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Advertising and marketing is a vital, yet often challenging undertaking for many small-business owners. Making best use of the advertising budget is often very subjective and what may work for one business, may fail miserably for another.

Some small business owners might find themselves looking for low-cost or free alternatives for their small business advertising in an effort to save money. Although there are some very effective low-cost methods available, using these methods correctly, can prove to be a huge undertaking itself.

With a host of options available, it’s easy for the small business owner to saturate themselves in several advertising methods simultaneously. This approach may seem logical at first because they are getting their name, products, or services into many areas. What is often overlooked here is that marketing a small business is an ongoing process, and attempting to keep up with several different marketing methods on a regular basis, can be overwhelming and unrealistic.

On the flip side, some business owners will choose one method and saturate themselves in that completely. This could leave money on the table, since many potential customers or clients may be looking in an entirely different area for those goods or services.
Do Some Analysis

One of the first things to do when considering your small business advertising needs is an honest assessment of your current and potential client base.

• What is your main demographic?
• Where are your potential clients looking for similar goods or services?
• Do they mainly shop off-line or online?
• Are you selling big-ticket items or a larger quantity of less expensive items? What are they buying?

Doing a full assessment of your potential clients will help you to establish the best use of your advertising dollars. For example, you do not want to be placing a print ad in a local newspaper if your demographic are generally between 18 and 30. These shoppers are buying products on the internet and directly from their cell phones and would not give print advertising even a brief look. However, if your demographic include the 50 to 70 age range, you could do very well placing several ads in magazines or newspapers, since this is the medium they are more accustomed to.

It May Be More Work Than Expected

When given more thought, some small business owners find the best use of their advertising budget may not be in the advertising itself, but in the strategic planning stage of their advertising campaign. Taking the time to understand the needs of their market before they start to spend their advertising dollars can often give them the advantage right out of the gate. While other small businesses are spinning their wheels and fighting their way through the minutia online, they are strategically planning their campaign to ensure its viability.

Where to Find the Answers

Strategically planning a marketing campaign can be as much an undertaking as sorting through the various methods of advertising available and many small-business owners do not have the time or the attention to lend to this process. In these cases, it’s often best to consult with a marketing professional or consulting firm and discuss the various options that are available to the business. This is especially true, when navigating the world of online advertising.

Small business advertising involves an entirely different strategy than marketing a large corporation and it is important to find a consultant that understands the needs of the small business owner. Finding a consultant that specializes in small business advertising will be the best way to ensure your marketing campaign coincides with your small business.

Choosing the Right Advertising Firm

Not all small business advertising firms are the same. It’s important to find one with a proven record in the business of small-business. If an advertising firm is catering more to the big guys, chances are your small marketing budget is going to come in second. Seek out a firm which caters exclusively to the small-business owner. These firms are more experienced in the type of advertising best suited to the small-business owner.

An experienced small business advertising firm acknowledges that you are small, and growing, and does not necessarily need to launch a national campaign when your advertising budget would be more effective on the local level. They will help you to focus your efforts and utilize your advertising budget to target your local customer base whether that is online or off.

Once you find a firm you feel comfortable with, be sure to explain your expectations and individual needs so that they can put your advertising budget to the best use. If there is any question as to how your advertising dollars will be spent, these could be addressed up front so there will be no surprises when the campaign is actually launched. Be sure to have them put a comprehensive plan in place, and in writing, so that you have a chance to review it and ensure that it suits your businesses individual needs as well as your expectations.

Small-business advertising can be challenging, but don’t go it alone. Seek out a reliable firm you can trust to assist you so you can get back to business.

Internet Marketing Specialists Denver

Incorporating robust Content marketing elements on your web site is the #1 strategy for creating a highly contagious website that generates lots of word of mouth (or the cheesier “word of mouse”) as well as direct search engine referred visitor traffic. Internet Marketing Specialists Denver

Research indicates that over 90% of small business websites still have not caught on to this superior strategy for lead generation, prospect conversion and branding. In fact, web hosting companies who specialize in selling simple template add-on websites are still doing a brisk business even though search engine marketing is one of the most established fields in business and marketing today.

I have found that many small business owners who end up with the 3 to 5 page static (brochure) website usually did not take the time to educate themselves on the many ways they could add uniqueness (and additional profits) to their businesses by building robust prospect and customer education platforms online.

