3 Affordable Advertising Options for Small Businesses

Do you want your local business to be a household name, without the hefty price tag?

Do you want to learn how to capture new audiences’ interest, spread awareness of your brand identity, and direct people to your business?

In the post-pandemic economic climate, with rent prices rising, many smaller companies are being forced to close their doors. Now is the time to embrace the free and low-cost resources available to you!

Connecting with your community is so important, and you don’t have to break the bank with hefty advertising budgets to do so.

From news coverage to radio jingles, social media management and graphic design, marketing your small business can feel like a mammoth task. Smaller companies need to look for maximum return on investment, as you’re likely to have fewer funds available to meet your Marketing needs. With this in mind, here are 3 key ways to establish your business, at low cost, with maximum reach.

Google Business profile

First impressions count!

When a customer is introduced to your company, the first thing they will do is search for you online. Make sure you maximise this opportunity to make an instant good impression.

Have you claimed and verified your Google My Business card?

You can do this online, in under a minute, and it is absolutely free!

Beyond the obvious opening hours and contact details section, make sure to fill out all the other boxes on the form.

There is a wealth of opportunity for you to show that you care about each and every customer. Many people remain apprehensive about returning to retail and hospitality after the pandemic.
Adding in details like how often you sanitise surfaces, whether or not dividers are present between serving staff and customers, and your busiest times can be valuable to a nervous shopper.

Take a look at this fantastic example from the lovely local bar and coffee-house, Dusk.

Remember that many customers will have mobility or access needs: have you stated you are wheelchair accessible, or whether your location is equipped with an accessible or gender-neutral toilet? Are your menus available in Braille or large print, does your venue have a hearing loop or blue badge parking?
By including these details, you are saving your customer a dilemma and making sure they feel valued.
Google my Business also host google reviews, and a Q&A section, so your customer’s questions can be answered before they even arrive.

Instagram is a fantastic free resource to use to reach your clients. Paid Ads, whilst proven to be successful and effective in generating both awareness and revenue, are not available to every business’ budget. But, beyond using #hashtags on your posts, are you making the most of the free posting tools?

Most people rely on sharing other local businesses’ posts to establish themselves in the local community and connect with their neighbours. Yet a huge number of businesses forget to Geotag all their posts, missing out on attention from tourists, who are browsing Instagram by location.

Ahead of a big trip or weekend away, most of us like to scout out the local area online. If you geotag your posts in a range of locations, e.g. York, North Yorkshire, and your business name, you will appear in much wider searches to a variety of customers.

 

Micro-influencers

If you are able to allocate a small one-off budget to advertising on social, do consider outsourcing to local micro-influencers. If you can consider a one-off fee, many offer their services at a price per post.

Social media influencers can operate on a large scale, with national influence, or have a smaller but engaged local following.

We’ve been following the work of one of our favourite micro-influencers in York, where Pick & Mix is based.

Millie Addy, with 4.5k followers on Instagram, is a health, beauty and lifestyle influencer from the city centre. She has a high engagement rate with her posts.

Her followers trust her insight and opinions, and engage well with sponsored content. Millie recently worked with Heavenly Desserts to advertise their launch event, sharing pictures and video content of her dining experience.

Collaborating with local micro-influencers is a fantastic way to reach people in your area, generating implicit trust and respect for your brand, at a one off-flat fee.

Find out more about influencers and how they can support your business here: what-and-who-is-a-social-media-influencer.

We understand that running social media can be overwhelming, and feel like a mammoth task. Let us help you take the reigns: our 1:1 training sessions can give you the confidence to take control of your socials.
Have a chat with us about how we can help you: 01904 863511 or drop us a line at info@pickandmixms.co.uk