Advertising Opportunities for a Small Business
Owners of small businesses, especially start-ups, often believe they cannot financially afford to spend money on advertising. In fact, when revenue slows, the advertising budget typically is the first place where small business owners slash expenses. However, advertising is one of the most important aspects for a small business. Advertising becomes more essential when a small business is experiencing less-than-stellar revenue. When economic times are tough or when looking to expand and increase revenue, small businesses need a way to attract consumers. The key to managing small business advertising is to remember that advertising does not have to entail spending thousands and thousands of dollars for television or radio spots. Small business owners should think beyond the traditional advertising outlets. Nowadays, there are many ways for small business owners to advertise without busting the budget.
The Basics
When you need to start advertising your small business from scratch, begin with the staples. Purchase large quantities of pre-designed business cards. You want the pre-designed cards to avoid the added cost of a having a graphic designer custom make your cards. Large-quantity business card orders usually will save you money in the long run. Business card companies also usually sell all kinds of other promotional products. With a large order of business cards, you can try to negotiate special pricing for other products, such as pens, stationary and address labels. These are all things that are relatively inexpensive that are easily passed out to potential customers.
Online
One of the easiest advertising and marketing strategies is to set up a signature with your business information on your e-mail program. Every time you send out e-mail, recipients see your business information below your signature. This makes it easy for potential customers to contact you; all they have to do is click on the hyperlink. Another way to advertise online is to barter for ad placements. If you'd like a specific website to feature a banner ad for your small business at the top of the website's page, contact the website owner and see if you can get your advertisement placed as a banner or other prominent area of the page in exchange for your product or service. Take advantage of free classified websites, such as Craigslist, and post your company information. With any online advertising, it's important to keep the information up to date. For example, if your business is having a back-to-school sale, you need to make sure all of your online presence accurately reflects the sale and the sale's duration.
On the Road
Another way to advertise a small business is to use your vehicle as a moving billboard. To look professional, you will want to have any painting done by a company who specializes in that work. However, automotive shops often sell adhesive and magnetic lettering and numbering to place on your vehicle. Take an old-school advertising route with door hangers. At office supply stores, you can purchase small clear plastic bags that have slots for door handles. Print out some flyers that have all your business contact information, grab some business cards and pens, and fill the bags. Drive around neighborhoods and leave the filled bags on doorknobs. There's no need to ring doorbells or talk to homeowners, unless you choose to do so.
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Photos:
- Lemonade announcement by Michael Flippo from Fotolia.com
