subject: Pros and Cons of Free Versus Paid Advertising [print this page] As you launch your home business over the Internet, you will need to check out various advertising options. You'll come across methods that are free and then there are plenty of advertising options that cost money. Which method is better?
The truth is that they are both valuable techniques to advertise your business. Beginning entrepreneurs may not be able to afford to pay for advertising, at first, and so they may opt for the free kind. As your business grows, however, you may opt for paid advertising. The key is to test both methods to find out which one has a greater impact on your bottom line.
While free advertising won't cost you any money, you won't have as much flexibility as you will with paid advertising. Paid advertising allows you to more closely target your audience so that you can ensure that the individuals who are truly interested in your products and services are the ones that see your ad. However, if you are creative enough, you can also gear the free advertising methods to your target audience.
Free advertising may actually be more work than paid advertising. Here, the old maxim "time is money" comes into play as you will have to be more creative when you use this method. You may have to visit several online communities and place a link to your website in your signature line. You may have to spend time commenting on the messages that others leave so that you can become a contributing member of the community.
Paid advertising may allow you to place a huge banner in the same community so that everyone who enters it will see your ad. You won't have to spend time developing relationships and commenting on others' messages. However, it is important to realize that these relationships can lead to a loyal customer base down the road.
So which method is better? You decide. Try various free advertising methods and try the paid ones too. Keep up with your sales and keep up with the amount of traffic you get from each system. You may find that both ways are valuable, depending on what you are promoting and which customers you are trying to reach.
