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How do you choose an advertising platform that suits your business and campaign strategy? Let’s go through some of the most effective ways to advertise your business.
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After setting up a new business, the next target would be to reach as many customers as possible. In most cases, businesses resort to mounting signage. This can include customized pylon signs to direct customers to the business location. This is, however, not enough to attract enough potential customers to patronize your services.
With advertising being more diversified, you can reach thousands of customers without relying solely on traditional media like print, radio, and television. The likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and many other social media advertising platforms are giving businesses more options to reach targeted clients.
But how do you know or choose an advertising platform that suits your business and campaign strategy? Let’s go through some of the most effective ways to advertise your business.
Advertising Your Business on Social Media
Most social media platforms, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, have advertising platforms where businesses can reach their target audience. However, with millions of people signed up on more than one social media network, it is easier to reach and engage more people using targeted ads.
You start by creating business pages on selected social media networks with full details of your business, including location, website, and email. But before choosing a social media platform to use for advertising your business, know your target audience and the platform they mostly use. This gives your company value for the money you spend.
Afterward, use strategic postings and updates to create product and service awareness. Be engaging with your audience and responsive to questions and inquiries.
When you advertise your business on social media, your goals can be to increase sales, reach more people, or generate traffic to the business website. Depending on these business goals and plans, you can create a marketing campaign targeting a specific audience. You may want to read more on how to create a successful social media campaign.
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Public/Media Relations
A misperception out there is that only big businesses require the services of public relations (PR) professionals. But whether yours is a big or a small business, good PR can create a positive image of your company within the media space. With an effective public/media relations strategy, you can easily promote new products and services and achieve your intended target. Provided you use the right media platform, your program coverage can reach thousands of potential clients.
You can also use PR to raise awareness on specific topics, debunk false claims about your company, and create an enabling company-public relationship.
Press Advertisements
Press advertisement in newspapers, magazines, or tabloids is another way to reach your target audience. Buying a press advertising space can be expensive. For this reason, you need to make good use of the space. The advertisement should be detailed. It must at least address all basic questions about the brand, product, or services.
Most importantly, your headline should be catchy. Your ad should have legible text and use images when needed. You need to speak like your target audience by using phrases and jargon they are familiar with. When scripting your content, emphasize the product benefits more than its features. Let potential users know why they need to patronize the product and how to use it.
It is always best to hire an advertising agency that can think creatively and develop something interesting for your business or brand.
Digital Advertising
Digital advertising allows you to reach more potential clients through digital platforms like streaming sites and websites, among others. Backed by data, you can reach the targeted audience and achieve measurable results when you advertise your business digitally. You can choose from the various digital ad tools, including PPC (pay-per-click) on Google Ads or paid social display for your digital advertisement services.
PPC is best for businesses looking for leads and sales. With it, you can track your spending to the last penny. Ads are shown to a targeted audience who had previously done searches relating to your product or services.
However, if your goal is to create brand awareness, then consider the paid social display ads. Using services like Google Display Network (GDN) can help you reach millions of internet users based on the targets you set.
Using Direct Mail to Advertise Your Business
Direct mail, also known as junk mail, is another way to reach more potential clients. With direct mail, you send advertising mail to potential clients using collected data. Using an existing customer database allows you to send relevant, targeted advertising to customers who have purchased from your business before.
Another option is to buy data from a trusted source. However, the contents you send out should be relevant to the recipient to avoid them being seen as junk. For example, the elderly shouldn’t be your target for a promotional campaign involving baby food products or diapers. Instead, your targets should be mothers or expectant parents.
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Conclusion
Before running an ad, you need to research your target audience. Know what they want and how they want it. Understand their favorite method/way of communication. If most of your audiences are young, consider running social media or digital advertisements. For older audiences, rely on the press and the other traditional media to reach them.
Whatever method you employ can only be effective and successful if your campaign is backed by data. You can also rely on referrals, TV ads, public lectures, and influencers to market your products and services or brand.
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