Good Advertising Ideas

# It has been said that "half of all the money spent on advertising is wasted. The trouble is figuring out which half." The source of this quote has been attributed to a dozen different business magnates and teachers, but many business owners agree with the sentiment. As your business continues its search for the right advertising dollar to spend, consider some of these approaches.
Yellow Pages
# For many industries, the phone book is still the best advertising dollar you'll spend. People who call from a yellow pages advertisement are calling because they are already interested in your product and the phone book is their primary chosen source. Since 2000 or so, many phone book companies include Internet presence as part of their print book advertising packages. Some search engines also provide Internet-only listing services. As of 2010, whether or not to make that jump varies from industry to industry.
Referral Programs
# Referral programs carry the advantage of coming with a built-in testimonial. If a customer is happy with your product or service, ask the customer to share their experience with friends. This is often most effective in the form of an organized referral drive where you reward customers for new customers they bring in during a set period of time. A more recent form of referral advertising is viral marketing, where you use the Internet to get one person to spread the word to three people, who each spread the word to three more...
Coupon Drop
# A coupon combines two staples of effective advertising. The discount gives users a financial advantage to doing business with you and the coupon's expiration date creates an immediate call to action. You can deliver coupons by hand, through direct mail or along with purchases. One good strategy is to organize coupon exchanges with friendly local businesses. If you run a karate school, you can give away coupons for a local health food store that has agreed to distribute a "one free month" coupon of yours.
Community Service
# Give time or money to a local charity such as a food bank or homeless shelter. Wear a T-shirt with your company name on it. If you have enough staff or enthusiastic customers, do this as a team to make a big splash. Send a press release about it to your local newspaper. This kind of publicity is an excellent way to get the word out about your business.
Vehicle Wrap
# Vehicle wraps are an all-around graphics job for your vehicle, basically a sign that gets shrink-wrapped around your car. They're far less expensive than a custom paint job and give your business a mobile billboard. If your vehicle has a fleet, wrap all of the vehicles you can afford starting with those that spend the most time out in the world. For a small business or sole proprietorship, wrap your personal vehicle.

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