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What’s Next For Your Micro-Business
Small Businesses Rely On Local Marketing
If you’ve been depending on word-of-mouth referrals to drive customers to your small business, you’re not alone.
In a 2005 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, more than half of small-business owners surveyed reported that customer recommendations are more effective than paid advertising.
“A small-business owner is more likely to talk to their hairdresser, their plumber or their neighbors about their business, rather than spending their hard-earned capital on advertising,” says Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann, executive vice president and head of the small-business segment for Wells Fargo.
When small-business owners did opt for advertising, they decided local was best. The Index found that of the 55 percent of small-business owners surveyed who spent money on advertising in 2005, 67 percent did so in their local newspaper or magazine.
“Those who do advertise clearly prefer their local community newspaper or business journal,” says Macieira-Kaufmann.
But small-business owners aren’t overlooking affordable online ad space.
According to the Index, 49 percent of small-business owners surveyed have paid to advertise on the Internet during the past two years. When asked if they anticipate spending on Internet advertising during the next two years, this number increases to 57 percent.
What You Can Do
Online marketing and ads in local publications allow small-business owners to combine paid advertising with their preference for word-of-mouth referrals. Here’s how you can complement referrals with affordable advertising.
When advertising in a local publication, follow these three tips:
Test your ads in local newspapers and journals before making a long-term commitment Advertise consistently in the publication that gives you the best response rate Ask for the best ad placement spots in publications where you advertise consistently
Get up to speed with local pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on the Internet. With PPC, you produce your own sales messages and bid for position on the results pages of search engines. Local searches – the kind that pay off for many small businesses – produce matches based on geographical relevance. Also take steps to optimize local search engine results.
Learn more about how to effectively target your local marketing – on the cheap. Check out the free online Success Skills Seminar “Local Marketing Made Easy” from the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE). The seminar is online now at www.EntrepreneurialConnection.com. You’ll learn about:
Affordable cinema advertising Tired-and-true Valpak coupons Inexpensive local cable TV commercials Local pay-per-click and search engine optimization Neighborhood newspapers that deliver results Secrets for effective postcard mailings And more quick ideas for local marketing
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(Posted April 2006) |
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