Small Businesses for Advertising Ideas

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This collection of small business advertising ideas presents both the tried and true and advertising ideas you may not have tried yet – advertising ideas for your small business to effectively reach your target market and attract new customers.

Tried and True Small Business Advertising Ideas

1. Newspaper advertising.

Besides box ads and advertising inserts, local newspapers also often offer special advertising features showcasing particular businesses – all powerful small business advertising opportunities. Don’t overlook special interest newspapers as an advertising idea if they exist in your area. They may be delivered to exactly the audience you want to reach.

2. The Yellow Pages.

There’s still a lot of people who use the yellow pages to find the businesses they’re looking for – and they won’t find you if your small business isn’t listed there. Get the biggest yellow page ad you can afford; the more visibility the better.

3. Direct mail.

Direct mail can be very effective small business advertising – and is much more favourably received than other direct marketing media, such as email or telemarketing. And even if you don’t have a mailing list, you can still geographically target your mail.

4. Magazine advertising.

This advertising idea can be a very effective way of reaching a target market. The trick is to choose the magazines or e-zines that best match the market you’re targeting.

5. Joining professional/business organizations.

Every professional or business organization offers exclusive advertising opportunities for their members, ranging from free promotion on the organization’s website through special section newspaper advertising. And being a member can be good small business advertising in itself.

6. Business cards.

Sure, they’re advertising. Every time you hand one out to a prospective client or customer, you’re advertising your small business. But why not take this advertising idea further

7. Vehicle advertising.

The reason you see so many vehicles emblazoned with advertising is that it works; vehicle advertising is very visible small business advertising. If you’re not ready for custom graphics or a magnet quad sign that sit atop your vehicle, go for a magnetic sign that you can take off when you want.

8. Sending promos with invoices.

Little advertising ideas can be powerful, too. If you’re sending out an invoice, why not take the opportunity to include some small business advertising? To draw new customers, try something such as a “bring-a-friend” promotion.

9. Cable TV advertising.

So you can’t afford to advertise your business during the Super Bowl. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the household reach of TV. Cable TV companies offer advertising ideas within the budget of small businesses, from advertising on the TV Guide Listings or Real Estate channels through running infomercials.

Business Plan - Sales and Distribution Plan

Traditionally there are three parts to the Sales and Distribution section of the marketing plan, although all three parts may not apply to your business.


1. Outline the transaction process between your business and your customers.

What system will be used for processing orders, shipping, and billing?

What methods of payment will customers be able to use?

What credit terms will customers be offered? If you will offer discounts for early payment or impose penalties for late payment, they should be mentioned in this part of your marketing plan.

What is your return policy?

What warranties will the customer be offered? Describe these or any other service guarantees.

What after-sale support will you offer customers and what will you charge (if anything) for this support?

Is there a system for customer feedback so customer satisfaction (or the lack of it) can be tracked and addressed?

2. If it's applicable to your business, outline your sales strategy.

What types of salespeople will be involved (commissioned salespeople, product demonstrators, telephone solicitors, etc.)?

Describe your expectations of these salespeople and how sales effectiveness will be measured.

Will a sales training program be offered? If so, describe it in this section of the marketing plan.

Describe the incentives salespeople will be offered to encourage their achievements (such as getting new accounts, the most orders, etc.).

Lastly, when you're writing a marketing plan, you need to develop an Advertising and Promotion plan. The next page of this article provides details on how to do this.

3. Outline the distribution methods to be used.

How is your product or service going to get to the customer? For instance, will you distribute your product or service through a Web site, through the mail, through sales representatives, or through retail?

What distribution channel is going to be used?

In a direct distribution channel, the product or service goes directly from the manufacturer to the consumer. In a one stage distribution channel it goes from manufacturer to retailer to consumer. The traditional distribution channel is from manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Outline all the different companies, people and/or technologies that will be involved in the process of getting your product or service to your customer.

