Getting the word out about your business is important if you're going to have any success. Advertising products and services has changed a lot over the decades, but some things remain the same. You need to cast your business in a favorable light and plant your company's name in the minds of prospective customers. You have to entertain them a little and provide a hint of the kind of experience the customer will have. From newspapers to the Internet, from skywriting to viral campaigns, here are some ways to advertise your business.
A Highly Contagious Virus
Start a classic viral campaign in which you give the consumer something of value which encourages them to spread the word about your business. As Dr. Ralph F. Wilson notes, "Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence." When you give away small stacks of Post-It notes bearing your logo, you are hoping that other consumers will see them and give you a call.
Create one of the new kind of viral ads that don't automatically label themselves as such. A good example of this was a video posted to the Internet of a couple in Disneyland. The man proposes to a woman, unleashing what seems like an impromptu celebration. In truth, this was a carefully crafted commercial made to look as though it was created by amateurs. As Andrew Heining notes in the Christian Science Monitor, the veracity of the video is in doubt for many people, but it has gotten lots of people talking about Disneyland on social networking sites. For example, your friend posts the video to his Facebook page, so you comment on it and someone else sees it, and the company has succeeded in its goal.
Targeting Your Audience
Understand your audience. Much of advertising is now targeted to increasingly narrower sets of people. You might have to work harder by putting out several ads to hit the same number of people that you could have reached with one ad 20 years ago. Sending your Twitter followers an advertising messages, for example, is not a good way to reach elderly people, because the users of the service are typically much younger. Reaching an older demographic can be done by running TV spots on local television news programs.
Have Your Customer Do the Work For You
Encourage word-of-mouth advertising from your customers by offering a premium for each new consumer they bring in. People will usually trust their friends before they trust an ad, so you should do your best to create favorable memories.
Feature testimonials from real people in your advertising (be sure to request permission from those customers). If you are a plumber, for example, you could leave door hangers in the neighborhood explaining your services and including testimonials from neighbors.
Creative Reimagining
Shape the world around the consumer to include advertisements for your product. While this can be obtrusive, most people will enjoy thinking of their surroundings in a new way if you are sufficiently creative. Consumers will smile if they see that boring lamppost redecorated to resemble one of the fountain pens you sell. If you sell surfboards, replace the old seats of park benches with surfboards painted with your contact information. If you own a gym, use chalk to mark bright footsteps on the path to your facility, leading curious people to your door. Advert News spotlighted a student-conceived ad in which a tennis court was painted over to resemble a Sony PSP. (Be sure to get permission from your municipality before you install your ads.)
