6 brilliant advertising ideas for your growing business

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

If you are the proud owner of a startup or a small but growing business and you are looking for creative, low-cost but effective ways to advertise your brand, here are six great ideas for where to get started. From the world of online advertising through social media to the old-fashioned but golden methods of creating merchandise, pins, and posters to share your message, we have got you covered with our six top tips for engaging advertising campaigns. Remember, you want to stand out from your competitors, so do not be afraid to be dynamic and bold. Let’s dive into our recommendations.

Social media posts

Let’s begin with social media, the gift that keeps on giving in the world of advertising. If you know your social media platforms and how best to utilize them, you can create a huge following for your small business. For instance, TikTok has become a key tool in advertising and sharing ideas and messages with a huge audience. By keeping up with trends and making well-edited, well-written, and engaging content, you can gain a lot of attention and followers online who will even share your content if it is interesting or entertaining.

Some companies, such as the airline Ryanair, are known for their witty social media posts. These can go so far as to help recover a brand’s poor image. So, paying someone to manage your social media might seem like a silly expense for a new or growing business, but it can actually make all of the difference. 

Create a hashtag

Another social media hack is to create a hashtag that uses your business name or motto or links directly back to you in some key way. Make it something that will encourage people to use the hashtag, thus encouraging it to trend. This could lead to your message reaching thousands of new potential customers and it will make your company a talking point online.

Examples of this include Lay Crisp’s campaign #DoUsAFlavor which encouraged people to choose their favorite flavor of crisps and they could win a cash prize. There was also the #ShareACoke Coca-Cola hashtag that people would post with pictures of their coke bottles. Finally, Disney’s #ShareYourEars campaign encouraged people to post pictures of themselves wearing Disney ears headbands and for every post, Disney donated 15$ to Make A Wish.

Advertising pins

You can also give out small free pins that have your company’s name and logo on them. This is a great way to have people walking around advertising your brand for you. Ensure that the design of your custom enamel pins is bold and creative so people are inclined to wear them and they catch the eye of others. You can have these pins at your reception, send them out with Christmas cards or event invitations, attach them to business cards or disperse them in any other creative and fun way that you can think of.

Competitions with a prize

Any time you can offer a prize, such as a free holiday, phone or experience, you should encourage people to share social media posts, buy your merchandise or make an order on your site to enter the prize draw. This attracts new customers, draws attention to your brand, and increases your positive public image, all at once.

Branded merchandise

Put your company’s logo on tote bags, hats, socks, and any other item that is paraded through the streets for the masses to see. Depending on what products or services your company offers, there will be some items that it makes more sense to create as merch.

Whether your company’s logo makes sense on beer mats, T-shirts, or embroidered towels, find your niche and use these branded items to drive awareness of your business and what it stands for.

Display advertising

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Finally, there is value in simple display advertising, such as posters and leaflets, as long as your small business has a clear vision of what it wants to say, what the company’s values and goals are, and who its target audience is. Posters can be designed to make it clear what your business offers and stands for and can be placed strategically where your target audience is likely to see them.

This has been a brief guide to clever and creative advertising for small and growing companies. Starting online, you can benefit hugely from having a social media presence, especially if your brand becomes well known for its entertaining posts. Moreover, you can create a hashtag that gains traction. Next, small free gifts like pins that people will wear and advertise your brand for you can be a game-changer. Running competitions that people are excited to take part in will gain you an audience. Branded merchandise will raise revenue and advertise at the same time. Finally, simple display advertising has its good old-fashioned benefits.