If you are one of the fortunate few small business owners who signed up with web hosts that support content marketing or who use blogs, you have the chance to build a very strong business marketing platform through the use of the hub page content strategy on your website.

What is a Hub Page?

It is a central page that hosts (or links out to) many other pages in such a way that it acts as a comprehensive repository for most of the information a web visitor might want to know about a given topic. It is the website version of a book or at least a chapter of a book because you can read the main text and then link to many other pages that explain sub-sections of the desired topic.

Planning a Hub Page

Because of the potentially high value of these pages, they require a lot of thought. Some factors to consider include the exact keywords and keyword phrases to use, the levels of demand for that information, the number of competing hub pages with a similar theme (or target keyword) and how to present the content. The aim should be to present content in a very user-friendly, page-by-page breakdown where each page generates well targeted-traffic, and also feeds traffic to the hub page.

You may also consider whether to incorporate a list-building mechanism (like an email opt-in form) onto your hub page, or whether to passively monetize that page through methods like AdSense ads and other textual link advertising. Internet Marketing Specialists Denver

An example Hub page – Small Business Marketing Software

Consider for instance, a content marketing hub page designed to attract major search engine traffic for the term, “Small Business Marketing Software”. First of all, one of the power strategies for selecting the keyword focus of your hub page is to have it be a compound term – that is, a theme that can be broken up logically into many other valuable sub-sections or themes. Such sub-sections (technically web pages linked to from the hub page) for this example could have headings like:

B2B sales pipeline management software
Small Business Email Marketing
5 Google Apps For Contact Management Solutions
Marketing Automation Software – How To Select

I recommend planning your sub-sections so that you can either weave them seamlessly into the text of your main hub page content, or introduce them in their own section at the bottom of your hub page content. Doing it this way also ensures that you deliver a great value in the coverage of your material.

Which Comes First – Hub page or Sub-pages?

I generally like to have the sub pages written first and uploaded as active web pages so that they can start to contribute to the traffic of the site while the rest of the pages are written. That way, when the main hub-page is complete it can be uploaded as a finished package. This may depend on your personality as well… I generally try to avoid the hassle (mostly imagined) involved with editing, re-aligning and updating a web page.

By deploying hub pages as the center piece of a robust content marketing strategy on your website, you gain immense leverage from the expertise you already have in your business and the effort you put into creating your website. Internet Marketing Specialists Denver

Are you looking for small business Internet marketing strategies that work?  As an Internet business, you have many options available to you.  You can optimize your site for the search engines, buy pay-per-click advertising, distribute articles throughout the Internet, and so much more.

However, you have to figure out which small business Internet marketing strategies to use.  Small businesses, in particular, have a limited budget and need to see results from their marketing.  The strategy must both be cost effective and must not take a long time for it to work.  Here are three specific strategies that are working for many small businesses

Strategy #1: Local Search Results Is Helping Businesses Get More Customers

Local search traffic is become an effective way to get targeted prospects.  The return on investment that it is bringing to small businesses is making it one of the best ways to start promoting online.  

The reason why getting local search traffic is so effective is because the searchers are looking for a solution.  They are looking for a product or service provider in their area, so if a business can offer what the searcher is looking for, it can result in high conversions.

Compared to other forms of search engine traffic, the cost to implement this strategy is relatively low.  It is also easier to rank for local results than compete with millions of websites for more popular global search keywords.

Strategy #2: Local Listings and Directories Increase Your Visibility

There are many sites now dedicated to helping users find local businesses.  The best way to describe it is the “Yellow Pages” of the Internet.  These sites are becoming the go-to directories for people looking for a product or service provider.

A good example of this site is Yelp.com and CitySearch.com.  These are sites where users can find local businesses and also find reviews from other users.  Some of these sites have a social networking aspect to it where they can share their favorites with other people, add friends, and more.

This means that getting listed on these sites does more than simply list you.  It means that there is a potential to get more customers from referrals if your business becomes popular on the sites.

Strategy #3: Social Media Can Help You Connect With More Prospects and Customers

Social media sites are simply too big to ignore.  It has become a big part of our culture whether you like it or not.  Because these sites have a large user base, it’s a wise decision to set up a page on popular sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Because these sites have so many users, chances are that many of your customers are already using these sites.  Knowing this, you can use these sites to keep in touch with your customers.  It can be an effective way to announce promotions, deliver content, and sell your services.

