The Internet has revolutionized the way we consume content. We pay an arguably low price for access to more than we’ll ever be able to watch, listen to, or read in our lifetime. But how are those companies able to stay afloat when we’re no longer paying hefty prices for reading material as we did back in the days of cable TV? The answer is advertising.
Back in the day, advertising meant business people had to pay for things like newspaper advertisements, radio spots, and billboards. While we’ll argue that it’s definitely easier for a little guy to compete thanks to strategies like social media, we have to be the bearer of bad news: you still need to advertise, and you need to pay for it.
The world has transformed from a 1-to-many advertising space to a 1-1 advertising space. That means, our customers are smarter and have way more choices than you and I may have had growing up. Hulu with ads, or Netflix with none? Facebook or Tik-Tok? Google or Bing? The good news is that there are more ways than ever to reach people. The bad news is, you can’t reach everyone. You need to be much more strategic about understanding what your customers like to do – and find them in those areas. Is your product perfect for teens? You better be on Snapchat and TikTok. But if you’re reaching a 50+ crowd, chances are you’ll still want to be on Facebook – or even regular television!
Do you really have to advertise? Aren’t free strategies such as posting on Facebook and having a SEO-optimized website enough? That depends. If you’re running an incredibly niche business or have more than enough customers than you can handle right now – then perhaps. But most of our clients are constantly peeking around their shoulder at the competition, and spending some money on Facebook, Google, or YouTube ads might be worth it to put a little breathing space between you and them.
Our ask? Be patient, and be realistic. Digital ad platforms such as Facebook and Google allow you to spend as little as $1/day. That’s incredibly alluring to many small business owners – however, you can’t expect to reach millions with that limited of an investment. In general, we like to use that budget level to try out campaigns for a limited timeframe, to make sure that our ad objectives are in line with the types of people we want to reach. Once you get going, we’d recommend you plan to spend at least $5/day for your ad for you to notice any impact on your bottom line.
One of the questions we’re frequently asked is: “Should I boost posts?” Our answer again: that depends. What is your goal? Do you want to reach more people? Do you want to promote a special event or a page on your website? If your post is timely and relevant and you have a demographic in mind you’d like to reach, then boost away! Just note it’s not recommended to boost the same post more than seven days consecutively. You run the risk of making your audience bored or tired of your content.
What if you don’t know where to start, or have a limited budget to work with? Reach out to us, and we can help you devise a marketing strategy that helps you get the most engagement for your dollar. Schedule a chat with us today!
Recent Comments