As a business owner, it can be difficult to know which types of advertising you should be utilizing. With so many options out there – and the internet (and its marketing techniques) changing considerably with each year that passes – it can be hard to know what works for your specific industry, and where your hard-earned money should be spent. We’ve pulled together eight of the best major types of advertising here for the not-so-advertising-savvy.
#1: Word of mouth advertising
Word of mouth is the form of advertising that has been around since, well, pretty much the beginning of time. If you provide a brilliant service or product to somebody, and they tell a friend or family member about this (who actually trusts their judgment, hopefully) then people are going to flock to your company like there’s no tomorrow. Deliver the goods, and you can rely on your existing customers to tell friends, foes, and people they just met on the street about your brand.
#2: Print advertising
Print advertising? Do people even read stuff that isn’t on their phones anymore? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’ here, but of course, you need to be pretty switched on about who your audience is to get this right. Ads in industry-related magazines and newspapers are great for business, and direct mail in your local area is also ideal for SMEs. Be aware, however, that if your audience is 18-25 year olds or Generation Z, then they’re unlikely to be reading the Sunday newspaper. Think wisely.
#3: Signage advertising
Though this is a type of advertising that you may not have considered, signage is key to the marketing success of many businesses, both small and large. Think about your daily commute, and how many ads you see on your way to work: on the subway, on billboards, in the windows of the stores that you pass by. Whilst you may not even be paying attention to them, their existence helps brands to get recognition, so signage is a must-do.
#4: Event advertising
Event advertising is a great form of marketing, particularly if you own a business with a local customer base. To do this, you can sponsor local sports teams, and your brand name will be showcased throughout the game. This has many benefits: it helps your community, your brand is seen as a staple to the area, and your business will get the extra recognition that you’re looking for. Win, win, win…
#5: Radio and television advertising
Radio and television are things that we listen to (and watch) every single day, whether we’re paying much attention to them or not. When you commute to work – particularly when you drive – you probably listen to local radio for much of the journey. Ads put out there in this time do extremely well, especially those that have ‘jingles’. TV is another obvious shout, as most people sit down to watch it at some point throughout the week.
#6: Social media advertising
Aah, social media. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter… they’ve all taken the world by storm, and very few of us can avoid the temptation of scrolling through them at least once every day. They offer a perfect form of advertising for your business because all ages and all types of people can be found here. Carry out some A/B testing on Facebook to work out your market, and be sure to spend your budget wisely really getting your brand out there.
#7: Search engine advertising (PPC)
Search engine advertising – or pay-per-click advertising – is pretty much what it says on the tin. You pay to put an ad up on a search engine like Google, and only pay each time the link is clicked on by a potential customer. Whilst this may seem easy (like, duh, why doesn’t everybody throw money into this?) you also need to be clued up on keywords, search engine changes and the performance stats of your ads. This sounds confusing, but it is worth looking into.
#8: SEO advertising
PPC’s just-as-important advertising brother, SEO is key if you want to nail the world of online marketing. In short, when people head to Google, they usually only check out the top few sites on the first page of their search. If your site isn’t here… well, tough luck, huh? However, using various techniques – like keyword-rich content – you can climb the ranks, and gain more website traffic. Easy as pie (well, kind of).
So…
If you’re a business owner, then these eight major forms of advertising should be on your hit list. If you don’t think that you’re advertising-savvy enough to pull them off, then look into the different types of advertising agencies that could give you a hand. Good luck, and happy advertising!
