Are you considering taking your passion and your skills to the next level and starting a business? With the current economic bounce the country is experiencing, now’s a great time for startups.
Business advertising can be a very effective way to get customers and get the word out that about the services you provide. This might be difficult since if you are starting out, chances are you don’t have much of a budget.
The good news is that you don’t need a big budget to get the word out, whether you’re a one-man show a small business with several employees. There are many clever and effective ways to advertise that won’t break the bank.
Here we will look at some simple, inexpensive ways to advertise your business.
Free Advertising For Your Business
Let’s start with free services because that’s what most small businesses are looking for. There are several ways to get your business into the minds of the public.
- Directories – There are several directories where you can list your services. Check your area for neighborhood and local directories that are close to home or within your desired distance.
- Community Boards – Boards in grocery stores, community centers, schools, and other public areas that offer the sharing of ideas and information are an easy way to increase visibility. It’s a cheap way to build a local customer base.
- Word of mouth – Word of mouth continues to be one of the most effective means of advertising. One pleased customer becomes an advocate on your businesses’ behalf. If customers tell their friends and family about your company, you stand to gain future clients. Word of mouth includes review sites and community forums.
Handymen services are shining examples of using these methods effectively. Instead of relying on television, most handymen implement a local strategy. They make contact with potential customers through conversation, word of mouth, and community boards.
A successful handyman business knows that good customer service is the best advertisement. Think about it: if you hire a handyman to maintain your office space (which you should), they’ll more than likely ask you for a review online and give you a few extra business cards. Basic networking keeps them going. Watch and learn from them.
Social Media
You need a social media presence to promote your business and build consumer trust. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter are effective ways to bring attention to your product or service. They also allow you to monitor how well you are being received.
Set up Accounts
Get an account for as many of the sites as you can. It’s a great way to stay current and in touch with what is going on in the world of business and your community.
People love to share things on social media. Put offers and information about your company on your sites, and ask customers to leave you reviews and share your account with their connections.
Use Pictures
Make sure your website and social media accounts have plenty of pictures. People are visual creatures. They are more willing to trust you if they see who they are doing business with and examples of your work.
Don’t be afraid to show off a little. Post your success stories with before and after pictures. Use graphs to show how your services benefit customers. Posting pictures of yourself and others in your company builds trust in a great way to build consumer trust. Let clients take a peek behind the curtain and see the human side of your business.
Use Humor
Let’s be honest: taking a look behind the scenes of most businesses would bore customers. Small details are what makes most companies successful. If you were a customer, would you want to know the intricacies of your business?
Humor is a great way to explain how your business works. People remember things that make them laugh. They are also likely to share funny gifs, memes, etc. Humor, like pictures, also adds a touch of humanity to the machinery of your business.
Print is still alive and well, and still an effective way to reach your marketing areas. Check out the opportunities below.
Newspapers
Advertising spots are relatively cheap in local newspapers. While newspaper readership isn’t what it used to be, there are still plenty of people who flip through the classifieds looking for products and services.
Many locales also have free papers and magazines that reach thousands. Your business could benefit from targeting the readers of these publications.
Flyers and Business Cards
These can be very inexpensive to produce. Business Cards and Flyers allow you to be creative and showcase your abilities and you can really target your potential customers.
Hand them out, get them delivered through local mail or publications and post on free community information sharing areas in the neighborhoods you want to reach.
WebSite
Have a website where people can easily find you and see your services. You can send out links to your website through your other social media platforms to build traffic.
Add a Blog
Use a blog on your website to highlight your past jobs and successes. This is a great way to use pictures of your work, showcase your talents and give a personal touch.
Blogs also help you rank high on search engines and establish expertise. Having information that’s valuable to consumers builds trust and shows your passion for the industry you’ve chosen.
Your Logo Here
Get your logo everywhere. On your website, on your flyers and cards, on your truck and on your clothing. People identify with branding as it becomes familiar and recognizable, therefore we trust it.
Use your logos on all your social media accounts to get it into the public sphere. Branding is one of the most effective forms of advertising.
Business Directories
Get your name on the list with companies that might need the service you provide.
Servicing these companies gives you free advertising when people see you and your logo in their area.
For larger companies, getting on directories for businesses is another way to get your name known. Click here to see an example of a larger company that benefits from directories.
Best Foot Forward
You want to highlight your strengths and abilities. As a small business, chances are you specialize in certain aspects of your field. List your best ones so that people can find out what you offer easily.
People like facts and stats. Your ad can highlight your resume, so include things like how much experience you have or customers you’ve helped. These things matters to potential customers.
A few examples, like pictures or testimonials, will boost your credibility and make you and your service more desirable.
Advertising Makes The World Go ‘Round
Whether your business is an army of one or a collaboration, there are easy and inexpensive ways for free advertising. These methods help stretch funds in the beginning of a company’s life cycle, when money is tight.
There are plenty of small details and tricks of the trade that can help you sell your services and get attention and customers. Check out the business section of our website for more tips that will help your business succeed.