Until recently,
small business online advertising was something the big companies did. Small local business didn't see a need for internet advertising, but the times have changed. Local searches have replaced print directories such as yellow pages and even the white pages. Quite simply put, if your small business cannot be found online, you will not grow, and there is a good chance that you will not survive.
This article will provide some tools and processes that small businesses can utilize to bring more business to their local business. These can be categorized as internet ad postings on classified ad sites, video infomercials, producing a website and making it visible to the public, setting up your Google Places account, and harnessing the power of social networks.
There are many sites where small businesses or Local businesses may post advertisements for free and many where local businesses can pay to promote local business advertisements. The two most popular free classified ad sites are Craig's List and Backpage. Both of these site will allow text and graphic advertisements. Unfortunately most people who own small businesses do not know the html web language required to produce image ads, so most of the advertisements are boring black and white text ads. What is more important about these ads is that often the search engines find them and bring them to page one for specific product or service searches. Potential customers find these ad postings, and open them to find a boring black and white bunch of text. If the text does get their attention, there is often no link to a website or convenient and immediate method of getting more information. In other words, these ads lack an effective marketing message that converts! Those potential customers immediately leave without even finding out what was there. There is no doubt that these free classified ad sites produce very good traffic. It is important to make your ad stand out by creating good looking graphic ads with marketing principles embedded into the ads, including a call to action and a hyperlink to the owners site, or lead capture or squeeze page.
The Power of Video
Did you know that youtube is a very powerful advertising venue? People love to watch video. Video is one of the best methods for small businesses and local businesses to present their marketing message. While YouTube is probably the most popular video site, it is not the only video site. Your small local business video infomercial can be produced and spreading your message 24/7. If you ever wished you could afford a high impact television commercial, you'll be delighted to know that you can have your own infomercials for far less than a tv ad, and probably far less than you paid for a yellow page ad!
It is even better if you can use a technique of faux Craig's List or Backpage clickable ads to bring the reader off of your colorful Advertisement to a webpage which plays your video totally independent of youtube. In this way you are on a page that you control, there are no youtube competing videos, and you can have a lead capture form and other marketing material on that site. A typical Faux clickable ad (embedded code is not allowed on Craig's list or Backpage advertisements) can be had for about $500 and it can be used over and over again. If you do not have a place to host the webpage for the video, hosting can be found in the price range of $25 per month.
Producing a Small Business Optimized Webpage
This is one of the most powerful tools available to small business owners, but not the only one by far. This process involves the selection and securing of a marketable URL or domain, creating a page or mini site and optimizing it to be found for specific search terms on the internet. If this is done properly, every time someone searches for your merchandise or service, your business appears on the first page of Google as an "Organic Ad" and when people click on that search ad they land on your website. This can be done for as many or as few keyword terms as you choose. Some small business and local business owners choose to start with a few keyword phrases, and increase the number of keyword campaigns as their sales increase.
Google Places
Perhaps the first thing that a Local Business owner should do is to set up their Google places account. Google Places is the new name for Google Maps. There are ways to optimize your Google Places page, and is so important, that it is advisable to seek out professional help to ensure it is done correctly. In certain cases, these Google Places listings actually drive the Organic listings to page two. When your Google places comes up on page one it is a direct line to your local business, including your business name photos of your choice, your business phone number, the street address, website, email address, store or office hours, video infomercials, product descriptions, and much more.
Social media is fast becoming mainstream. Savvy businesses advertise their Facebook and Twitter links to attract more loyal customers. There is an entire industry being created around social media marketing. Small business and local business owners who know how to set up and maintain a dynamic Facebook profile can benefit from exponential growth. Social media marketing are extremely important and very powerful small business and Local business marketing venues, so much so that they require a dedicated article. Stay tuned!
Local small business advertising
