Powerful Low Cost Advertisements

Having an advertising budget is a smart strategy. However, if your budget is low don't waste it on a single high-profile placement because the results may be disheartening. It is a much smarter strategy to try a variety of budget outlets in orderto let people know about your business.

There is a plethora of advertising available to small business owners to reach prospective buyers. Buyers often tune out when they see advertisements unless it appeals to them quickly. There are ways to win the small business advertising game in order to let people know about your business.

Most business owners are not expert marketers let alone advertising specialists. Creating an appealing advert is like learning a foreign language . Nevertheless advertising works but only if you spend the time and energy necessary to let people know about your business.

Setting aside time to think and plan are important. This is not just in the writing but also researching low-cost options that are available in almost every advertising category. Display ads in magazines and newspapers are usually expensive but there are cheaper alternatives.

ClassifiedsHave you thought of advertising in the classified section? It costs less and is not a place usually used to let people know about your business. And yet people read classifieds.

Specialty magazines
Many readers go straight to the classified section of trade and specialty magazines . Keep an eye out for publications that identify your specific market. As always, test before you spend big. Place a small advertisement first before you go big to let people know about your business.

PostcardsI recently used postcards for the first time in 11 years to let people know about my business. The pick up response was 11%. I was over the moon with that result. The main reason was that 90% of the leads were converted to sales. Prospects are more likely to read something that is short and sweet. It's also a lower-cost option compared to direct mail using a letter and envelope.

Finding the right advert medium is only part of the problem. That's why you must spend the time creating a plan for your campaign and draft a message that works. Here are a few great tips to get you started:

*Choose words and images that are a benefit to your readers.

*Don't advertise without thinking long and hard. Find several ad mediums that appeal to your market. Give your ads time to work.

*Never make your business name the most dominate part of your advert headline. The headline should state the best and most important benefit your product or service provides to the reader! Optimally, the headline should motivate a person to want to know more.

*Remember, an offer is not a discount in price. It has to be something that the reader will say to themselves, WOW! That sounds great! How can they do that? I want some of it!

*If you give away something put a 'valid to' date on it. When do you want your customers to call? Now or in ten years time. You have to create urgency so make a deadline.

*I'm sure you've been in the situation where you've been unsure of making a purchase.

Is it good? Should I do it? Worse still, you've bought it and wondered if you should have bought it? This is the same process a new customer goes through every time they are asked to buy.

If you offer a guarantee, that feeling is lessened [not eliminated] in the mind of a customer. That's why guarantees can be viewed with skepticism. You've heard the expression, 'oils ain't oils'? Well in my book, all 'guarantees ain't guarantees'.