14. Apply Online for Business Awards. Most industries have business awards you can win, providing you with an online badge you can place on your website. Badges like these can boost credibility, and as a result, increase sales.
marketing on a budget
If there aren't any awards for your industry, host your own! You'll get a ton of attention from other industry businesses who want to apply for your award, which means even more connections and more possible future collaborations!
Local marketing can often be less expensive than massive online campaigns. Your reach is smaller, but if your business is regional, there's no better (or cheaper) way to build your business. Here are 69 MORE ways to boost your business.
15. Awesome Business Cards. Get yourself some snazzy business cards, then give them to every person you lay eyes on. Every handshake should come with a business card. The more people who find out about your business, the better – even if it's just a quick glance at a business card.
budget marketing ideas
16. Guerilla Marketing. Guerilla marketing emphasizes creativity over budget, and strategies are often cheap and easy to implement, especially when localized. Broadcast your Twitter handle with sidewalk chalk, use an abandoned storefront as a canvas for street art, or plaster custom stickers on urban décor that makes those who stroll by look twice. There's a ton of room for invention here, and you don't need a big budget to be successful. We did a massive post about guerilla marketing recently, detailing a bunch of strategies and examples you should check out if you want to learn more!
17. Host an Event or Class. Plan an event or class to host, then print out flyers and post them on community bulletin boards (libraries, coffee shops, local colleges and adult ed centers). While most community bulletin boards won't let you post business advertisements, they're often more than happy to post a flyer promoting an educational event or class.
18. Business Card Drawing. Put a fishbowl at your place of business with a sign asking visitors to drop their business cards in for a chance to win something from you (for example, a restaurant might offer a free pizza party).
marketing tactics for small businesses
At the end of the month you've collected a ton of business cards, and while you can only have one winner, there's no reason those other business cards have to go to waste. Use the email addresses provided to let users know that while they haven't won this time, they are more than welcome to join your mailing list, which will notify them of future giveaways and special offers.
19. Email Marketing. Email marketing is a great way to get new visitors engaged with your business, as well as maintain relationships with your existing customers.
Get new website visitors to sign up for your newsletter by offering a bonus content piece for subscribing (e.g. get your free ebook detailing how to make a homemade pizza when you sign up for our First Slice newsletter). Slowly nurture your subscribers via email until they are ready to become paying customers. Start your email campaigns with a free email marketing service like MailChimp.
20. Car Magnets for the Company Car. Slap a magnetic sign on your company car to build brand awareness as you drive around town (just be sure to obey traffic laws). Bumper stickers and window decals work as well!
21. Give Away Balloons at Local Events. Get a few hundred custom balloons printed with your business name, rent a helium tank, and watch the smiles roll in.
marketing strategies for small businesses
Kids love balloons. Adults love them too, but are embarrassed to admit it. Stop the shame – balloons and bubbles will always be awesome, it's OK to say so. You'll have a bunch of happy people marching around with your brand floating above their heads, all for less than $200.
22. Join in on Local Contests. Consider donating a product or service of yours as a prize in a local contest or event.
25 Free Low Cost Small Business Advertising Tips
If there is one mistake small town businesses make more often than any other it's, "What ever is left over, we'll use for advertising."
Marketing and advertising is an investment, not an expense.
I know it sure seems like an expense to me when I'm writing the check, but trust me it's not.
Without enough money put aside for advertising your sales can go down and you suddenly have less and less for promotion.
When do you advertise the most? For most businesses it's the first day of business.
Don't you have a Grand Opening, balloons, flyers, ads, on-site radio stations, contests, and prizes?
Did the income from sales pay for that? No, it didn't. You advertise most when you need business. You advertise more when you don't.
An average cost of advertising is usually 1 to 5% of gross sales, which can vary according to location, local advertising rates, and industry. Car dealers need more advertising than funeral homes.
before we get to the 25 tips let's look at the basic strategies of successful advertising.
* In order to be successful, your advertising must provide a consumer benefit or solve a problem.
* That benefit or solution must be wanted by the consumer.
* The product or service you are offering must be tied directly to that benefit or solution.
* The benefit or solution must be distinctly communicated through medial advertising. In other words, be clear, forget the advertising glitz and make sure the message isn't lost in the ad.
A small-budget advertiser doesn't have the ''deep pockets" to develop big advertising campaigns. Some time you need to break the rules to be noticed.
Avis did it by admitting they were "Number 2" in the car rental business and that campaign took them from 6th place to second place.
When they stopped that campaign they dropped back to 6th again. In the past year they have gone back to it.
Budget conscious advertisers must achieve top results for their advertising dollar. Expand your dollars by adopting some creative techniques.
Here's 25 tips I hope will help you.
Radio, newspapers and magazine specialists will frequently give free help in developing an advertising strategy. Things like demographic information, money-saving ways to produce your ads etc.
Place your ads in off hours or in unusual locations for less. Many times you can still reach your target market with these spots.
Instead of a one-time big splash ad, be consistent with frequent small ads that work.
