To choose the best advertising approach for small businesses, evaluate both traditional and digital channels. Focus on platforms like social media, search engine marketing, and local listings for targeted reach and engagement. Utilize low-cost strategies such as SEO, organic social content, and user-generated content to maximize exposure within budget constraints.
Key Takeaways
Evaluate both traditional and digital advertising channels for your audience and budget.
Leverage social media for both organic and paid reach.
Invest in SEO and content creation to improve visibility.
Encourage user-generated content for credibility and engagement.
Optimize local listings to tap into community networks effectively.
It’s enough to make any founder feel in over their heads. But the truth is, while advertising may seem confusing and saturated on the surface, taking the time to break down both traditional and digital options doesn’t have to be painful or prohibitively expensive.
In this guide, we’ll simplify some of the core advertising concepts for those new to the game. You’ll get a tangible look at the pros and cons of everything from print ads to TikTok campaigns, equipping you to have informed, productive conversations with potential marketing partners.
Most importantly, we’ll offer some practical, real-world tips to help identify the right advertising mix aligned to your specific business goals and budget constraints. Every small business and start-up path looks different – so whether you have $100 or $10,000 to spend, this guide will help you maximize impact and avoid common rookie pitfalls.
Think of this as your quick-start introduction to advertising in 2024. Let’s skip the fancy lingo and empty promises in favor of an honest, human-centric approach to help fellow entrepreneurs succeed. Sound good? Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Understanding Your Advertising Channel Options
The first step is gaining a solid grasp of both traditional and digital advertising avenues available today.
Traditional Advertising Channels
While digital reigns supreme these days, don’t count out traditional advertising just yet. These long-standing channels can still be viable options depending on your target audience, budget, and overall strategy.
Print Media
Newspapers, magazines, directories, and other print publications
Pros:
– Target local/niche audiences
– Drive brand awareness
– Perceived credibility
Cons:
– Limited reach and engagement
– Harder to track ROI
Broadcast Media
TV, radio, and streaming audio
Pros:
– Broad reach
– Frequency through repetition
– Creativity in storytelling
Cons:
– More expensive
– Less targeted
– Fleeting exposure
Outdoor Advertising
Billboards, transit, street furniture, etc.
Pros:
– Brand awareness in high traffic areas
– Visual impact
– Geographic targeting
Cons:
– Creative limitations
– Difficulty measuring results
While print and audio channels are declining in popularity, out-of-home advertising is actually projected to see steady growth—expected to near $35 billion in annual US spending by 2024. [1]
Digital Advertising Channels
For most modern organizations, digital advertising delivers the precision targeting, measurability, innovation, and overall return that today’s savvy market demands.
Search Engine Marketing
SEM platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising
Pros:
– Precise targeting by keywords/intent
– Top placements on SERPs
– Detailed performance tracking
Cons:
– Higher cost per click (CPC)
– Competition for clicks can increase CPC
Search advertising remains one of the most measurable and versatile digital options—projected to top $200 billion globally by 2025. [2]
Social Media Marketing
Organic and paid advertising on social platforms
Pros:
– Targeted by interests and behaviors
– Visual engagement
– Maximized through automation
Cons:
– Platform algorithm changes
– Rising CPM costs
– Oversaturation
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Snapchat ads give the ability to zero in on specific user demographics and psychographics—ideal for niche targeting.
Video Marketing
YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, etc.
Pros:
– Engaging and sharable format
– Explosive growth platforms
– Brand storytelling
Cons:
– Production investment
– Competition for visibility
Video ad spend is predicted to grow over 15% year-over-year—rising to 13.4% of all digital media spending globally. [3]
Now that we’ve compared the pros and cons of various advertising avenues, let’s explore proven strategies to maximize reach and return through select free and paid
channels.
Leveraging Social Media for Free Brand Exposure
While social platforms offer affordable paid advertising options, you shouldn’t underestimate the value of unpaid organic marketing.
The key is developing engaging social content and community interaction that drives brand awareness, credibility, and loyalty over time.
Building a Strong Social Media Presence
Focus on producing valuable content optimized for your key platforms. Monitor analytics to determine what resonates best with your audience.
Tips for success include:
- Consistent posting schedule
- Multi-format content mix
- Utilizing hashtags and tagging
- Encouraging comments and shares
- Monitoring peak engagement times
- Optimizing visual appeal
Measure overall growth plus engagement metrics like reach, clicks, views, and reactions over time.
Encouraging User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) in the form of reviews, testimonials, referrals, and shares offers tremendous credibility.
Proactively request UGC by:
- Making review asks after purchases
- Emailing satisfied customers
- Running social contests and campaigns
- Sharing and featuring UGC assets
This sense of community and belonging compels new visitors to convert at a higher rate.