What are the costs associated with distribution?

What are the delivery terms?

How will the distribution methods affect production time frames or delivery? (How long will it take to get your product or service to your customer?)

If your business involves selling a product, you should also include information about inventory levels and packaging in this part of your marketing plan. For instance:

How are your products to be packaged for shipping and for display?

Does the packaging meet all regulatory requirements (such as labelling)?

Is the packaging appropriately coded, priced, and complementary to the product?

What minimum inventory levels must be maintained to ensure that there is no loss of sales due to problems such as late shipments and back orders?

Marketing Or MLM Which One is Better?

If you have been online and active on Facebook or Twitter. For a fair amount of time. You will have no doubt seen ads for various work from home business opportunities.

Most of these business opportunities. Fall under  MLM (Multi Level Marketing)  or Affiliate Marketing.

There are still a lot of mis-informed people. Who think,  they are one and the same thing.  If this includes you. Then I’m here to say that you are WRONG!

My way of describing the difference between the two. In layman’s terms is.

MLM is all about the  people. Whereas. Affiliate Marketing is all about the product.

Facebook and Twitter are prime targets for most MLM.  If you study their profiles on those websites. You will usually find that they have.  Loads of followers. Probably a link somewhere.  To a slick sales presentation video. And last but not least. Never ending self promotion messages.  In their Twitter Timeline.

Multi Level Marketers, use these tactics. To try and convince you to sign up to their so called free business proposal.

But after closer inspection. You will soon discover that you must pay a basic introductory Fee. To stand a chance of making any real money. Now the key point to remember about this introductory Fee.  And what makes MLM different from Affiliate Marketing is.

How much they charge you for joining. From personal experience.  I can tell you that it can cost anything from a few dollars. To a couple of thousand dollars.

Most people who have crashed and burned. In MLM. Will be quick to tell you that the only ones making it big.  Are the guys who started it. They would also say. That for the most part.  Multi Level Marketing is a flawed model.

Because...!

You as the opportunity seeker.  Are essentially the only person buying the product.  And you as the dreaming entrepreneur. Will be left holding the baby. When it comes to marketing the product.That is why there is such an emphasis on recruiting people to go under you. Think about it,  all the hype and all the sales pitch talk is about. You making money from recruiting more representatives.Little or no talk is invested on the product, mainly because the product is usually of poor quality, or readily available via other marketing channels. Also, because of the way the compensation plan is set up with all the bonuses and what not. And the price for the product being so ridiculously high.  There is little chance, that anybody will ever buy it from you.

Let’s Talk  Affiliate Marketing

I will start of by saying that.  All of the tactics used by MLM on Twitter and Facebook.  Are also used in Affiliate Marketing. However. There are 2 big differences. That you should be aware of.

1) Most Affiliate Marketing Programs are FREE to join.

2) Affiliate Marketing has a far greater range of product choice.

Let me just state for the record. That nothing in Online marketing is ever truly free. And most Affiliate Programs do advertise an optional upgrade offer.

People who have tried and failed in Affiliate Marketing. Will tell you that. It is a flimsy business with a revolving door of “hot programs” that come and go on a monthly basis.

They will also say that it has very little infrastructure. No customer support. and it is run by  yuppies. Who stroll around all day long in their bathrobes.

Another disadvantage of AM is that it has a far steeper learning curve. When compared to Multi Level Marketing.

Some of the basic skills you need to learn include. Email Marketing, Video Marketing, Blogging, and how to use wordpress.

In theory, you should be able to make money easier in AM. Because of the wider product range available. But in practice it very rarely works out that way.

A common complaint from people involved in Affiliate Marketing is. Suffering from the dreaded Information overload.

This occurs when you sign up to a few  news-letters from Affiliate Marketers. And they send you emails. Telling you that everything  you have learned so far. About making money online is wrong.

They then proceed to try and sell you the latest product. Promising to make you thousands of dollars in a few months or less.