Main Types Of Advertising For Small Businesses: A Useful Guide

main types of advertising for small businesses marketing

As a small business owner, your number one priority is brand recognition. Your target audience needs to know who you are, what you do, and why they need your product or services. 

However, our society is incredibly capitalistic with startups popping up on a daily basis. While this is good for our economy, it can make it quite difficult for small business owners to thrive. Did you know nearly 50 percent of small businesses fail in the first five years? 

To improve your odds, you must learn the different types of advertising and how they appeal to consumers. Not all forms of marketing are effective, depending on your business and intended audience. Keep reading for a helpful guide to your options. 

1. SEO Marketing 

No matter what kind of business you operate, SEO is one of the most vital types of advertising to your online presence. Search engine optimization refers to the coding or algorithm search engines like Google use to find relevant information based on keyword searches. Your SEO ranking will determine how quickly consumers find your website when searching for information, products, or services in your industry. 

2. Social Media Marketing 

Nearly 80 percent of Americans have an active social media profile. Given those numbers, that means the vast majority of your audience can be found on this platform. Learning how to build a large social media following by posting engaging and relevant content is a great way to increase brand awareness and boost your sales. 

3. Pay Per Click Advertising 

Pay per click advertising is one of the most effective types of advertisement that's risen in popularity as business owners have realized how much time people spend online. PPC advertising allows you to publish an advertisement on a host website to obtain access to their audience. You pay a predetermined amount any time users on the host website click on your ad. 

4. Direct Mail Advertising 

Perhaps the best form of advertising directly to people's homes is Direct Mail Advertising. This time-tested method uses a third-party company to print and distribute your ads through the mail. They help you come up with material that's eye-catching, yet not so commercialized that the recipients immediately throw it away. These advertising businesses can even target certain demographics of consumers based on location, neighborhood, income, etc. 

5. Influencer Advertising 

Building a large social media following takes time. It also takes a certain level of know-how. If you don't have a large audience yet on social media, you can pay to have access to someone else's audience. 

Social media influencers are those with a large following and considerable credibility amongst their followers. If your products or services align with their personal brand, you can pay them or trade them products or services to grant you access to their audience. They'll mention you in their posts, affiliate with you, etc. 

6. Email Marketing 

Another one of the most effective types of advertising methods is email marketing. Encourage online followers to subscribe to your email list by offering exclusive offers. You can also recommend subscribing to previous customers to receive discounts. 

Your subscriber list gives you a convenient platform to promote your business to people who have already shown interest in your products or services. 

Want More Information On The Types Of Advertising For Small Businesses? 

No matter what kind of small business you operate, you know that success comes from sales conversions. Unfortunately, opening up shop and providing great products or services doesn't automatically make you a success. We highly recommend investing time, resources, and effort into the various types of advertising listed above. 

It may take some experimenting to see what your audience responds to best, but hang in there! And if you're looking for any more information on startup advertising and business marketing, be sure to check out some of our other articles before you go. Visit the Marketing section of the Frugal Finance Blog for more tips on small business advertising and digital marketing advice.

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