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Businesses interested in advertising their products or services have many choices when deciding not only what kind of strategy they want to develop, but also what media they will use to deliver their message. People might think that online advertising is the only way to go these days, but as industry experts like Jonathan Disegi know, more traditional forms of advertising can also be great choices for small business owners. Here is an overview of some of these options.
Magazines and Newspapers
This form of advertising has a traditional feel to it as compared to online advertising; there is a permanence to print media that gives it an advantage over online media – a newspaper might sit on your desk for weeks, but it is easy to put your hands on once you are ready, whereas it may be impossible to track down an online advertisement you saw while you were browsing. Another advantage of this form of advertising is that it can help you convey a detailed or lengthy message which may not be suitable for other media. Advertisers can be selective about which newspapers or magazines will carry its ads, and thus have the ability to deliver their message to exactly the people they want to reach.
Broadcast
Advertising on TV or radio remains a popular way to reach large numbers of potential consumers at the same time. Consider this form of advertising if you have a concise message that can be conveyed in a 15 or 30 second “spot”. TV ads especially allow you to put together creative and engaging messages because they draw on visuals and sounds. As a small business owner, you aren’t trying to reach millions of people – a local reach through city radio or TV stations can be both affordable and affective.
Direct Mailing
This can be a great way to reach out to an existing database of customers that you may have been able to build through direct response campaigns with a personal and relevant message. If you don’t have a mailing list, you can still target a particular geographical area or a particular kind of recipient (ie., businesses, apartment dwellers, etc).
Vehicle Advertising
This form of advertising is more effective than you might expect, and can be very cost effective especially for businesses with multiple vehicles on the road. You can invest in custom graphics for your vehicles or you can have removable signs made. You may even find a number of people will be interested in carrying your sign for a monthy fee.
Business Cards
We don’t normally think about business cards as part of an advertising strategy, but when it comes down to it they remain the most direct and easy way to give your contact information to potential clients. If you want to bump it up a notch, you can turn your business card into something more visible to your clients such as a fridge magnet, pen or calendar.
As you can see, there are many advertising options available for your small business that don’t involve online media. Whether you are trying to reach a demographic that does not use the internet regularly, or whether you simply want to expand your visibility beyond online media, these more traditional approaches to advertising remain effective.
