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Today’s marketing world is a lot different than it was around two decades ago. There are many new ways to advertise your business, and its products. This is mainly due to the emergence of digital marketing. With it, the amount of digital ad spending has dramatically increased. This has led to new advertising methods being put in use. Before you learn more about these methods though, you have to first know why advertising is important.
Why Is Advertising Important?
When people hear “advertising,” they usually think of TV commercials, radio ads, and billboards. These are good examples of what advertising looks like when it is being put to use, but it doesn’t exactly tell us what it is and why it is important.
Advertising is essentially communicating to an audience, and informing or educating them to help them make a decision. This is a call-to-action to the consumer. A good advertisement should be unique, influential, and memorable. An ad that has all of that will grasp the attention of the consumer.
Advertising is essential because it provides many benefits to your business. It can increase your brand awareness, promote new products or services, and differentiate your business from competitors. You can’t ignore advertising in your marketing strategy. That would be a mistake, and it could negatively impact your business’s revenue.
Advertising Methods:
There are many advertising methods out there to help you get your message across to the customer. You can use both digital and traditional techniques to spread your message. You don’t have to use one medium of advertising. Feel free to diversify your marketing strategy as it can help you reach groups you couldn’t get if you focused on only one way of advertising. Here are some advertising methods you can use for your business to help promote a product or service:
Digital
In today’s digital marketing world, there are many ways for you to advertise. You can opt for a PPC ad where you pay anytime somebody clicks on that ad. The consumer who clicked on the ad will be directed to your website, which means more website traffic. Another online advertising method is through the use of your social media accounts. You can create social media ads about a new product or service that you are now offering. If you already have a decent following across your social media accounts, the chances are that those followers will decide to check out your website to view the new product. One more popular online advertising method is email marketing. People who’ve opted to receive emails from your business can receive coupons and the latest news about what is going on in your business. You can curate a personalized message to each of your customers so they can be more enticed to open it, which can potentially lead to them making a purchase.
Billboards
Using billboards is an advertising method that is old as time, but it is still being used today! Think about the many ads you’ve seen when driving to and from work. Did they grasp your attention? If it did, then the billboard advertisement worked! You can use a billboard ad for marketing your business, especially if it is a local one. There is a sizable group of people who enjoy shopping locally, so your business can become one of their new favorites. Create a billboard ad that is eye-catching and memorable. Don’t make it generic or dull as it won’t grab the attention of customers, which is the exact opposite of what you want your ad to do.
Print Media
With the emergence of digital marketing, some traditional methods of advertising have seen their usage rate drop. Print media has seen a noticeable reduction in advertising, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still use it today! There is always a large number of people who prefer to receive their advertisements via print. A study conducted in 2017 found that 58% of people prefer to receive their advertisements via a printed medium. Why not take a chance with print media?
Podcasts
Podcasts are becoming a more popular way of advertising due to the number of podcasts that have become available. There are a lot of opportunities for companies to market their ads to an interested audience. Since many ads tackle a variety of topics, you can find a podcast that would be more than happy to give you and your product a shoutout. If their viewers make up some of your target audience, then the chances are that they will check out your business and what it has to offer.
Videos
YouTube has become a popular place for people to go and watch videos. That group is one of the larger groups in the digital world. In an average month, approximately 80% of people aged 18-49 watch videos on the platform. The video format offers you the chance to build trust with your viewer. Plus, videos tend to have a higher engagement rate than typical ads. Video ads can promote, educate, and maintain a relationship with your customers.
TV/Commercials
TV may not be as popular or viewed as it once was a couple of years, but it still presents you the opportunity to advertise on its platform. In fact, in the first quarter of 2019, 92% of people aged 35 to 65 watched TV at least once a week. The key is to find out the best possible time to display your advertisement. You don’t want to spend so much time and money, making an ad that will be displayed at 2 in the morning. The local reach can make those viewers curious about what your business does and what it partakes in. Try running a local ad on TV and monitor the ROI.
What Methods Should a Small Business Start With?
A small business should focus on growing its customer base first. This is where social media can be of great benefit. It would help if you generated brand awareness so people can start learning about your business. Posting updates on your social media accounts will let people know where your business is currently at, as well as what type of industry you’re in. You can provide weekly giveaways, announcements, and many more on your social media accounts.
Also, focus on Radio and TV ads once you’ve established yourself in the local market. You can start getting new customers to hear from you, leading to them visiting your business out of curiosity.
Conclusion
Generating awareness for your business and products can be quite a challenge at first. Fortunately, there are many different advertising methods you can try out to draw that attention. Even if you’ve found the advertising methods that generate the highest ROI for your business, keep trying out new methods to reach out to new audiences.
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