Improving Visibility Through SEO and Content
Beyond social, investing time into search engine optimization (SEO) and content creation attracts qualified visitors ready to buy.
Launching a Business Blog
Blogging fuels ongoing content to:
- Attract search traffic
- Build authority
- Convert visitors
Focus categories around relevant topics, questions, and keywords. Interlink posts to keep visitors engaged.
Promote new blog content across all marketing channels through social shares, email lists, and paid ads.
Securing High-Value Backlinks
Links to your website from external domains signal trust and authority to search algorithms.
Smart link building tactics include:
- Guest posting on industry blogs
- Contributing quotes/statistics to reporters
- Participating in co-marketing partnerships
- Sponsoring or speaking at local events
Content upgrades like guides, templates, and tools in exchange for backlinks also help earn referral traffic while capturing lead data.
Tapping Into Community Networks
While mass reach has its place, narrowing your focus to actively engage your surrounding community can yield tangible returns.
Leveraging Nextdoor and Local Listings
Over 27 million monthly active users now use Nextdoor [4]—making it a prime venue for increasing local brand visibility.
- Verify your free Business Page
- Regularly post updates, offers, and community news
- Sponsor local events and groups
- Request and monitor reviews
This sense of community breeds loyalty and trust that lifts your brand.
Optimizing Your GMB and Bing Listings
Given 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine, local search visibility is vital.
After creating and verifying your free Google My Business and Bing Places profiles, focus on:
- Building robust profiles (images, offerings, etc.)
- Monitoring and responding to reviews
- Driving customer actions (calls, directions, etc.)
- Embedding map listings across marketing assets
This helps you rank higher in local SERP listings—crucial for location-based searches.
Evaluating Paid Advertising Trends and Tools
While organic and community options carry advantages, allocating part of your ad budget to paid avenues amplifies impact.
Let’s explore emerging technologies and tactics shaping modern digital advertising.
Evolving Social Media Targeting
Sophisticated targeting makes social advertising extremely precise today.
Behavioral + Geographic Targeting
From purchase history and device usage to location parameters, honing in on high-intent users boosts conversions.
Retargeting + Lookalike Audiences
Retarget past visitors across devices with relevant ads driving them back to purchase. Lookalike targeting then identifies potential new customers exhibiting similar qualities.
AI and Automation Revolutionizing Digital Advertising
Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and automation takes performance to new levels.
Automated Ad Testing
Ad variations are algorithmically generated and tested to determine highest performing creative.
AI-Powered Ad Placement
Machine learning predicts the best possible placements and bids to meet campaign goals.
Harnessing this technology allows advertisers to scale efforts exponentially.
Tracking Advertising Effectiveness
Monitoring analytics provides the critical visibility needed to evaluate and optimize ongoing campaigns.
Implementing Performance Tracking
First, ensure transparent tracking is implemented across channels:
Key metrics to assess effectiveness include:
- Impressions: How many times ads were served
- Reach: Total number shown ads
- Clicks: User ad clicks
- Conversions: Desired actions
- CPM: Cost per 1,000 impressions
- CPC: Cost per click
- CPA: Cost per conversion
- ROI: Return on spend
Compare performance benchmarks over time and against industry averages.
Optimizing Toward Campaign Goals
Tie metrics back to core campaign goals and audience segmentation.
Audit reports frequently, tweak targeting, adjust bids, or pause underperforming elements.
Allocating Your Advertising Budget
When planning out an omni-channel advertising strategy, optimizing budget across selected platforms is key for maximum ROI.
Here’s an example budget allocation breakdown with accompanying rationale:
| Channel | Budget | Rationale |
| Search Ads | 30% | Strong ROI from high commercial intent traffic |
| Social Media Ads | 25% | Competitively priced CPMs to reach target demographics |
| Content Marketing | 15% | Cost-effective lead generation |
| Local Directories + Events | 10% | Tap into community with nominal spend |
| Video Ads | 10% | Rapidly growing channel at affordable entry price points |
| Traditional Media | 5% | Brand lift campaign for supplemental reach |
| Retargeting | 5% | Maximize existing ad spend |
Analyze historical performance by channel and set budgets tied to realistic ROI expectations.
Continually assess outcomes to shift budgets towards better performing platforms.
Wrapping Up: Choosing the Best Advertising Approach
Determining where to commit your valuable advertising dollars involves first identifying your audience, their media habits and preferences, and desired campaign outcomes.
From there, explore emerging digital platforms along with proven traditional channels to meet consumers where they are already engaged. Consider blending both free and paid tactics across select avenues matching your goals.
Be sure to implement clear tracking to gauge performance in order to optimize efforts over time. Test innovative technologies to amplify human insight. And finally, remain nimble—continually evaluating options to provide the most relevant, impactful omnichannel advertising experience for your brand.
What’s been your most effective advertising channel lately? Share your top tips and experiences below!