Advertising

Advertising

How to choose the best method for your small business

Efficient advertising is key for your small business success. With all the different options available, though, how do you choose what’s best for you? Whether you’re going to hire an advertising agency to take care of your marketing needs, or you’re going to work your own strategies, here are some questions you need to ask:

  • Who is the target audience? The medium you choose to advertise with depends on who you want to reach and how you want them to interpret your message. There’s no point in running an ad campaign in the big city paper if all of your customers are local, the same as it’s a waste of time to work a localized method if you’re in international sales. Where does your target audience work and live? What types of entertainment are they interested in? Do they use the Internet? If so, would a web promotion be effective? You need to determine the “who” to figure out the “how.”
  • What is your key message? Certain media lend themselves better to particular messages. You want to focus on simplicity in order to efficiently reach your customers, so make sure your message suits the medium you’re using.
  • What are your objectives? Do you want a large campaign? Are you trying to drum up new business or retain previous customers? Your medium and your locations will be determined by your objectives.
  • What is your budget? Advertising shouldn’t take any more than 5 percent of your complete budget. Any more than that and you’ll find you aren’t getting out what you put in. With that in mind, you should have an approximate operating budget prepared for all your advertising needs. Make sure you consider a variety of different advertising methods in order to find which ones will cover your objectives without exceeding your budget.

Advertising Agencies

Some business owners find that the process of creating an advertising solution is too time consuming, and prefer to use an advertising agency. Ad agencies are experts in the marketing field and may be able to make better use of your budget - which will balance out the cost it takes to hire them.

Before you choose an advertising agency, consider:

  • Size. If you’re a small town corner shop, you don’t need a high stakes player managing your advertising campaigns. Make sure the size of the agency suits the size of your needs.
  • Reputation. Who do they list as customers? Contact them! Are they satisfied? Does the company come with recommendations? You don’t want to waste valuable marketing dollars on inefficient agencies.
  • Budget. Does the company respect your budget and have solutions available within your range? Never let an ad agency push you into a marketing method that exceeds your grasp. Advertising is meant to make you money, not waste it!