Monthly magazines sometimes have unsold ad space at the end of the month they will sell at a discount.
If you have an 800 number, put it in every ad for immediate response and feedback.
Try advertising consistently in the classifieds. These ads may draw more customers than more expensive display ads.
Can you barter for the cost of ad production? Maybe the newspaper needs painting in exchange for an ad about your paint store.
Piggyback advertising are the ads you receive with your Mastercard bill. Is there someone in your town that sends out a lot of bills? Can you put a small flyer in with their bills and split the postage? Or pay a small fee?
Split advertising costs with the people who sell to you. Vendors and manufactures are always looking for exposure. Let people know you carry their products and have the vendor pick up part of the ad cost.
Are there up front advertising discounts for cash?
Consider advertising in regional issues of national magazines. The costs are lower and you can still reach your target market. TV Guide is a good choice. It stays around for at least a week. Time, Newsweek, and US News and World Report may stay in local doctors offices for years.
Share ad costs with neighbor business. Video stores and Pizza parlors are natural partners. Have coupons to each others stores or share the cost of flyers.
Try reducing the size of your ad (not in the Yellow Pages) or length of your radio spots. A 60 second spot is not twice as much as a 30 second spot but you won't get twice as many customers for a 60 over a 30. Going with small ads or shorter spots will allow you to do more ads which normally pulls more customers. It's better to be there every day with small ads than every month with one big one.
Develop tight production controls to minimize the need to reject finished ads. The message is more important than the messenger. Don't try to produce ads that win awards, produce ads that sell.
Who are your very best customers? Aim your ads to talk directly to people like them.
What will suppliers give you in the way of point-of-purchase materials. Posters, stand ups, handouts, etc. Some have excellent display racks you can use.
Some national chains like Coke and Pepsi provide outdoor signs for businesses. There are also indoor lighted signs you write on with special markers to advertise your special offers.
Can you sponsor a community event? A fun-run, golf tournament, or other event that will be well publicized in the community. Your name may not be prominently displayed but sometimes the positive exposure in the community will bring in new customers.
Small businesses can seldom afford saturation advertising. You must be selective in the media that reaches your customers. Pin your ad reps down and make them show you exactly how their media reaches your target audience.
Exploit the media you choose to the fullest. If your message is verbal, you don't need TV. Use radio, billboards and newspapers to the fullest.
Consider direct mail. A letter and brochure before customer contact can increase business. An IBM study concluded that selling time can be reduced from 9.3 to 1.3 total hours with direct mail advertising. A Sales and Marketing Executives International Study showed salespeople went from eight orders per 100 cold calls to 38 orders per 100 when direct mail was used.
Try an editorial style ad. These are ads that look like actual stories in the newspaper. They will have "advertisement" at the top of the article. Develop a good headline, and 50% more people will read the article than would read an ad of the same size.
You can't match larger competitors dollar-for-dollar but, you can use unusual approaches (like the Avis idea above), color, music, slogans, humor (be careful here), or media selection to win your market away from the big guys.
Due to the high costs of conventional advertising on, radio, TV, newspapers, many cost conscious business have been forced to look for lower cost methods. Can you advertise on parking meters, taxi boards, balloons, blimps, and grocery shopping carts. Community bulletin boards, movie ads, and weekly newspaper shoppers.
Key your ads. Put something in the ad that will let you know which media it came from. On coupons, put a code that will record the paper and date of the ad. In radio or TV, have them mention the ad to get the discount. Ask every customer how they found you.
Plan for a rainy day. During the year put a small amount aside each month for emergencies. You never know when you'll need to react quickly to whatever the competition is doing. You must be able to capitalize on breaking national events or news regarding your industry. If negative things happen in your industry you may need to respond quickly to make sure the right message is presented.
Always give the customer more than you promised and more than they expected. This is tip number 27 of the 25 we advertised. Maybe this last one is the one you needed.
I hope these tips will help your business grow. Not all may be relevant to your particular situation. Hopefully, they will illustrate the importance to plan and control your advertising budget.
If there is one mistake small town businesses make more often than any other it's, "What ever is left over, we'll use for advertising."
Marketing and advertising is an investment, not an expense.
I know it sure seems like an expense to me when I'm writing the check, but trust me it's not.
Without enough money put aside for advertising your sales can go down and you suddenly have less and less for promotion.
When do you advertise the most? For most businesses it's the first day of business.
Don't you have a Grand Opening, balloons, flyers, ads, on-site radio stations, contests, and prizes?
Did the income from sales pay for that? No, it didn't. You advertise most when you need business. You advertise more when you don't.
An average cost of advertising is usually 1 to 5% of gross sales, which can vary according to location, local advertising rates, and industry. Car dealers need more advertising than funeral homes.
before we get to the 25 tips let's look at the basic strategies of successful advertising.
* In order to be successful, your advertising must provide a consumer benefit or solve a problem.
* That benefit or solution must be wanted by the consumer.
