What’s the best way to advertise a small business?

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What is the best way to advertise your business?

From being active in appropriate online communities to releasing a press statement, here are 20 answers to the question, “What is the best way to advertise your business?”

  • On Buses Trains and Automobiles… and More
  • Make Interesting Content
  • Through Social Media
  • List your business on Google My Business
  • Website Retargeting to Attract Your Lost Visitors
  • Embrace the New Age Marketing Channels
  • Direct Mail
  • Be Everywhere Your Target Audience is
  • Podcast Guesting Leverages Already Engaged Audiences
  • Release a Press Statement
  • Use a Cheerful Selfie Instead of a Logo On Social Media
  • Linkedin Can Generate a Response
  • Advertising Your Business–the Right Way
  • Work With Micro-influencers
  • Being Active in Appropriate Online Communities
  • Go Back to Basics
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • The Best Way is to Spend Less
  • Define Your Target Audience First of All
  • We Used Google Ads to Reach the Targeted Audience

On Buses Trains and Automobiles… and More

Out-of-home advertising delivers a lasting impact that other digital and traditional marketing channels can’t match. In addition to billboards, OOH advertising includes everything from ads on the sides of buses, trains, and taxis to point-of-sale displays, such as posters, banners, signs, and window stickers. Because these ads exist in the real world, they’re far more immersive. They attract buyers’ attention more quickly and retain it for longer. And with inflation causing advertising prices to rise, OOH remains the most cost-effective advertising method with the highest ROI of all media channels. That’s because it’s a more affordable and effective way to target thousands of consumers in one location and time frame.

Chris Gadek, VP of Growth, AdQuick

Make Interesting Content

The secret to building brand recognition and establishing a connection with your target market is content. By producing interesting content, whether it be through a blog, video tutorials, or infographics, you can demonstrate your subject matter expertise and win over your audience’s trust. You may use any social media site, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, to advertise your products and services by making interesting videos that appeal to your target audience.

Sanket Shah, CEO, InVideo

Through Social Media

Advertising your business can take many forms. Some methods are more effective than others, and the best way to find out what works for your business is to experiment with different approaches. One popular way to advertise is through social media. This can be a great way to reach a large number of people in a short amount of time. However, it is important to use social media effectively, or you risk turning potential customers away. Ensure you are posting interesting and relevant content that will grab people’s attention. There is no one right answer when it comes to advertising your business. The best method is usually the one you experiment with and find to be most effective for your business. Keep your target audience in mind, and don’t be afraid to try different approaches until you find the one that works best for you.

Hilary Kozak, VP of Marketing, LivSmooth

List your business on Google My Business

Never underestimate the power of local listing: The first step to free advertising is to list your business on Google My Business. It is advantageous to get listed on Google My Business because it allows you to target customers near your area looking for businesses like yours. It is possible to add images, location, working hours, and reviews to make it more helpful for your target customers. As for reviews, they are my best weapon in this very competitive business environment. Encourage your customers to leave reviews for your products and services since potential customers check them first these days.

Tristan Harris, Demand Generation Senior Marketing Manager, Thrive Agency

Website Retargeting to Attract Your Lost Visitors

I’d consider website retargeting as the best form of advertising. While the cost of advertising has increased over the past few years, I personally consider retargeting to be a worthy investment. Lots of people come to your business site or your product’s site through different channels (word-of-mouth, SEO, Google, digital marketing). It takes at least 6-7 touchpoints for them to know and recognize your brand, and it’s very easy to make them come back if you retarget them after their initial visits. We’ve seen good results through Facebook retargeting.

Anirudh Murali, Co-founder and CEO, Economize, Inc.

