The survival of your business may well depend on your attitude toward advertising. Will you miss potential sales through insufficient marketing? The mount of money and methods used in reaching your target audience are important. Research, proper exposure and cost-free opportunities make a good marketing combination.
Who will be the target audience for your marketing message? Reaching the groups that show potential is essential. Ask yourself who will show the most interest in your market offer. You don’t have to appeal to everyone, just to the right group for your product or service niche.
Which media or methods will reach the largest numbers of your ideal market? To be effective, make sure that what you are offering is visible. Personal contact is ideal; in most businesses you will need less marketing if you are make more one-on-one contacts.
Once you know who your audience is, spend your ad money and time on the media which is most effective in reaching them. Decide if you are able to handle your own marketing. Hiring a pro can bring quicker results but could also cost more than the combined total of the rest of your marketing campaign.
How can you take full advantage of freebies? Use every opportunity to join with other small business owners to promote your unique abilities and services. Consider bartering services with another small firm that does marketing to keep your advertising costs down.
Your local media can be your best friend, one that provides free press while telling the public what a great job you do, or what fantastic products or services you offer. Ultimately, you will decide what you can afford.
Good advertising is not just an expense.
It is a critical investment in your business future.
image by Digital Sextant on Flickr