* The product or service you are offering must be tied directly to that benefit or solution.
* The benefit or solution must be distinctly communicated through medial advertising. In other words, be clear, forget the advertising glitz and make sure the message isn't lost in the ad.
A small-budget advertiser doesn't have the ''deep pockets" to develop big advertising campaigns. Some time you need to break the rules to be noticed.
Avis did it by admitting they were "Number 2" in the car rental business and that campaign took them from 6th place to second place.
When they stopped that campaign they dropped back to 6th again. In the past year they have gone back to it.
Budget conscious advertisers must achieve top results for their advertising dollar. Expand your dollars by adopting some creative techniques.
Here's 25 tips I hope will help you.
Radio, newspapers and magazine specialists will frequently give free help in developing an advertising strategy. Things like demographic information, money-saving ways to produce your ads etc.
Place your ads in off hours or in unusual locations for less. Many times you can still reach your target market with these spots.
Instead of a one-time big splash ad, be consistent with frequent small ads that work.
Monthly magazines sometimes have unsold ad space at the end of the month they will sell at a discount.
If you have an 800 number, put it in every ad for immediate response and feedback.
Try advertising consistently in the classifieds. These ads may draw more customers than more expensive display ads.
Can you barter for the cost of ad production? Maybe the newspaper needs painting in exchange for an ad about your paint store.
Piggyback advertising are the ads you receive with your Mastercard bill. Is there someone in your town that sends out a lot of bills? Can you put a small flyer in with their bills and split the postage? Or pay a small fee?
Split advertising costs with the people who sell to you. Vendors and manufactures are always looking for exposure. Let people know you carry their products and have the vendor pick up part of the ad cost.
Are there up front advertising discounts for cash?
Consider advertising in regional issues of national magazines. The costs are lower and you can still reach your target market. TV Guide is a good choice. It stays around for at least a week. Time, Newsweek, and US News and World Report may stay in local doctors offices for years.
Share ad costs with neighbor business. Video stores and Pizza parlors are natural partners. Have coupons to each others stores or share the cost of flyers.
Try reducing the size of your ad (not in the Yellow Pages) or length of your radio spots. A 60 second spot is not twice as much as a 30 second spot but you won't get twice as many customers for a 60 over a 30. Going with small ads or shorter spots will allow you to do more ads which normally pulls more customers. It's better to be there every day with small ads than every month with one big one.
Develop tight production controls to minimize the need to reject finished ads. The message is more important than the messenger. Don't try to produce ads that win awards, produce ads that sell.
Who are your very best customers? Aim your ads to talk directly to people like them.
What will suppliers give you in the way of point-of-purchase materials. Posters, stand ups, handouts, etc. Some have excellent display racks you can use.
Some national chains like Coke and Pepsi provide outdoor signs for businesses. There are also indoor lighted signs you write on with special markers to advertise your special offers.
Can you sponsor a community event? A fun-run, golf tournament, or other event that will be well publicized in the community. Your name may not be prominently displayed but sometimes the positive exposure in the community will bring in new customers.
Small businesses can seldom afford saturation advertising. You must be selective in the media that reaches your customers. Pin your ad reps down and make them show you exactly how their media reaches your target audience.
Exploit the media you choose to the fullest. If your message is verbal, you don't need TV. Use radio, billboards and newspapers to the fullest.
Consider direct mail. A letter and brochure before customer contact can increase business. An IBM study concluded that selling time can be reduced from 9.3 to 1.3 total hours with direct mail advertising. A Sales and Marketing Executives International Study showed salespeople went from eight orders per 100 cold calls to 38 orders per 100 when direct mail was used.
Try an editorial style ad. These are ads that look like actual stories in the newspaper. They will have "advertisement" at the top of the article. Develop a good headline, and 50% more people will read the article than would read an ad of the same size.
You can't match larger competitors dollar-for-dollar but, you can use unusual approaches (like the Avis idea above), color, music, slogans, humor (be careful here), or media selection to win your market away from the big guys.
Due to the high costs of conventional advertising on, radio, TV, newspapers, many cost conscious business have been forced to look for lower cost methods. Can you advertise on parking meters, taxi boards, balloons, blimps, and grocery shopping carts. Community bulletin boards, movie ads, and weekly newspaper shoppers.
Key your ads. Put something in the ad that will let you know which media it came from. On coupons, put a code that will record the paper and date of the ad. In radio or TV, have them mention the ad to get the discount. Ask every customer how they found you.
Plan for a rainy day. During the year put a small amount aside each month for emergencies. You never know when you'll need to react quickly to whatever the competition is doing. You must be able to capitalize on breaking national events or news regarding your industry. If negative things happen in your industry you may need to respond quickly to make sure the right message is presented.
Always give the customer more than you promised and more than they expected. This is tip number 27 of the 25 we advertised. Maybe this last one is the one you needed.
I hope these tips will help your business grow. Not all may be relevant to your particular situation. Hopefully, they will illustrate the importance to plan and control your advertising budget.
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