No matter how big or small your business is, it is always a good idea to find cost-effective ways to advertise. Marketing budgets are always tight, but there are some efficient ways to promote yourself and still come out in the black.
Old-Fashioned Newspapers
Newspapers have been largely overlooked in recent years, due to the rising popularity of online advertising. Still, these old stand-bys can be a goldmine for relatively cheap promotional literature.
Now, I am not talking about full ads in the news or sports sections. You will want to avoid those unless you have a pretty hefty amount of money to spend. If you are really determined to have large ads in a newspaper, go with a weekly paper, because advertising in daily rags is very pricey.
However, classified ads can still be posted for rock-bottom prices. No, they are not as effective as a full-page ad, but when you factor in the price, they are just as efficient, if not more so. You can put in a cleverly worded classified ad (so as to maximize your potential profit with the lowest possible cost) and still bring in some new customers.
Many newspapers also feature inserts that you can invest in. However, these are somewhat costly as well, and should be done with caution.
Radio
You may be wondering why I cautioned against traditional newspaper ads, but am now promoting the radio as a marketing tool. Well, the answer is actually quite simple. Radio spots can be made and broadcast for slightly more than the cost of running a large newspaper ad multiple times. The difference is that, with radio, you can target your audience a bit better. Radio stations have more specific customer demographics than most newspapers, so you have a better idea of who is hearing your ad.
Radio is also much cheaper than television advertisements, and considerably more targeted. Do not make the mistake of overlooking the opportunities that radio marketing can offer you.
Flyers
Now we are getting real “old school”. Believe it or not, flyer printing can still be wonderfully productive as an advertising method. Many people still respond to attractive flyers posted in stores or even on poles or trees.
The key word here is “attractive”. You have to make sure that you invest in good quality flyers, not black and white ones. Get nice, full color flyers printed up and watch the profits roll in. I am not kidding!
Word of Mouth
This is the oldest advertising trick in the book, but still the most effective. Generating positive word of mouth can be free. All you have to do is provide your customers with a pleasant experience, and then ask them to tell their friends.
However, word of mouth can be pushed along even faster with some of these other techniques we have talked about. Clever, well-placed ads in newspapers or catchy spots on the radio will bring more people to you, which (assuming you follow through on your promises) will kick-start your word of mouth efforts. And putting up some good-looking, full color flyers would not hurt any, either.
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