Are you scratching your head at which mediums would be best for your small business advertising? We’ve got the break down of the best platforms for you to use.

With so many affordable options, it can be hard to decide which medium is the best for your small business advertising. Here are the different options that would be effective for your business that doesn’t require a corporate-level budget.

Social Media Marketing

Organic

Social media should be a no-brainer for any business owner. With more than 3 billion active users in the world, you have endless opportunities to grow. Small businesses actually can have more success than larger companies because they are more community-focused.

You have the opportunity to engage and interact in real time with people who like what you have to offer. People are looking for a more authentic experience nowadays, and the ability to engage and make it personal is what sets a small business apart.

Pro Tip: Be active with your audience, use hashtags to target your ideal clients and be a resource in your community. #ShopLocal #SmallBusinessSaturday

Paid

Platforms, such as Facebook, are becoming more pay-to-play than organic with its extensive reach. With this being said, a small budget can work magic if done right! You have the ability to pinpoint your target market directly and only spend money to be put in front of your ideal audience.

Direct Mail

Direct mail may seem outdated, but it can still be a very effective form of small business advertising. If it’s done right, that is. Creating something that will stand out enough to not be mindlessly thrown away is imperative for success.

As a small business, you should have a clearly defined market, use that information to purchase a mailing list that directly targets your ideal clients. Send them something so intriguing they have to open it– and voila, they are now physically connected to your company.

For example: I once received a black envelope that was just gorgeous. Thinking it was some form of invitation, I opened it and what did I see? Advertising for a maid company! Super clever.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is the absolute most cost-effective option for small business advertising. It allows you to reach a large number of people with little to no cost involved. It has the added benefit of nurturing your relationship with potential clients and turning them into paying customers– as well as showcasing your expertise in your field and keeping your current clients involved in your company.

Pro Tip: Try a drip campaign. Start off with an email sign up list that sends out a freebie at first sign up. If no action is taken from that email, have another sent out in 3 days offering a small discount. This will keep you in front of the client and hopefully, eventually lure them into a sale.

Print Advertising

Print is not dead. Yet. Print ads are great for a long-running ad that can be more trusted than a Google ad that someone may just think is spam.

This is the last on our list because it is the most expensive form out of all and can be hard to track the results. With email and social media, you have statistics you can follow hourly if you wanted to know exactly how your ad is doing. With print ads, you may never know who exactly you reached. The benefit is it’s highly targeted because you can place the ad exactly where your target audience is.

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