You have your product or service – you’ve worked out your suppliers and your audience. The only thing that remains is getting the word out there, and most crucially, convincing people to buy from you.
But how can you, as a local business, convince your community to choose you over the bigger names in the industry?
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Print Advertisement
Aside from a street vendor shouting at you to buy their apples, print is the oldest and most successful of advertising. Have you ever had a coupon fall from a magazine and go on to buy from that brand? Then you have joined the 82% of consumers who trust print advertisements. With people who receive printed advertisements spending 28% more than those who don’t, it is a proven method for reaching out to your local audience and making sales.
TV
TV is trusted and can be a great way to get your message out there. With global brands looking to increase TV spending and a proven return on investment (70% of ads return a profit), TV advertising certainly isn’t to be overlooked. However, with digital media channels overtaking TV as the primary form of news and entertainment, perhaps for smaller businesses this is not the ideal method.
Bus Stop Ads
With 33% of ABC1 Adults (those from the highest economic groups) and 45% of students seeing one, bus stop ads are one of the most highly effective ways to get eyes on your brand, no matter your audience. The nature of these types of ads is what makes them so powerful – they are always there for potential customers to see, making them a fantastic complement to other advertising methods. They are also a great way to localise your message and appeal to the community, who will be walking past your advert every day.
Local Radio
Even with more people moving towards sources such as Spotify, consumers still view radio as an important source of local information. In fact, one study found that for every $1 spent on radio advertising, it generated $12 in purchase activity.
Events
Attending or hosting your own event can be a great way to get many people to see your brand in a short space of time. New customers learn about you through actually meeting the face of your business, which can be a fantastic way to generate leads. Especially post-Covid, when you are no longer limited to attending in-person but can host a virtual space.
With 64% of small businesses utilising email marketing, it is not to be overlooked as part of a broader advertising plan. For accessing your local market, this method may not be as impactful as some of the more traditional methods we have discussed, depending on your audience.
Digital
Advertising to your customers online offers almost unlimited potential for growing your brand name. To ensure customer loyalty, it is important that consumers feel engaged with your brand, simply providing updates to them via social media a few times per week can keep you in their thoughts and promote a close relationship between you and your customers.
Overall, the key thing is to know your audience, discover where they get their information, and not write off the traditional methods of advertising for the flashy and modern digital methods. Use both of these together and you will better appeal to your local audience.
