Once you have identified your target audience, you will need to determine how to get your message out to them. There are several mediums you can use to help – the internet, newspapers, magazines, television, mailings, telemarketing and business networking. This article will take a deeper look at each of these methods.

The Internet
The first step is to create a web page or blog about your service or product. You will need some sort of incentive for people to come to your webspace – maybe a special online discount for buying online, or useful information on the product. You can also use a system called ‘pay per click’. This is where you can advertise on search engines – when someone searches for a particular phrase or word, your ads will appear down the side. Every time a user clicks on one of your ads to come and have a look at your site, you pay the search engine for generating the lead for you.

Newspapers
It is important that you know what newspapers your target audience reads. Apart from the big daily and weeklies, there are also the smaller community newspapers and community newsletters as well as specialized newspapers. Determine which newspapers are most likely to be readby your target audience and find out the advertising rates. Repeition is key in newspaper advertising, so find out how much it would be to run an ad for a week, or every Monday for a month, or something similar.

For smaller newspapers, consider doing press releases so that you get an actual article and product write-up in the paper – this is more likely to be read than the ads. Press releases can be written when you release a new product or service, or if you change office locations, hire a new managerial person or you hit a particular target such as annual turnover or revenue goal. If the quality of your press release writing is good, there is a fair chance that the smaller papers will print the whole thing for you.

Another option is to write a column or advice section in your local newspaper. This gets your name and your brand out there on a regular basis. The column itself cannot be a constant plug for your company but you can write about the industry and because you are in the industry, you add credibility to your writing. Your tagline may also include your company – Joe Bloogs, CEO of the Joe Bloggs company – this is basic advertising for free!

Radio and TV
You will probably need some professional advice and guidance if you go down the radio or TV route. Some smaller radio and TV stations will provide production assistance as part of their advertising package. Again, audience is the key – you need to make sure that the station you are advertising on will be seen/heard by your target audience. The smaller the station, the lower the prices are usually. Depending on your product/service, you may be able to pay for your ad by offering part cash, part services/discounted goods. This is particularly good if you run a restaurant – by offering discounts, the TV or radio station are more likely to eat there and take friends or clients, which introduces more people to your business.

Mailings and Telemarketing
These will not work for all businesses. Responses are normally under 10%, and sales are normally even lower than this, so it can work out to be a very expensive option. This is normally only a good option if your customers end up spending a lot of money with you, or you have very large margins. The majority of people ignore cold-calling and throw out spam (both paper and email), so it can be a difficult task, however it is definitely worth consideration.

Business networking
Business networking involves getting involved with the community by attending functions. This helps you to meet people within your local community, and within the business community, who may be potential customers and bring business to you. Sometimes, the function will require some outlay, however the contacts you make may prove invaluable – remember that you are representing your business at these functions so ensure you behave impeccably at all times!

Fairs and exhibitions are also a great way to show off your product or service and attract new customers to your business. Because you are likely to be grouped with people who have similar offerings, you may be able to gain some useful contacts as well as some tips and advice.

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