Sunday 27 January 2008

Making The Most Of Your Advertising Dollar

Making the Most of Your Advertising Dollar

A new business can fail or succeed wholly based on the success of their advertising campaigns. After all, if no one knows about your business, how will they possibly be able to make your business a success? Of course, there’s always word of mouth, the most powerful and persuasive form of advertising, but you still have to have that initial push of customers in order to get the word out. Shoppers, as a whole, are a funny bunch with a peculiar psychology, as well. Even shoppers who know about a business, like the products, price, and service, can eventually lose interest in a place of business if they don’t see regular advertising. It serves as a reassurance to them that they are buying at a place other people know about and approve of. Strange, to be sure, but it is the truth. With this in mind, here are some ways to get the word out about your business without breaking the bank.

One of the best ways, these days, to get people excited about your business is to create a website. Domain names and hosting services are cheap these days, to the point where you can pay for the upkeep on a fully interactive website for as little as fifteen dollars a month. With the right optimization techniques (which are free to learn, and, in many cases, to implement), you can begin ranking high in the search engines for the keywords most relevant to your business. This can not only help to promote your business on a local level, but even give you the opportunity to begin selling over the web, if you so choose.

Another cheap way to drum up advertising is with the use of bumper stickers. Have a couple of hundred made up for a reduced price and stick the first one on your personal car. Take them to events and area retailers to pass out. If they are creative enough, people will want to use them, even if they personally have little interest in your company. Just being out in the public, handing out the stickers is a great way to increase awareness for your business. In the same vein, it won’t cost an arm and a leg to get some nice T-shirts done, which you can also hand out and wear, furthering your brand in the community.

And, of course, there is that all-powerful word of mouth. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that word of mouth happens accidentally, or just through providing a great product at a great price. The best word of mouth is as engineered as any other form of advertising. Provide incentives for customers to tell others about your store. Encourage them and create real relationships with your customers that go beyond the confines of your business. Become entrenched in social programs in your community and sponsor events for charity. All of these things can not only let people know about your business, but leave them with a feeling of goodwill toward you, which is invaluable.

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