I have never really advertised, and so, I have found myself limited to referrals. While referrals are always great, at times, you can end up in a situation where your referrals expect the same pricing as existing clients. That’s definitely a problem if you underpriced your services for a while just to build up clientele. So, whether you are selling a good or a service, sometimes you need to be able to attract fresh customers or just customers in general. There are so many platforms that businesses can use to get the word out. Here are just 5 platforms that you can use to get the ball rolling:
What platform should I use to advertise?
- Social media – Facebook/Instagram/Nextdoor.
- Signs – on cars or buildings.
- Sponsorships – with other businesses, charities, organizations, or events.
- Google Ads – pay Google to advertise your business and have it featured in a search.
- TV/radio.
Once you determine which platform(s) you want to use, here are 5 suggestions to get the maximum return for any marketing campaign you start to get new customers in your door while putting limits on the discounts they receive:
Suggestions for marketing campaigns
- Give the first X customers X% off your product or service.
- Offer an X% discount if purchased within a specified time frame.
- Offer a free giveaway for the first X customers.
- Donate X% of the proceeds from sales on a particular day/period to a charity/cause.
- Offer the first X customers a chance to enter a raffle for future services/goods.
These suggestions are all well and good, but which one will be the best one for you will be determined by several factors. Here are 5 things to consider when making the choice about how to go about marketing.
What should I consider when making the decision on how to advertise?
- First and foremost – what is your budget?
- Where is your target customer/client likely to be?
- Do you want to be affiliated with other businesses/charities/organizations?
- What are your competitors doing? Try to be different.
- What would appeal the most to your target customer/client?
Marketing is in itself a craft, and I think it’s worth sitting down with a consultant to get the unique solution for your business that will help to achieve the best results. Partnering with a web marketing company is a great idea for increasing the visibility of your business in today’s digital world. I have partnered with WordJack Media because they offer robust support in everything from website building to sending out newsletters and posting press releases to posting blogs on your website, creating ads on Google and Facebook, and adding social media posts. Increasing your online presence and making your company easy to find through online searches on platforms such as Google can make a huge difference in bringing customers to your door. One thing for sure though is that you need to have marketing in your budget!