Your Guide to Cheap Advertising

Let’s face it, not every company spends thousands upon thousands of dollars in a month on advertising, and even if you do some savvy, cheap advertising is always welcome. Thinking outside of the big media avenues (like television and radio), which easily are some of the most expensive out there, here are some ideas on how to target great ROI while keeping it thrifty.

Get Your Adwords On

Adwords can offer some great traffic to your website and get your name out there. Since it is all based on a ‘Pay Per Click” model, you need to make sure that you are making each click count – meaning that your website better be ready to convert those clicks into leads for you. In addition to the paid search feature that Google offers you can also advertise on Google’s content network which is cheaper to advertise on, but beware – it is also less targeted.

Getting Social

During the digital age, if you are not on social media (and don’t have it fully optimized as an extension of your website) you are totally missing the boat. Sit down and create a strategy for each of the platforms that you use and then commit to it. For example, Facebook can easily be used for the sharing of ideas, customer service, or support. Then give Facebook ads a shot in order to grow your fan base and traffic over to your website so that you can convert them into sales.

Focus on Organic

Build equity within your online brand so that once you turn off the Adwords you are still getting web traffic to your website. A couple of keys to this is by having a blog on your site (and updating it AT LEAST once a week) as well as consistently participating in social media and building your site around Search Engine Optimization. This is a much less expensive approach that will pay off big time but it takes time.

Put Up a Sign

Put signage on your company vehicles, make sure that the signs for your place of business are easy to read and eye-catching, if a yard sign is appropriate invest in a bunch of those and offer a 5% discount for those who let you leave them. Kinkos has a ton of different sign options, have a quick turn around, are reasonably priced and the quality is great.

Flyers are Your Friend

Print a ton of one-sided flyers and post them to doors or under windshield wipers in a parking lot. These are super cheap to print and we all know some teenagers who would be happy for some extra cash for helping distribute them. Make sure that you are being targeted with where you pass them out and that the area meets your demographics.

Don’t Underestimate PR

Although traditional PR has evolved, with the internet there is a whole new way for it to have an effect on your business.  Send your product to top industry bloggers for them to try out and write about. Donate your product, service or company time to a big charity event or auction. Ask your customers to take pictures with your product and post it to your Facebook page.  Write targeted press releases and get them into the right hands. Participate in online discussion forums. Be a guest on a local radio or TV program. The list goes on and on.

Pick a Niche

There are a ton of different industries, companies, sizes, etc that are in need of your product or service. Although it may be tempting to cast a big net, consider advertising to a few niche markets where you can get a bigger bang for your buck and ensure that your message is really relevant to those receiving it.