These days a lot of businesses are embracing online advertising and marketing.
Many small business owners feel that online advertising is too expensive or not worth the investment when they could put that money into their own promotions.
But with all of the different digital marketing options available, as well as social media trends, and the ability to track your results and know if it worked or not; online advertising is not only worth the investment but can also be one of the best ways for small businesses to market their brand.
Here are some examples of online ads that have been proven to work and help generate sales for many small businesses:
1. Facebook Advertising
Facebook is one of the best social networks for advertising.
You can run targeted ads that will only show up in specific geo-locations or demographics, which gives you a high return on investment if your target audience is within the right age group and/or gender range.
Many small businesses find success with this because of the low cost, and great capabilities advertising on Facebook currently offers.
2. Google + Local Listing Ads
Google has taken over many search engines like Yahoo! and Bing.
They offer many different services that allow your business to grow online, including becoming a verified local listing.
This is a great feature for small businesses because it allows you to be the main or sponsored result for any location-based search, as well as control your entire online presence.
Then you can run an ad on Google that will show up when someone does a local search for services you offer, and also gives customers the ability to directly contact you via the phone number displayed in your ad.
3. Paid Search Keywords
Paid search or PPC is one of the best ways to target your audience as they are typing in a particular keyword into a search engine.
This can be very effective for certain businesses, such as Law Firms, Dentists, or Insurance Agents.
The only downfall to this form of online advertising is that you are not able to know the ROI (return on investment) until after your initial campaign has run its course.
4. Display Advertising on Search Engines and Social Media
This type of advertising shows up at the top or right side margin of someone’s computer screen when using internet search engines, social media, and other websites.
Some examples include Google’s AdSense, which shows up when using Gmail or YouTube, Pandora ads on Facebook, and banners at the bottom of a blog post.
You can reach customers who are not “ready to buy” yet because they are just browsing for information or entertainment.
5. Build Your Own Website
Although this is more of a long-term strategy, it can be very rewarding for small businesses to have their own place on the web.
A lot of times people will search online for a particular service or product and then go directly to the website that provides what they are looking for.
Many business owners often struggle with setting up their own websites because it seems complicated or too overwhelming.
The best advice is to start small and work your way up as you get more comfortable with the process.
You can learn more about building a website in this article: 5 Best Free Drag and Drop Website Builders.
Don’t let the cost of online advertising scare you away.
You can use online advertising to target your audience and generate sales for your small business without breaking the bank.
With so many different options available, as well as social media trends, it is possible to find an affordable solution that will work best for you.
I hope this information will help you make the right decision for your small business.
Good luck!
Related Post: 10 Online Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
Ali is a digital marketing blogger and author who uses the power of words to inspire and impact others. He has written for leading publications like Business2Community, Inc. Magazine, and Marketing Profs. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his family.