Small businesses thrive with the right ad strategies. Discover old and new techniques proven to attract more customers, boost revenue, and build your brand.
No matter what the business, advertising is a must. But often, smaller businesses feel like it’s an out-of-reach luxury. Truth is, there are plenty of ways for small businesses to advertise without losing money. This article offers four proven advertising strategies for small businesses. We’ll explore advertising strategies designed to help you grow and connect with more customers at little cost.
Leverage Social Media Advertising
If you aren’t online, then you might as well be invisible. Social media platforms continue to be an affordable and instant way to establish a business presence. Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, at their most basic, help you target and reach audiences according to demographics, interests, location, online behavior, and so much more. Begin by creating pages for your business. Look up relevant hashtags to find individuals who might be interested in your goods and services and follow them. Begin posting content that intrigues and amuses people—images of products, videos demonstrating how to use them, polls and surveys, and more. Look into advertising on these platforms as well. Very affordable paid ads and boosted posts extend your reach.
Use Custom Flags and Signage
At the bare minimum, you should invest in signage to identify your store or other facility. A big sign denoting your name, address, and website, decked out in your brand colors, is great advertising. While a billboard can certainly draw customers to you, it can get expensive. Consider investing in smaller signs you can place around town. Another cheaper alternative is custom-made flags. Flags look great and catch the eye, especially on a breezy day. You can also display flags in many ways, whether on flagpoles or as banners. Some are even uniquely shaped—feather flags offer many creative uses for advertising.
Work With FOMO
What’s FOMO? In short, it means fear of missing out. People regularly experience FOMO, especially when they think they’ll miss out on a great deal. Create a sense of urgency about certain deals and events with flash sales, exclusive discounts, and limited-time offers on your website. Promote these through emails, newsletters, social media posts, and printed flyers, sending follow-ups as the clock keeps ticking.
Invest in SEO
Here’s another abbreviation for you: SEO. SEO means search engine optimization, which means creating copy that ensures Google and other search engines find your site and list you higher on their results pages. Optimize your website and social media content with relevant keywords and meta descriptions. For example, if you run a plumbing company, season your website copy with keywords like “plumbing in (Town Name)” and “best plumber in (Town Name).” Don’t overdo it! Google’s algorithm skips over sites engaged in “keyword stuffing.”
Those are just four proven advertising strategies for small businesses. Start with these and then scale up or down as the results indicate. Be sure to ask customers what brought them to you so you’ll know what works best. With consistent effort, your business can achieve greater visibility and attract loyal customers!