Are the Yellow Pages dead?
When you advertise your business, it's important to pay attention to your return on investment. Some of the more traditional forms of advertising, such as radio, newspaper, television and Yellow Pages ads, are costly and may not bring you the business you are looking for. Focusing your advertising efforts online and through networking can be more effective at a lower price point. Look at some of these great ways to advertise a business.
Website and Auto responder
A website lets potential customers know more about your product and company. In this day, it's absolutely essential. But there's more to it than just throwing up a basic page. You should use search engine optimization to make sure that people can find your site in the search engines.
You can make even better use of your site by incorporating an email auto responder. This is an automatic system that sends people email when they sign up through your website. You can then send your customers emails that offer discounts or notification of new items.
Promotional Items
Hand out promotional items to get your company's name out there. You can set up a table at trade shows or at local events. The important thing when creating promotional items is to choose an item that people will actually use. If you're advertising to a general audience, for example, you would do well to advertise on a calendar. On the other hand, you could create a promotional item that fits well with your business. For instance, a paint company could create promotional paint stirring sticks.
Cross-Promotion
Cross-promotion can be another effective way to advertise your business. To do this, look for a company that provides a related service and ask them to advertise your company to their clients. Aim to work out a deal that's profitable to both parties. A dog grooming company can promote a pet store business and vice versa. Other types of businesses may not be so two-sided. A pool installation company can refer a pool cleaning business to their customers, but not the other way around. In these cases, you may want to establish a finder's fee.
Direct Mailings
Direct mail isn't dead and you can use it effectively to advertise your business. However, it's important to take the right approach if you want your mailing to be successful. Identify the demographics that you want to use in your advertising and purchase a list that fits that demographic. Design a mailing that will catch a customer's eye and make them call you. One of the best ways to do this is to offer a special discount through the mailing.
