Every successful business uses some form of advertising. It creates an avenue for companies to be in contact with current and potential customers. The old adage is true; out of sight, out of mind. You have to constantly keep your name and image in front of people or they will forget you. Advances in technology have made advertising much easier and more cost — effective. It can still be quite expensive, however, so you must determine what form will work best while fitting into your budget.

Word of Mouth

Stop for a minute and think about your doctor, dentist, insurance agent, mechanic, hair stylist, and anyone else who provides you with a service. Most likely you did not thumb through the yellow pages or newspaper classifieds to find these people. You probably asked a trusted friend or relative who they used and if they were happy with them. You may not have even had to ask. Most people who are happy with the service they received will talk about it. For this reason, word of mouth is the best form of advertising, and it costs nothing. It is only effective, however, if you are providing top-notch service to your customers.

Flyers, Brochures, and Business Cards

Flyers, brochures, and business cards are relatively inexpensive to make. The simplest method is to buy them online or have them designed by a professional. If you are computer savvy, you may choose to make them yourself using special software. You can then visit your local office supply store or professional printer and make copies. Printing at home is not time- or cost-effective when dealing with large quantities. Professional printers buy their paper in bulk and offer a variety of colors and paper quality. Their printers are made to generate large quantities in a short period of time. Your home office printer will be slow and use a great deal of ink.

Now that you have this print medium, what do you do with them? This is where it becomes important to know your market. If you know who your potential customers are, and the places they frequent, it is much easier to get your information in their hands. Suppose you are going after the sports-performance market. You may obtain permission to hand out flyers or brochures at the entrance to games at the local high school. Make an appointment with the school's athletic director and ask for a copy of the coach's mailing list. If this is not possible, perhaps he will allow you to place information in their school mailboxes. The only expense you have incurred is the printing of the information and your time. This is still less expensive than running an ad in the newspaper, and you are getting face-to-face contact with people and building relationships.

The Internet

Imagine; your business can be seen by millions of people with just a touch of the finger. The Internet has rapidly become a media juggernaut — it seems everyone these days has a Web site or blog. It also means your business can get lost in the World Wide Web.

A Web site is a valuable advertising medium for your business. The cost for hosting a Web site is minimal compared to running radio or television ads. But what is the best way to attract customers to your Web site? By including your Web address on anything with your company name: flyers, brochures, business cards, print ads, etc. This also increases the level of professionalism portrayed by your business.

Your Web site may contain all of the services and products you offer to your customers. You can include pictures of your facility, weekly newsletters, helpful tips for your members, and more. Your Web site is also a great place to develop your warm market. People who visit the site may contact you for more information, or you can put a request on your site that people provide their name and e-mail address. Once you have a potential client's contact information, you can generate a warm call. Another nice feature is that you can easily track how many visitors have accessed the site.

The Internet is also a great place to perform research on your competitors. Examine the type of information contained on their sites and the products and services they offer. How do they drive people to their sites? Again, look at the positives and negatives, successes and failures, and learn from them. If they are doing something that works, do it. If they are doing something that isn't working, do not waste your time.

Newspaper and Magazine Ads

Have you ever noticed how many advertisements appear in newspapers and magazines? They are located on every page because an extraordinary number of people read them on a daily basis. Circulations for newspapers and magazines can be in the thousands, even the hundreds of thousands, and many of these people pay attention to the ads. If you choose to place an ad in one of these mediums, how many people reading them would be part of your target audience? The wise choice for small businesses is to advertise as locally as possible. Town newspapers or other local publications are generally worthwhile investments. The cost of placing an ad is lower, and a higher percentage of their readers fall within the targeted population.

If you are interested in pursuing or investigating this option, contact the ad representative at the publication of your choice to request a media package. These packages may contain demographics on their readers, the prices of advertising, and a description of the publication. When making your final decision, take the following into consideration:

• How much will the ad cost?

• Where will the ad be placed within the publication?

• How many people will it reach?

• How many times will it reach them?

• What do you hope to accomplish with the ad?

The cost of the ad will depend on where it is placed. Ads located in the front or back are more expensive because they are more noticeable. The ads placed in the middle are cheaper but may be easily missed. You have to measure the cost versus benefit when deciding where to place the ad.

Broadcast Media

Broadcast media includes radio and television. The purpose of this form of advertising is to sell people on the value of your services in a fifteen to thirty second time slot. If you are considering this type of advertising, know that your expenses will be two-fold. You will likely need to employ the services of a professional advertising agency to create the ad, and you will then pay the broadcasting company to run it.

Radio spots are less expensive than television, but still more expensive than print ads. Since your customers will not visually experience the ad, you must appeal to their other senses. A well-created ad can leave a great impression, while a poorly made ad may go completely unnoticed.

Contact sales representatives at your local radio stations to see what type of media packages they offer. Ask about their programming. Do they have any health, fitness, or other programs related to wellness during which you could run your ad? This is not essential, but may help pinpoint your target audience. The station may also offer sponsorship advertising, where your company can sponsor the traffic report or the news. Ideally, you will be able to develop a package that is cost-effective for your company and will generate a significant amount of new business.

Television is a highly effective way to send a message to the masses. Almost every household in the United States has a television, and while you do not need your commercial broadcast across the country, covering the local area can be beneficial. The cost of television ads can be extremely expensive, depending on your needs. Large companies use television as their main source of advertising because it creates brand recognition and image while reaching millions of people. Your needs are not this vast. Reaching thousands of people locally will be more than adequate for a small business.

If you are interested in placing a television ad, start by contacting sales representatives at your local stations or cable companies. Inquire about the types of services and packages they offer small businesses. Pricing will depend on:

• The length of the ad

• How many spots you buy

• The time of day the commercial airs

• The channel or channels on which it will appear

• The size of the market you wish to reach

The benefit of radio and television is that they capture your audience's attention. However, broadcast media can be risky and expensive for small businesses. People hear and see dozens of commercials, so yours will need to be especially creative in order to be noticed.

Examine your budget to see if and where this type of advertising fits in. You could end up using most or all of your advertising budget on this one area, and it may not provide you with an adequate return on your investment. There are many other cost-effective ways to reach your target audience.