Any business owner knows that advertising is not something that you can live without
. With the economic issues that have been going on, there are many changes that folks need to adjust to with their business advertising. One of the main issues will likely be a smaller budget devoted to gaining business exposure. That just means it is time to be more careful and use proven methods. There are a few ways to gain exposure that are oldies but goodies and always seem to work.
Coupons are always a way to bring people in. When people are going through tough times they are very appreciative of little discounts, and a nice coupon will bring them in. These are especially nice for people that have been customers previously. If you have a nice database of customer addresses it is really smart to send out coupons regularly. Don't forget to make the coupon for a short time only. Those seem to get the best results.
If you own a store, don't forget about offering big sales that won't run your company out of business. Buy one get one free items are a big draw if you aren't selling high cost items. Make sure you have plenty of sizes and shapes and your customers will come flocking. While they are at your store they will also notice quality products that are not on sale and figure out that one more item n the shopping cart can't hurt.
A great investment that might cost a few dollars in the short term but will likely bring in a long term gain is promotional advertising. Giving away free items with your logo displayed in a prominent place is a great way to get free advertising after the initial investment. It's worth the cost, and giving away those items at no extra charge is a great way to boost support in the community.
It isn't hard to give away things for free, such as T-shirts, pens, Frisbee's, mugs and just about anything else you can think of. People love freebies and will sport them around town, giving you free advertising. They can be had for a cheap up front cost and will pay off in the long run.