For any growing company, advertising is often required to get to the next level. Advertising works, but can at times be hard to track what’s working and what needs to change. Beware of smooth talking, advertising reps who have never owned a business and don’t have your best interests in mind.
Here are a few tips for any small business owner to remember when advertising…

1. Avoid “single hit” forms of advertising. Spending a large sum of money on a one time advertisement will create little bang for your buck.
2. Research what advertising methods work best for your business before investing or you may find yourself throwing your money away. Advertising method is dependant on the individual business. A retail clothing store may do well with a sign on the street on street front and a restaurant may do well with a coupon in the mail.
3. Always, always, always ask your customers how they found you. This is the most valuable information in regards to small business marketing. This will tell you what methods are working and what methods need to be changed or given the boot.
4. Focus on low cost methods where you can control the budget and see a quick return. A great business man (my father) once taught me “Find the lowest cost marketing method that works, then add other methods as your business grows.” Some call this form of advertising, guerrilla marketing. Here is a great example of guerrilla marketing from the guy who designed Clean Bottle.

[quote cite=’Ryan Boutin’ align=’left’]Find the lowest cost marketing method that works, then add other methods as your business grows.[/quote]If you have heard of any other tips that a small business owner should know when advertising, please post them below, we’d love to hear them!