Embrace the New Age Marketing Channels

Traditional advertising forms are getting replaced with dynamic ads, social media carousels, and interactive content that resonates with the targeted audience. Even though there’s no one-size-fits-all solution out there, the new age social media channels like TikTok are attracting huge numbers and engagement like never seen before. Businesses in many industries can benefit from valuable and interesting content being pushed to social media feeds, whether it be for brand awareness or spiking interest in a new product or service. It’s always a good idea to branch out (or at least test out) the emerging new platforms of advertising and see what works best for your audience/industry. Interesting and valuable content is always the key.

Dejan Kvrgic, Founder, ProContent Services

Direct Mail

I’ve been in the business of marketing for a long time. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in the industry, and they taught me that there’s no better way to advertise your business than through direct mail. Direct mail is personal, it’s targeted, and it’s hard to ignore. It can be sent directly to your customers’ homes or businesses, and it doesn’t get lost in their inboxes or spam folders like email does—it sits on their doorstep until they open it up and read it! Because it’s so targeted, you’re able to reach exactly who you want to reach without wasting money on other people who aren’t interested in what you have to offer. You can also include coupons or discounts with your pieces so that customers feel like they’re getting something extra when they order from you. And if they don’t buy right away? No problem! The piece will still be sitting there on their doorstep when they’re ready to place their order.

Rengie Wisper, Marketing Manager, Check CPS

Be Everywhere Your Target Audience is

The best way to advertise your business is to identify where your target audience spends their time and attention, and show up there consistently. Focus on the right platform for your business and demographic so that you can ensure your message is reaching its intended target. Don’t be afraid to ignore some platforms or media types completely if they don’t fit your customer profile. If your audience is Gen Z, they’re not reading newspapers – try TikTok instead. If your audience is retirees, ignore Snapchat completely – focus instead on Facebook. Once you know who your target audience is, and where they spend their time, concentrate on building relationships there.

John White, Director, We Run

Podcast Guesting Leverages Already Engaged Audiences

Podcast guesting is an excellent way to generate greater interest in your business as you share your expertise and build trust with an audience that is already engaged. Pre-show marketing by your team and the podcaster builds excitement, getting more listeners to tune in. And associating your name with a popular podcast can significantly improve your brand’s awareness and credibility. But the best part is that the conversation doesn’t end when the podcast ends. Podcast organizers typically record and share the show’s content and your contact links on the show’s websites and social media channels. This increases the likelihood that qualified prospects will reach out to connect with you and check out your brand’s website.

Daniel Kroytor, Founder and Director, Tailored Pay

Release a Press Statement

You can consider creating a press statement to distribute to your neighborhood news outlets whenever your company does something noteworthy or interesting. I consider press releases as the best way to advertise your business. These newspapers deliberately seek out captivating tales, frequently using press releases as the basis for their articles. When they do, your company benefits from free advertising and distribution, expanding your market reach.

Kurt Uhlir, Chief Marketing Officer, kurtuhlir

Use a Cheerful Selfie Instead of a Logo On Social Media

If you are a small business, you are better off associating a human identity with your brand on social media. This helps you better emotionally connect to your audience. Preferably, use your cheerful selfie picture instead of the traditional business logo. Strive to put out fascinating video content featuring you as the story’s protagonist. This works magically, especially when you are targeting a Gen Z audience. Here is the trick: today’s buyers are becoming increasingly apathetic to brands on social media. Instead, Gen Z on social media wants to connect with humans first before businesses because they trust humans more, as the latter are more likely to feel and share their circumstances. Forget the now-extinct stereotypes of appearing formal as a brand. No, be fun, and your videos should reflect this cheerfulness. Is there a trend on TikTok? Jump on it! No, being a business doesn’t mean you should only wear three-piece suits on social media and be perpetually formal.

Lotus  Felix, CEO, Lotusbrains Studio

Linkedin Can Generate a Response

One media feature on my LinkedIn profile has generated thousands of visits to our website, where shoppers and potential shoppers can browse through our vast collection of home furnishings. Our sheets, bed frames, and mattresses are on full display on our main page, and we strategically place our new arrivals in an area of our website where people can easily find them. We also offer people an opportunity to unlock a 15% discount on their first purchase. People have come to our website in droves due to a single LinkedIn post. It was a simple and effective advertising effort.

