How to Choose the Best Advertising for Your Small Business

When it comes to advertising your small business, there are a lot of choices out there. TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, the internet … it can be overwhelming!

How do you pick the right kind of advertising for your business? And once you’ve chosen, how do you make sure it’s effective? Keep reading for some tips on how to choose and use advertising effectively.

What Advertising Options Are Available for Small Businesses

There are two main types of advertising: paid and free.

Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is where you pay to have your ad placed in a certain spot, like on a billboard, in a magazine, or on a website. You usually have to pay every time someone sees or hears your ad (this is called “impression”), or every time someone clicks on it (this is called “click-through”).

There are a few different types of paid advertising:

Search engine marketing (SEM)

This is when you pay to have your ad appear at the top of a search engine results page (SERP), like Google. SEM can be done through pay-per-click (PPC) ads or cost-per-click (CPC) ads.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

This is when you pay a certain amount every time someone clicks on your ad. PPC ads can be placed on search engines, websites, or social media platforms.

Cost-per-click (CPC) advertising

This is similar to PPC advertising, but you pay a certain amount for every click AND every time your ad is shown (impressions). CPC ads are usually placed on websites or social media platforms.

Cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM)

This is when you pay a certain amount for every 1,000 times your ad is seen (impressions). CPM ads are usually placed on websites or social media platforms.

Display advertising

This is when you pay to have your ad shown on a website, usually in the form of a banner ad.

Social media advertising

This is when you pay to have your ad shown on a social media platform, like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Free Advertising

Free advertising is where you put your ad in a spot without paying for it, like putting up flyers in local businesses or posting on online classifieds websites. This type of advertising can be just as effective as paid advertising, if not more so!

There are a few different types of free advertising:

Search engine optimization (SEO)

This is when you use certain techniques to make your website more likely to appear at the top of a search engine results page.

Social media

This is when you use social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, to promote your product or service. You can do this by posting interesting and relevant content and using hashtags.

Content marketing

This is when you create and share content, like blog posts or videos, that promotes your product or service.

Public relations

This is when you try to get press coverage for your product or service in the news or on websites and blogs.

Which Type of Advertising Is Best for Your Small Business?

So which type of advertising is best for your small business? It depends on your budget and your goals. If you have a limited budget, free advertising might be the way to go. But if you’re looking to reach a wide audience quickly, paid advertising might be worth the investment.

The best type of advertising for your small business is the kind that will reach your target audience.

For example, if you’re selling products or services to other businesses, then advertising in a trade publication is probably your best bet. But if you’re selling products or services to consumers, then advertising in a local newspaper or on a website that your target audience visits is probably a better choice.

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the best type of advertising for your small business. But reach and targeting are the two most important.

How To Choose the Best Advertising Option for Your Small Business

Once you’ve decided what type of advertising is best for your small business, it’s time to choose the right platform.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing paid or free advertising:

Your target audience

Who are you trying to reach with your ad? Make sure you choose a platform that reaches people in your target market. To reach businesses, LinkedIn is a good option. To reach consumers, Facebook is a good choice.

Your budget

How much are you willing to spend on advertising? If you have a limited budget, free advertising might be the way to go. But if you’re looking to reach a wide audience quickly, paid advertising might be worth the investment. If you choose paid advertising, make sure you set a budget and stick to it.

Your goals

What do you want to achieve with your ad? If you’re looking to generate leads, get more website visitors, or increase sales, make sure you choose a platform that will help you achieve your goal. LinkedIn is good for generating leads, while Facebook is good for getting more website visitors.

Your message

What do you want to say with your ad? Make sure your message is clear and concise, and that it speaks to your target audience. If you’re not sure what to say, take a look at your competitors’ ads for inspiration.

Your call to action

What do you want people to do after they see your ad? Make sure your call to action is clear and easy to follow. If you want people to visit your website, include a link in your ad.

Now that you know how to choose the best advertising for your small business, it’s time to start planning your campaign!

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Advertising Budget

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your advertising:

Set a budget and stick to it

Determine how much you can afford to spend on advertising each month and don’t go over that amount. This will help you stay on track and avoid overspending.

Test different ad types

Try out different ad types, like text ads, image ads, video ads, and more, to see which ones perform best.

Test different platforms

Try advertising on different platforms, like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more, to see which ones generate the best results. It’s important to test different platforms to see what works best for your business.

Know your audience

Who are you trying to reach with your advertising? Knowing your target market will help you choose the right type of advertising.

Set goals

What do you want to achieve with your advertising? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or make sales? Once you know your goals, you can choose the best type of advertising to achieve them.

Measure results

Keep track of how your advertising is performing by tracking things like website traffic, leads, and sales. This will help you determine if your advertising is effective and worth the investment.

Conclusion

Small businesses have a lot of advertising options to choose from, and it can be difficult to determine which is the best for your business.

In this article, we explored paid and free advertising options, as well as the best type of advertising for your small business. We also provided tips for getting the most out of your advertising budget and how to measure the effectiveness of your advertising. Finally, we showcased some case studies of small businesses that used advertising effectively.

When deciding what type of advertising is best for your small business, consider reach and targeting first. Then, think about who you’re trying to reach with your ad and what you want them to do after they see it. Once you know those things, you can choose the best platform for your needs. And finally, don’t forget to set a budget and track your results so you can adjust your campaign as needed.

With all of this in mind, you’re well on your way to choosing the best advertising for your small business!