Advertising is one of the most important ways to attract new customers, but it can also be a huge waste of time and money if you don’t do it the right way. There are lots of different methods for advertising your business, but there’s no one-size-fits-all. It’s up to you to find out what works best for your company and how much you’re willing to spend on marketing.
Today’s business is changing fast and the dynamics can almost seem impossible to follow because things seem to be running too fast. Even if you are not interested in marketing your business, there is no escaping it because most of the big companies are making their way into the market and capturing the major share of customers leaving small businesses with little or no choice but to come up with innovative ways of winning customers’ trust and loyalty through proper advertisement campaigns that will enable them to help build their brands.
As a new entrepreneur today, you need to understand that advertising is critical especially if you intend to stand out among competitors who are already in the market or would like to join. In this article, we shared some helpful tips on how you should advertise your business.
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Formulate a budget
The first thing that should guide you when constructing an advertising campaign is your budget. Experts from the New York marketing agency explain that like any other thing in business, you have to set aside a specific amount of money that you are willing to spend on advertising. You should not just go ahead and advertise without having the needed resources at your disposal because you will reduce the possibility of getting positive returns.
For instance, if you intend to hire a professional company for marketing your products or services online through social media, then it will cost you some dollars, but when well executed it could bring about great results that can even attract more customers. Therefore, when setting up an advertising budget, consider all the possible areas where your business might need it.
Create a catchy and memorable slogan
To create awareness of your brand, you need to come up with a slogan that will be catchy and easy to remember. The slogan should encapsulate what your business represents so that it becomes the first thing customers think of when they hear it. For example, Nike’s “Just do it” has become one of the most well-known slogans in the world because it is simple and easy to remember.
Creating a memorable slogan should contain something that people will associate with your business. For example, you should avoid using names, places, or other things that will be irrelevant to your business. That makes it the best way to enable people to recall your business almost immediately, rather than if they don’t know what it’s about.
Design a brand logo
A brand logo is another important factor in making sure that you leave a great impression within the first few seconds of seeing it. Think about big brands like Nike and Apple: People recognize their logos and associate them with the company so much that they immediately see those logos as soon as they hear those companies’ names even if they can’t see them physically.
When advertising your business, people will likely remember your brand logo if they already know what it looks like and associates it with you. Therefore make sure that your logo is easily identifiable so that people can recognize it from a distance without too much time spent thinking about what it could be. It should contain the brand name and preferably a visual that will help convey what it is all about, for example, a picture of a shoe for Nike and a bitten apple for Apple. Therefore, when designing your logo, ensure that the name is simple so that people can easily memorize it.
Ensure quality content in your advertisements
Without quality content, you will not be able to attract customers even if you try every advertisement technique out there. The moment somebody sees or hears something without substance they will think the least of it and move on quickly. For instance, you need to take time to come up with unique ads that will enable potential customers to know more about your business and products than just the product name.
If possible include some information about what makes your business different from others and why they should buy from you. Quality content will also help to create a positive image of your brand which customers will be likely to remember.
Use a variety of advertising platforms
Do not put all your eggs in one basket by relying on just one advertising platform because there is a high chance that it might not work out for you. Try using different platforms so that you can reach out to more people and also test which ones are most effective for your business. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, then social media would be the best way to go while if you’re targeting an older demographic, then traditional media such as television and radio would be more appropriate.
When using various platforms, ensure that the content and design of your ads are consistent so that people recognize them as being from the same brand. This will help increase brand recognition and allow customers to know the benefits they can get from doing business with you.
Don’t forget your local market
We live in a world where marketing opportunities are growing day by day as technology advances, but one thing that has been consistent over time is the power of word of mouth advertising which takes place mostly locally within a small community or neighborhood. Therefore, before you spend loads of dollars marketing your products online, make sure that you focus some effort towards promoting it locally first to ensure maximum results at minimum cost.
Developing a reputation for yourself as being a reputable business owner in your neighborhood will be highly beneficial for your company’s growth not only because people might find out about what you offer that way, but also because you might be able to use those connections in the future for other business opportunities as well as personal growth.
Personalization is one of the most effective ways to ensure that your business is remembered. If you have a website, ensure that it looks professional and has your company logo prominently placed at the top.
When developing an advertisement campaign, make sure that they are consistent across all platforms so that customers can recognize them as being from one brand when seeing them on different social media sites like Facebook or Instagram vs traditional channels such as television commercials.
The last thing anyone wants is for their ads to get confused with someone else’s. Finally, keep in mind how powerful word-of-mouth marketing can be within a small community if you don’t have a large budget for advertisements.
In particular, developing a reputation as being a reputable business owner in your local community is highly beneficial because it might help you grow your company more quickly and provide opportunities to work with other people or even start new businesses later.
