Ways to Advertise a New Business

by Karen Ruth Duvall

Overview

Advertising can be costly for any business, particularly a start-up with a limited budget. It's traditional to devote a percentage of projected sales toward marketing; however, if sales drop, a new business can't afford to cut advertising completely. The point of advertising is to generate the sales you need to stay in business.

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Diversified Advertising

Place ads in several publications, conduct a post card mailing, promote on the radio and post a website to which your ads can drive traffic. Join your local chamber of commerce, where you can network and take advantage of its advertising channels (chamber newsletter and website, for example). Additionally, chambers provide sponsorship opportunities that can help expose your business to the community. Place signs in high-traffic areas. A vinyl sign on a vehicle is inexpensive and broadens your reach. Billboards range from $700 to $2,500 a month, depending on size and location.

On-line Advertising Opportunities

Social media advertising has become increasingly popular and often is free. Twitter.com lets businesses "tweet" their message in 140 characters or less. Setting up a blog through Blogger, WordPress, or LiveJournal costs nothing but time and provides endless space to talk up your product or service. Facebook and MySpace are popular community sites that connect people and interests. Placing ads on other websites can draw visitors to your own site and to your blog. Banner ads are a means of repeated exposure. The message is subliminal because the audience's attention is focused on browsing while surfing the Internet. This kind of incidental exposure creates a positive attitude because the ad eventually becomes familiar.
Make Your Advertising Message Count

To make your message memorable, it needs to be repeated more than once. It should appear in one medium at least several times, but not so often that it becomes annoying. Your message competes with thousands of others, each vying for a consumer's attention, so make every word count. Let your target audience know that what you're offering will have a positive effect on their lives. Focus on the benefits first and give consumers a reason to respond. Features of your product or service are secondary. A customer's first question is always: "What's in it for me?"