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6
Ways You Can Advertise Your New Business
- Author: Jeff Casmer
Jeff Casmer is an internet marketing
consultant with career sales over $25,000,000.
His "Top Ranked" Earn Money
at Home Directory gives you all the
information you need to start and prosper
with your own Internet Home Based Business.
Your advertising plan should be a vital
part of your marketing plan. You have
an excellent service or a useful product
and you need to let people know what
you have to offer! People learn about
your business through advertising. |
Because successful
advertising is creative and innovative,
the creative person has a distinct advantage
in developing an effective strategy.
Advertising can be expensive, so you
must be specific in identifying the
objectives of your plan. Each home-based
business is unique, but the fundamental
objectives for advertising should include
creating a public awareness of your
business, reaching new customers, increasing
sales and profits and being cost effective.
The first step is to define potential
customers in the geographic area served
by your business. Do some preliminary
surveys and some interviews to determine
which means of advertising will reach
them. What newspapers do they read?
Which radio stations do they listen
to? Do they use discount coupons? Do
they respond to direct mail? Tailor
your advertising efforts to your market.
When you know which audience you want
to reach and where you want the information
to appear, you must look at the various
methods of advertising available to
you. Advertising methods differ according
to medium, complexity, target audience
and cost. Some forms of advertising
are more effective for a home-based
business than others.
1. Newspaper advertising can be effective
for a small business. A relatively large
number of people can be reached through
a classified ad. Display ads are more
costly and should be placed in the newspaper
section read by your market. The cost
of your ad will vary according to the
circulation areas and the frequency
of publication.
2. Direct mail while initially expensive
can be economical in the long run because
it delivers specific information in
a personal way to large numbers of people.
If you operate a mail-order business,
direct mail advertising is especially
appropriate because you can target your
advertising. Direct mail can be used
to distribute letters, promotional give-aways,
discount coupons and brochures.
3. Brochures can be expensive but they
are essential for any business for which
the prospective customer needs detailed
information about the qualifications
and expertise of the owner and the services
and products offered. More information
can be supplied in a brochure than would
be practical for a classified ad. Brochures
can be mailed, distributed door to door
or given out at community events and
trade shows.
4. Yellow Page directories should not
be overlooked as a means of advertising.
Every person with a telephone has a
copy of their local phone book with
business Yellow Pages. Directories are
one of the most widely used forms of
advertising. The telephone company advertising
staff will give you help in designing
an ad that will present your business
in an effective manner. Be aware that
directories are published at various
times of the year. Call the phone company
to determine the publication deadlines.
A home-based business may wish to omit
the address from the ad. Phone calls
can be screened and clients can be scheduled
so the neighborhood is not disrupted
by an increased flow of traffic.
5. Business cards are another inexpensive
way to inform the public about your
business. They are easy to distribute
at meetings, upon the completion of
a job or during networking. Think of
your business card as a "mini-billboard."
It should contain the name of your business,
the name of a contact person, the complete
address, the complete phone number and
an appropriate slogan or description
of the business.
6. Promotional gimmicks are inexpensive
give-aways that attract attention. For
example, pens inscribed with your logo,
balloons with your business name or
t-shirts can be used to promote your
product or service. |
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