Of course, there is a viral element to all social media sites.  People love sharing their favorite resources with their friends and readers, which results in free advertising for your business.

Now you have it: three small business Internet marketing strategies that work.  They are all cost effective and have a strong return on investment, so you should look into using them for your small business.

Behind every disappointing small business advertisement there is at least one reason for its failure. The good news is that any flaw with your advertising can be corrected, if you are willing to try new ideas.

Unless you are in the advertising business, chances are your strongest skills are not in advertising. If you are like many small business people, your small business advertisements are likely guilty of at least one of several common flaws.

Identifying what is wrong with your advertising is the first step toward making corrections that will result in greater response, increased revenue and stronger profits.

Following are descriptions of five common characteristics of highly flawed small business advertising. There are more, but correcting these will make for a great start.

Unfocused Market

Many small business owners make the mistake of thinking a bigger market is a better market when choosing where to run their ads. The result is they spend their advertising dollars to reach a larger but less focused market.

Are the places you choose to run your ad laser-focused on your market?

When your ads are focused squarely on your market you increase the likelihood that the readers who see your ad will actually have a need for your service. The more effectively you place your advertising in front of an ‘already interested’ market the more likely they will be predisposed to noticing and reacting to your ad, which is what you want.

For example, imagine your company specializes in helping law firms reduce the cost of prosecuting long, ongoing cases. If you choose to run a series of full page ads in the New York Times instead of the New York Law Journal you will likely be disappointed by the response to your campaign; despite reaching the considerably larger audience of the New York Times you would be missing the focused attention of the legal minded readership of the New York Law Journal.

How can you tell whether or not you can focus your advertising on a more receptive market?

Lack of Distinction

The next most common problem with small business advertising is that advertisements for companies in the same industry often fail to distinguish themselves from their competition.

How can you expect to win the lion’s share of your market if your advertisements pretty much look the same and contain the same elements as those of your competition?

Furthermore, distinguishing your company from your competitors is often made more difficult because, within a given advertising vehicle, advertisements for companies in similar industries appear virtually on top of each other. This scenario is particularly true for yellow pages listings and pay-per-click advertising. In order to succeed with your advertising your ads need to stand out and above those of your competition.

For example, if you are the owner of a pet supply company and your ads simply say, “We Sell Pet Supplies” they will be passed over along with every other bland advertisement for Fido’s food.

On the other hand, your ads will stand out and attract much more attention to your shop if you state that you sell, “King Sized Bones and Bowls for the Royalty in Your Family.” By focusing your ads on the owners of large breed dogs you distinguish yourself from the crowd of pet shops that simply sell pet supplies and make it clear to the owners of large dogs that you sell what they need.

Be sure the copy of your ads has the effect of making what you offer unique. Your highly targeted prospects will reward you by noticing the difference in your ads and buying from you.

Do your ads distinguish your business clearly above your competition?

Failure to Demonstrate Value

Another property of flawed advertising is that it fails to demonstrate the value of any products or services provided. By failing to demonstrate value in your advertisements you give your prospects only a foggy idea of the benefits you provide and no clear reason to buy from you. Demonstrating value will also help you set yourself apart from you competitors.

How can you change your ads to demonstrate the value you provide?

Too Much Focus on Products and Services

Consumers buy products and services because they fill a need or solve a problem. If your ad copy focuses too much on your company and the products and services you provide you miss your opportunity to demonstrate to your prospects that you provide the solution they need.

For example, imagine you are recovering from knee surgery and need to work with a physical therapist to regain your full range of motion. Would you be more likely to choose a therapist who advertises his new and modern equipment or the one who advertises that she will have your knee working and feeling like new again in just three weeks?

What should you focus your advertising on instead of your products and services?

Lack of a Clear Call to Action

A fifth characteristic of a highly flawed advertising is a lack of a clear call to action. An ad without a clear call to action is like calling 911 and not telling the operator where you are. Why bother calling?

Don’t assume that your prospects know what they should do once they’ve read your ad. You need to tell them to be sure they know.

If you’ve gotten their attention, demonstrated your value and shown them that you are the solution to their problem, don’t waste your good work by neglecting to instruct them to take the next step and contact you.

Move Your Marketing Forward™

Stop wasting money on ineffective advertising. If you are disappointed with the business your advertising generates why not take action to correct your dysfunctional ads?