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When it comes to growing a business, advertising and marketing is hugely important in terms of attracting a wider client base. Clients are the driving force of any business, meaning that you want to expand your client pool as much as possible. However, if no one is aware of your services, you won’t be able to reach this wider audience. Despite this, advertising and marketing can be both a competitive and costly sphere, so you need to select the right advertising method for your business. It’s important to set realistic goals, for example, if you’re local food premises, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to compete with the likes of McDonald’s. So, what are the top advertising and marketing methods available?
Newspapers/Magazines
Printing services are one of the most popular forms of advertising for businesses and have advantages and disadvantages alike. For instance, there are magazines that are geared towards certain audiences, meaning that you can select the magazine based on the average reader. Similarly, most villages, towns, and cities have a local newspaper or magazine, meaning that you’ll be able to get the attention of clients in the local area, which is likely to be your target market. Similarly, people will often hoard magazines and newspapers, meaning that they will encounter your ad even after the first read. Despite these advantages, adverts in print can be expensive and are oftentimes ignored as someone flicks through the pages.
TV
TV is probably one of the most effective forms of advertising, as billions of people across the globe will recognize a brand from its TV advert. TV advertising is able to reach a wide geographical audience and leaves a memorable impact within the audience’s mind. As well as this, TV gives brands a means of showing product demonstrations in order to display their effectiveness, which might make a customer more inclined to make a purchase. However, the obvious downside is that TV advertisements are very expensive and aren’t an option for all businesses. On top of this, some viewers will channel surf during the adverts or simply tune out, meaning that the effectiveness could decrease.
Radio
Radio is another handy advertising technique, as it allows you to reach national and regional audiences alike, depending on the station you opt for. On top of this, it’s certainly a cheaper option when compared to TV adverts, meaning that local businesses could possibly afford local radio advertising. Despite this, radio advertising means that there’s no visual aid to entice the listener’s interest. Additionally, people tend to listen to the radio whilst driving or at work, meaning that it’s often background noise. As a result, they may not properly listen to the adverts, decreasing their effectiveness.
Cinema
Another mode of marketing is cinema advertising, which is one of the more niche methods. However, cinema advertising means that your ad is being engaged with by a captive audience, as they won’t be distracted by anything else. Consequently, the viewer has no choice but to pay attention to your ad. Despite this, cinema advertising means that you’re presented with a very limited audience, which probably isn’t the most effective in reaching a wider audience.
Billboards
Billboards are some of the most affordable advertising options and are usually situated within a busy location. As a result, certain customers will encounter the billboard on a daily basis, meaning that a business in the local area can be effectively marketed. Despite this, billboards can often be ignored and only contain limited information. Similarly, they only have the capability to reach a very specific location, which can place limitations on your audience.