Emily Saunders, Chief Revenue Officer, eLuxury

Advertising Your Business–the Right Way

Advertising your business is a fine art that needs to be perfected. Any business can advertise their services, but there’s a right way to do it. First off, using social media is a MUST. Take advantage of Facebook and Instagram and look into running ads on there. At the very least, you can start promoting your brand via posts on those platforms. YouTube is another site that is great for raising awareness for your business. Brands can pay for ads to appear before a video begins. As far as the content you want to put forth for advertising, make sure any copy/photos are well-written and professional. Remember, your ads have the chance to be viewed by many people. You want to put your best foot forward in promoting that content.

Lark  Allen , Content marketing specialist, Drive Research 

Work With Micro-influencers

The influencer market is undoubtedly booming, and brands are using this new tool to their advantage. If you want to capitalize on one of the best ways to advertise your business, tap into influencers in your niche and arrange a collaboration with them. It’s crucial to find influencers whose core values align with yours, and also remember that although they may not have a large following, their niche audience is perfect for you to target.

Ashley  DeJesus, Marketing Manager, AIS Network

Being Active in Appropriate Online Communities

Being active in the appropriate online communities is one unique way I advertise my business. Since writers regularly use our services, I have found that being active on message boards helps gain exposure for our brand. By being active on these online platforms, I have been able to inform hundreds of writers about what we do. We have seen noticeable increases in website traffic due to this simple but often overlooked advertising opportunity.

Bridget Reed, Co-Founder & VP of Content, The Word Counter

Go Back to Basics

Go back to basics with word-of-mouth advertising. It’s one of the most effective ways to advertise your business. Most people trust their friends and family over social media. If someone you know personally had a good experience with a company, you’re more likely to give them a chance.

Jesse DeBear, Fractional CMO, Renew

Search Engine Optimization

SEO is the best way to advertise your business, because once the work has been done, the results will keep coming in with little maintenance needed from your side. The leads and customers you get through SEO are often of higher quality, because they are actively searching for your service. They already know they need you and they are trying to find you. If you can get in front of them, it’s an easy sell.

Jack O’Carroll, Founder, Honest SEO

The Best Way is to Spend Less

The best way to advertise your business is to create a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes paid and non-paid components utilizing a 20-80 split. Unlike the traditional approach of spending most of the marketing budget on advertising, most businesses should invest the bulk on a long-term organic content strategy and then repurpose material from those initiatives to run ads. Most companies make the mistake of thinking that spending more gets more reach and, ultimately, more conversions. However, without adequately nurturing their audience first, they can expect exponentially higher costs to achieve a similar result compared to a competitor who did the opposite.

Brendan  Aw, Content Marketer, SEO Specialist and Content Creator, brendanaw.com

Define Your Target Audience First of All

Before advertising your business, you have to first define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? Once you know that, think about what media those people consume and where they’re likely to be looking for information on businesses like yours. Once you know your target audience and where to reach them, the next step is to craft a message that speaks directly to them. Whether that’s by advertising online or offline, I think it’s vital to first understand who you’re trying to reach; otherwise, you may risk not reaching anyone relevant, and end up wasting your money!

Mark Peters, Environmental Consultant, Are They Eco

We Used Google Ads to Reach the Targeted Audience

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to advertise your business will vary depending on your business and its target market. However, for us, using Google Ads has turned out to be a very effective way to reach new customers. Google Ads allowed us to create targeted ads that appear when people search for specific keywords related to our business, which is copywriting. This has allowed us to reach people who are already interested in what we have to offer, and it has turned out to be a very cost-effective way to generate leads and sales. Obviously, this method won’t work for everyone out there, but for us, running Google Ads has been quite profitable in the few months it has been used.

Paul Smith, CEO, BeastCopy

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