Did you know that as of 2018 there are over 30 million small businesses in the United States? If you are looking at ways to market your business there are quite a few choices available. We are going to share a few types of advertising that every small business should know about.

Keep reading below for 9 different ways to advertise your company.

1. Display Ads

This refers to ads on both print and digital. Digital advertising is more common nowadays than traditional newspaper ads but they are both similar in the sense that you are buying ad space on sites or papers that your target demographic looks at. 

In the digital world, you can use SEO techniques to reach your target audience more effectively when they are searching for the product that you have to offer. You also have options of bidding on keywords that are associated with your service or products and pay for your results to be at the top of the search results when people are searching.

2. Video Ads

Videos are becoming more and more popular because they capture people’s short attention span. This type of advertisement engages your target customers on a different level than display ads. 

You can get creative when it comes to video ads and post short videos on your social media accounts or pay for it to show up on different blogs or sites like YouTube, Vine, Vimeo, and Hulu.

You never know if your video will be the next one to go viral that will have people talking for days or even months. 

3. Email Marketing

Do not underestimate the power of email. This type of advertisement still works and typically it is best for existing customers. When a customer or potential customer signs up for a promotional sale or for a newsletter you can then use that to your advantage.

These customers are already interested in what you have to offer. This means that you can talk to them through email about either a new product, service, or to give them tips that will help them that pertain to what you have to offer.

4. Social Media Ads

Social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook all have relatively inexpensive advertising available. With social media ads, you can target your specific target audience and depending on how much you pay you can choose how many people see your ad and engage with it.

5. Podcasts and Radio

You can have a radio spokesperson or someone running a podcast give a verbal promotion for your business. This can be repeated often as part of a radio or podcast show. When choosing the podcast or radio station narrow down to the types of podcasts that your target audience is listening to. 

6. Direct Mail Advertising

This is where ads are delivered to a person’s home through the mail. This can range from brochures to sales letters to newsletters to catalogs. This is not a very popular type of advertising in today’s digital world but it can be very successful when it is done with creativity.

You want to make a visually appealing campaign that will capture local consumers’ attention. Adding a sale for a certain period of time, an eye-catching image and words to persuade someone to take action will allow you to give your potential customer a message on a one-to-one basis.   

7. Mobile Phone Advertising

Who do you know that doesn’t have a cell phone nowadays? This is why advertising on cell phones is a smart move. This type of advertising has gained more popularity in the past years. 

These ads are specifically made to be viewed from a smartphone without annoying the end user. It can either be done through video, images, or text. When it comes to advertising on a mobile phone you want to make sure that the loading time is not slow it should be fairly quick (almost instant preferably) and the call to action buttons have to stand out. 

8. Banners

This was the first type of advertisement that appeared online. This is kind of like a billboard but it is on a website instead. Banners are strategically placed with different designs, sizes, and formats on a certain page where your target audience hangs out.

Before spending money on banners make sure that you are placing these ads somewhere that makes sense with your product or service. 

9. Event Marketing

If there is an event, a charity benefit, or a local sports team you can sponsor, you can reach all the people that attend that specific event. You will want to make sure that your product or service makes sense with that event. 

For example, if your target audience hangs out at sporting events and you have something that you can offer them, sponsoring a sporting event will make sense. People will hear your brand name and automatically associate it with the event they attended.

If you can sponsor the same event multiple times then it will give people a chance to see you over and over again if they continue to attend that event.

Which Types of Advertising Will You Use?

Now that you have our top types of advertising you can choose one or a few to implement into your business. Internet advertising is much more accessible and affordable for small businesses than traditional ads and billboards. 

Make sure that you have a presence on social media because this has become necessary for small businesses. 

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