When it comes to advertising options for small businesses then there are a number of different things that can be done in order to increase awareness of the business and whatever it is offering the public. Clearly it can also be limited to the budget that is available, but even when money is restricted there are still several things that can be done with some of those ideas mentioned below.
First of all it is important to note that the options available will also depend upon the business itself, but in general most can benefit from using both online as well as offline techniques. A mixture of both should then, in theory, open the business up to the maximum number of potential customers and, therefore, make it more likely that extra turnover can be generated as a result.
So what ideas can be used for small businesses?
One of the best ways for a small business to advertise is via pay per click on sites such as Facebook and Google. The advantage of using this approach is that the business is able to keep a tight control over their finances as well as creating a targeted advert aimed specifically at those people most likely to want to use their services or buy their products.
As a quick example, so it is easier to understand, if a company selling carpets in New York used PPC, then their ads would include keywords linked to their business. They set their daily spend limit and when people search for those keywords their adverts appear; however, it only costs them when someone clicks on the ad.
It should also be said that there are a number of free advertising options available online which means ensuring there are links on directories or even just setting up pages on various social media networks. This does require some time to be spent on their upkeep; however, it is a great way of getting the business name in front of people who are likely customers without it eating into any budget set aside for this purpose.
For a business on a low budget then a basic website is still a must as it acts like your own advert on the internet that is able to be viewed at any given time. Research has shown that the public are now more likely to buy or use a company if they have a web presence so it is a useful form of advertising as you are able to sell yourself to potential customers.
Aside from this there are a number of things that can be done offline and one of the cheapest forms of advertising for small businesses is via the production of leaflets. Thousands of them can be printed for next to nothing and they can then be distributed either by an employee or via companies that do this as part of their own business.
If the budget is slightly higher, then newspaper advertising is still able to make an impact even in this digital world. How much it costs depends upon your location, the size of advert, and where the advert will be in the newspaper, but they can still get the name in front of a large number of people and, once again, it gives a feeling of confidence due to it being in the local newspaper.
One idea that is often neglected, and does not have to cost too much, is the use of novelties in order to advertise the business. These can take the form of pens, bookmarks, badges or a number of other small items that can be handed out to people. The good thing is that, whilst leaflets are often discarded, people will tend to use the item meaning they are constantly reminded of the business name each time they look at it.
For small businesses able to throw a lot of money at advertising there is of course local radio, signs, and even sponsorship deals in the local area. They can be expensive; however, do still work in getting the name out in public, which is of course the aim of advertising.
So those are just some of the advertising options for small businesses that have been shown to work for a range of companies. It should perhaps be mentioned that just because it worked well for one company does not automatically mean that every business will have the same success rate; however, the key is to not give up and try something else instead as the perfect plan and idea is out there for every company.
