4 Affordable Ways To Advertise Locally
 By Amanda C. Garrett

No matter what type of small business you own, you can get results from local advertising. Retail businesses, service businesses, even home-based businesses can find effective, affordable options for targeting local consumers.

Try a couple of these ideas. Track your results. See how local advertising done right can attract new customers and boost your bottom line.

1. Valpak Coupons
You’ve seen – and probably opened – the familiar blue Valpak envelope that regularly arrives in your mailbox. It’s always stuffed with coupons from local companies that want your business. And with good reason. The mailers work.

Valpak designs your coupon, prints it, inserts it and mails it with others in the blue envelope. Generally, the mailings go to about 10,000 households. You can target specific neighborhoods, areas of a city or ZIP codes for about $250 to $500 per mailing, depending on where you’re located in the U.S.

Tips for Valpak ads:

• Make your product or service easy to understand. Focus the coupon message on one benefit.

• Always make an offer: Buy one, get one free; 50 percent off; free consultation; $10 discount. Valpak recipients don’t want to read an ad. They want to find a deal.

• Ask the Valpak representative to help you design your coupon and choose your marketing area. The reps know what works.

Find out more at www.Valpak.com.

2. Transit Ads
Advertising that’s placed on bus shelters and bus benches is an affordable way to build consumer awareness of your company.

In some markets, you can place your ad at a single location for a month for about $1,000. The bigger your city and the busier the bus shelter, the more you’ll pay.

Contact your transit company to find out about location placements and rates. The transit representative can also help you find a local company to produce your big ad. Some transit companies hire firms to manage and sell their ad space. Again, the transit company can refer you to the right person.

Tips for successful transit ads:

• Don’t leave your ad in the same spot for more than 30 days. Ads become virtually invisible after people have seen them for more than a month.

• Reduce costs by producing a two-color ad, which can be just as effective as a full-color ad.

3. Local Cable TV
Promote your small business in prime time by advertising on local cable TV programs. It’s cheaper than you think.

Local production companies charge as little as $500 for creating inexpensive commercials. Once you have your ad ready, it can be run multiple times while maintaining its effectiveness. TV spots on local cable TV go for as little as $10 to $30.

The key to success is finding the viewer demographics and time slots that produce results for your business. The cable company can help you find those sweet spots that reach your target market.

Tips for local cable TV commercials:

• Work with the cable rep to develop a schedule for your commercials. If you can commit to an ongoing schedule, ask for prime placement and some free spots.

• If you run your commercials during prime viewing time, plan to spend more than if the commercials run during less desirable times, like the wee hours of the morning.

• If a cable rep offers you run of station (ROS) scheduling, don’t take it. ROS lets the cable company run your ad whenever it chooses.

4. Local Publications
Your small-business ad can get lost in a big city newspaper. But that doesn’t mean you should shun all print publications.

Neighborhood newspapers target specific geographic areas. Run your ad consistently to keep your business in the minds of consumers – and to get preferential ad placement from the newspaper.

Bulletins published by local synagogues and churches often accept advertising from local businesses.

High schools and colleges in your city most likely publish daily, weekly or monthly newspapers for the student body. And most accept advertising.

Tips for print publications:

• Don’t simply run your business card as an ad. Create an ad that draws reader attention.

• Some neighborhood magazines are delivered by being stuffed in a plastic bag and hung from doorknobs at residences. You can pay many of those magazines to insert your business flyer or brochure into the delivery bag.

(Posted July 2006)

>>Back to Focus Workshop