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A Few Important Steps For Small Business Advertising

By : Bill Glazer 4 or more times read

Submitted: 2009-08-13 17:48:35 Number of Times Read: 8

When it comes to small business advertising, what works in the world of the giant corporations rarely works for the smaller shop. Small business owners don't have the budget, the research capabilities, or the time to produce big advertising campaigns. But how can the small businessperson sell a product or service if no one sees it?

On the positive side, small businesses do have the advantage of moving quickly. Lead times, message changes, results review, all these can be accomplished in much shorter time frames than a massive company. And the target audience is smaller, benefitting from a smaller, more targeted advertising campaign.

Here are a few steps to a small business advertising campaign:

Research

This doesn't mean an R&D department or even outsourcing to an advertising firm. This means looking around for ideas and seeing what has worked for other companies. Ideas are everywhere. Look not only at competitors, but at other markets, other products, and other media. The message of a catchy local television ad might easily translate to a mailer for your small business. What has worked for a competitor in the past might work for you now. The components of a highly-visible direct mail piece from an unrelated service company might work for your own product placement.

Smart businesspeople study the tried and true advertising strategies and tweak them to fit their needs. They also analyze their current advertising efforts to see if anything is missing.

Devise

Decide on what you are selling, whether it is a new product, a re-emphasis on a familiar product, or a specialized service. What makes this product or service unique? Or, if it isn't that unique, how does your business provide it at a superior price? Decide on an advertising piece: direct mail, radio ad, email promotion, etc. Then make your effort stand out. Design the most graphic flyer, the most startling radio ad, the most attention-grabbing email. Use words, graphics, characters, testimonials, coupons, whatever is necessary to make your ad different from every other ad out there. Be sure to include the necessities: a bold headline or catch line, an offer the customer will find hard to refuse, and a deadline upon which to act. Don't let the customer procrastinate. Make it plain to the customer just what benefit your product or service will provide, but only if they act fast.

Define

Study the result of the ad. Did the response rate increase over previous efforts? Did you meet your goal? Most importantly, did you make money? And if you did make money, and you conclude that this was a successful advertising effort, should you do it again? When?

Research, devise, define. Then repeat.

Small business advertising may be lean, so it must be effective. Be creative with your efforts. Analyze your results. Repeat, repeat, repeat what works. You aren't competing with the big boys and their big shop ad firms. You are competing against the shop down the street. You need to make ads that make sales. Do your small business advertising bigger, better, and smarter.

Author Resource:- Outrageous Advertising Was Created For 99% Of Small Business Owners Who Are Dissatisfied With The Results They Got From Their Current Advertising. For Details About This Amazing Book Complete With 108 Ready-To-Use Examples For Any Kind Of Business. Go To: www.Outrageous-Advertising.com

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