Your small businesses advertising
should make every ad dollar
produce customers
Small businesses advertising, at its best, means making every dollar work to deliver immediate results as measured in sales from customers.
By these standards, every advertising effort should not only pay for itself, but also generate profits to put back into the business.
Certainly it is disappointing when the very first small business advertising efforts produce little or tiny results.
Owners justify their ads by saying things like, "At least we're getting our name out there" or "We're investing and building a long-range image," and so on.
Deep down, they know that's not what's needed, at least at the beginning. What should you do next? See the
Getting Started with Your Marketing page for an effective approach.
If you're like most smaller enterprises, your budget for small businesses advertising is very small.
No ad agency will even begin to help you because your budget isn't big enough. Local newspaper and other advertising representatives can offer some assistance. See the advertising temptation article to find out what happens.
To help bring you "up to speed", we offer a free 11 point checklist that covers small business advertising planning and implementation in detail.
It is really up to you to analyze and take action since you know what best motivates your own customers.
So it naturally follows that you have to learn to think about generating immediate revenue from your advertising, not investing your dollars in those so-called image ads.
For instance, there is a big difference between a "business card" ad in the local newspaper and an ad with a real "call to action" headline and explanatory details.
See for yourself. In your local newspaper, create and run two different ads, one of each type described above. And measure the results.
After a few weeks, you'll get to know the difference and will grow in your appreciation of how small business advertising can really contribute to your profit line.
Do it yourself slowly – or supplement with outside help.
If some of these concepts aren't in your personal comfort zone, you might find a local small business advertising specialist who can give you some one-on-one attention.
If you prefer, we are available on a consulting basis to help answer your questions.
It won't cost you anything to see if this approach is appropriate for your situation. Please use our Help Desk page to inquire.
Either way, as a small business owner you easily recognize that small businesses advertising is another one of those things you have to know to survive and grow!
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