Research, persistence and consistency are the three keys to effective do-it-yourself advertising for small business owners. With a combination of these three, a small business owner can become their own advertising agency and keep their business name and message in front of the public effectively.
Most small business owners operate on a shoestring budget, so there is a need for free or low-cost advertising options. That's where the research part of the equation comes into play. Be sure to set aside time to surf the net specifically for this purpose. Search for sites that offer free classified advertising, take the time to check them out, and then select the best. Many of these are pure junk, but there are some that are quite effective ways of getting your business name and your product or service in front of a large audience. Be sure to always include your website address as many of these classified listing will show up in search results.
Research can also yield a variety of resources for your small business marketing and advertising. My small business has benefited from the various free printed materials offered by Vista Print. They are an online printing company which offers free business cards and a variety of other free items. You pay only a small shipping charge. This is a fantastic resource for any new or small business to get quality printed materials for very little money. This is one of the resources I discovered through my constant research and has been invaluable to my business. With a little searching, you can find similar resources for your business online.
Persistence and consistency go hand in hand for the small business owner. We know the importance of persistence and consistency in the day to day activities of running our business, but we must also remember their importance in promoting our business. With all the nuts and bolts issues involved with running a business, we often forget about promoting it. That's where the persistence and consistency elements come in. Focus on making a persistent effort to consistently market and promote your business. Each day, try to do at least one thing to promote your business name and the products and/or services you offer. People often overlook your message the first dozen or so times they see it, but will sometimes respond after they have seen the same message repeated consistently. It can be very frustrating, especially when you don't see immediate results, but it is well worth the effort in the long run.
In addition to these three elements, there are a couple other basics every small business should include in their advertising mix. The first of these is a clearly recognizable logo that represents your business. Think golden arches. If you are unable to design a logo for yourself, spend the money to have one created for your company. Then, make sure that logo appears on every single piece of printed material that comes from your business, and also on every single internet communication you generate, from your website to your email signature. Through consistent use of this image, you will be helping to build your business' brand and creating a visually recognizable reminder of that brand.
The second thing every small business should have is a website. There are so many options available these days for easily creating and maintaining a website that there is truly no excuse for any small business owner not to have one. Your website is an excellent opportunity for you to post extensive information about your business and to easily and quickly update information and communicate with prospective customers. Of course, a beautiful website will do your business no good if no one visits it, so you will need to apply the principles of research, persistence and consistency to properly promote and advertise that website. Research the correct ways to submit your site to the major search engines and internet directories and then be persistent about consistently promoting your website through listing the URL on all printed materials and any other means you can find.
The most basic advice I would offer relating to do-it-yourself advertising campaigns for small business owners is to simply give marketing and advertising the same priority you give other areas of running your business. Just as you set aside time to go through the drudgery of bookkeeping and other necessary functions, be sure to set aside time to research advertising opportunities and then be persistent in delivering consistent advertising messages to all those potential customers out there.
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