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Where to advertise your product or service?
Every business needs to market their products and services in order to be found and be competitive in the marketplace. There are now more advertising options than ever before, and while that is a good thing, it can also be a little overwhelming. The ultimate goal is to reach the largest number of people while staying within budget and achieving a good return on investment (ROI). Yet, that is easier said than done, and it all begins with defining and understanding your target audience. Once you do that, you can get a better sense of what type of advertising would be most appealing to them. Let us take a look at some of your options.There are a number of ways to advertise online. You can place ads directly with website owners. You can outsource the media buying to an agency. Or you can buy ad space from an ad network or exchange. As for your online ad, you can offer discounts on specific products or services or offer incentives for customer interaction. The latter is particularly effective as it gives you an insight into the needs of your potential customers. When offering an incentive, ask that the user for their name and e-mail address, as this sort of opt-in information allows you to send them future newsletters containing information about upcoming specials and new products. An informed customer is one that is more likely to buy.
Traditional forms of advertising are still incredibly effective, but they can also be expensive. TV spots have the ability to reach a very wide audience, but they can also put a dent in your advertising budget. These are often more suitable for established businesses as opposed to small and medium size business looking to gain traction in the market. Print media is not as popular or effective as it used to be but it can be affordable. If your target audience is an older crowd then this may still be a viable option as many older people still read the newspaper on a daily basis and view this sort of advertising.
If you operate on a local level, there are a number of good options available to you. Radio tends to be more affordable at this level and has a strong reach. Also, you can consider sponsoring a local team or event so that people view you as an active member of the community. Talking to your local post office about flyer delivery is also a good idea, as this is still a pretty effective method of direct marketing. There are other methods that are also good, such as educational seminars or talking to the customer at the point of sale. This could be as simple as asking them to sign up for a newsletter or posting a positive experience on a review website. It is worth mentioning that telemarketing should not be an option you should consider as it not welcomed at all nowadays and can actually harm your business as the people you annoy may talk badly about your business.
As you can see, there are plenty of advertising options to suit every budget, and we have really just scratched the surface. Be creative and come up with other options that you think may be attractive for your specific audience.
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