Laurel Tielis
Can you give up advertising now that social media has become so important? You can, but you shouldn’t. Ads are still an immensely valuable way to get your message to your audience.
Online, Google’s AdWords is the go-to place for most small business owners. There’s a good reason for that. The keywords that you buy align with what people are searching for. That sends them to your site, and if they see a match between your product or service and their need, they’ll buy from you.
Newsletter Ads Add to Sales
You also want to run ads in your e-newsletter. In the beginning, all of the ads will be your own. Do a good job with your content and distribution, though, and over time, others in your arena will run their ads in it as well.
As you know, the secret of any ad is to make it reader-friendly and helpful, rather than hard sell. For example, if you’re a gourmet retailer, ads can be placed next to recipes. If you sell apparel, authoritative advice on what’s hot and what’s not, could form the basis of your advertisements.
Computer store owners could offer a helpful hint when they want to get the word out about business. To make the medicine go down, pharmacies could share information on natural remedies as well as new drugs. When you advertise on other people’s newsletters, use the same tactics.
Mainstream Media Still has Muscles
Take advantage of mainstream media for even more effect. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, reach a large audience, and can be very useful in getting your story told.
Clearly, if you’re a small business owner, you can’t afford full-page ads in major newspapers. But you can’t afford not to advertise in smaller, local ones that directly target your buying public. Local radio and TV can also provide good value at low cost.
In a down economy, it’s tempting to hold back marketing dollars. But it’s penny wise and pound foolish. Now you can ask for better rates or higher frequency of run for the same price. Also, as others move away from advertising, your ad will stand out and attract more attention and bring more sales.
Want more ideas about bringing in business? I can help. I’ve been a retail reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.
I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Get in touch at ringupmoresales@gmail.com. Or, for easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.
Copyright © 2011 Laurel Tielis
Filed under: business, retail Tagged: | advertising, branding, communications, marketing, sales
