Small businesses may lack the marketing resources of large companies but this doesn’t mean that they can’t launch effective advertising campaigns. They just have to be mindful of their budget and be more creative with their approach. The following strategies are often used by successful businesses:
Utilize Social Media
Social media is where the buzz is around nowadays. If you want to see and be seen, then this is your virtual hangout. Businesses can create pages to promote their brand and their products. Upload pictures of your restaurant or your store. Provide a map that people can use to reach your place. Post the latest news on your feed like product launches, sale periods, and other worthwhile information. Provide visitors with incentive to share your content with their friends such as contests with exciting prizes.
Place Search Ads
Search engines remain the primary tool when looking for information on the Web. There is simply too many sites and pages to keep track of. No single directory can house them all in an organized manner, at least so far. You could place search ads that will be triggered when people use certain keywords. For instance, you could ask for your restaurant’s ads to show whenever a user types “pizza” and the city where you are located. This is a form of targeted ad that ensures high relevancy and engagement. Only those who are truly potential customers will see them.
Use Video-sharing Platforms
We have witnessed a lot of videos going viral including some clever product ads. Producing a short film of high caliber can be expensive but not if you hire student filmmakers and freelancers to get the job done. They can gain experience and improve their resumé while you can have an effective video to present to the world. You don’t need to have this aired on TV. Just place it on video-sharing sites like YouTube or in social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If it captures emotions, then it will be a sure hit.
Study Analytics
One of the best advertising tips for small businesses is for them to use analytic tools. Google’s AdWords come with these to help users track their spending and their ad’s performance. They can see the number of impressions, the number of clicks, and other metrics. These are accompanied by helpful graphs that will serve as visual representations of the data. By studying these, gaps can be found and changes can be made to improve the results. They may seem intimidating at first but things will get a lot easier after a while.
