Advertising is crucial for any business, but when you are not a major corporation, it limits what you can do. However, with local events and technology, there are many ways you can spread awareness regarding your products and services. If you are looking for some guidance, here’s how to advertise a small business locally.
Host an Event
An excellent way to capture the attention of others is to host some type of event involving your business. At these events, you can get your business out there by offering your products and having samples as well. To make the event even more special, have food, music, and more so it can all be worthwhile and put your business at the center of everyone’s attention. This can be solo, or you can even team up with other local businesses for a big event. Teaming up with other small businesses in the area can make the event even bigger, which comes with plenty of benefits such as attracting more people, creating valuable networking opportunities, and so much more. Another option your small business has to advertise is to appear at local events as well, whether it’s a fair, a sporting event, or something else.
Promote with Gear
Many businesses make it a priority to promote with something as simple as gear. By handing out apparel with your business’s name on it, that instantly becomes an advertising tool that can be very beneficial. So, make sure your employees are wearing branded t-shirts, hats, jackets, and other accessories while on the job. Promoting with gear is not only great for spreading the word out about your business into the public, but it’s also a pretty affordable way to do it. If you have a brand that people latch on to, don’t be afraid to sell apparel.
Advertise with Printables
In addition to using shirts and apparel for advertising, you can also never go wrong with good old-fashioned printables like business cards and flyers. There are many public locations where you can place flyers that promote your business, whether it’s just about your services or for a particular event. Another popular method is to have business cards readily available at local coffee stores and other places where you can leave them. For any printable, make sure you have important information on there like an address, website, phone number, and of course, the name of your business and the services you provide.
Improve Your SEO
It’s also important to have a major presence in the digital space, since that is how many businesses are found by customers today. To do this, you will want to put some focus in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which is essentially making your business’s website and digital content appealing to Google. This will then make your site more visible to others who might be searching for your services. To make your business’s website SEO-friendly, there are many things you should be doing. This includes creating new and original content, taking advantage of keywords, and more.
Boost Your Social Media Presence
SEO isn’t the only way you should be advertising your small business on the web; social media is also crucial. If you aren’t already, make sure you have a good social media presence on the various platforms and use it to your advantage. Social media has become a major part of marketing and it can help you communicate to your customers in an incredibly efficient manner. This is in large part why so many businesses have their own social media team that are always active on it, whether it’s pushing a new product or promoting an event. Anything you are doing with flyers should almost definitely be on social media as well so you can reach more people.
Offer Coupons
You can also advertise your small business by offering coupons to customers. While this might seem counterproductive to making money, it’s actually an effective tactic that companies have been utilizing for years and years. Many businesses will often share coupons in local magazines and local grocery store receipts. Coupons are also great because they can entice people to come in and check out your store.
Get Into Email Marketing
Another way you can advertise is by investing in email marketing. With email marketing, you can send newsletters, coupons, and more to potential customers. Like SEO, this is becoming a popular digital tactic that is used to advertise your small business.
Become a Sponsor
Small businesses also have the opportunity to get the word out about their business by sponsoring local events. Sponsoring a local event can be very beneficial, not just for the cause, but because it also increases your brand visibility. This can be done by having banners set up at the event with your business logo on it. You can support local sports teams as well. For example, you can become a sponsor for a youth soccer team and have your logo on their jersey. Becoming a sponsor is an easy way to increase your brand’s exposure, which is why it’s a great way to advertise your business locally.
Wrap Company Cars
You don’t just have to limit branding to sports jerseys or with event banners, either. If you are a company that has a company car, don’t be afraid to advertise on it. What better way to get your company seen then on the road? Not only does it stand out, but you can put valuable information on a vehicle just as you would a business card. The other great thing is it doesn’t require any work beyond your regular business work.
With so much competition out there, it’s essential for your business to get out there and promote whatever you offer out in town and digitally. Hopefully, our guide on how to advertise a small business locally helps! If you are looking to expand your business’s advertising, Chromalabel can help you in various ways. We offer everything from colored labels to book repair tape. With our wide range of products, you will surely find something that can help market your business, in big or little ways.
Update from April 2021
There are often very simple ways to advertise your small business. If you are a brick and mortar store, putting a personalized label on your customer's receipt or shopping bags will create brand recognition. If you are based online but mail products, using customized labels on your packages will have the same effect.
