Can advertising help your business? The short and probably obvious answer is YES. But what if you’re a small, locally owned mom and pop shop? That answer…also yes. Word of mouth only gets you so far but without a targeted advertising campaign, eventually your customer growth will plateau and you’re going to need to find a way to grow your customer base. Better to get out in front of that lull before it dooms you.
Expansion growth may not be a long-term phase in your plan, but make no mistake, the world around you isn’t standing still. You may be the best at what you do, but unless you’re making an impact in your community, even a little one, eventually you’ll be forgotten or swallowed up by your competition who is out there spreading their good word.
Advertising helps customer growth and increases word of mouth that helped you initially, spurs revenue growth, generates leads and if need be it can help change a negative or outdated perception about your company. The reality is, advertising can do exactly what you need it to do for you.
What works for your neighbor’s business may not be suitable for what you need. But through careful planning and zeroing on the right target demographics for you, you can attract new customers and accelerate growth.
Good advertising isn’t free, but it doesn’t be intimidating and it certainly doesn’t have to bust your budget. Even setting aside a modest allotment to go towards advertising can help change the way you do business.