Learn how to gain more exposure for your business and capture the attention of new and loyal customers with targeted advertising using our guide to best practices for small businesses.

1. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Best Practices For
Small Business
Advertising
Presented By: Kimber S. Powers
Marketing Training Specialist
VerticalResponse, A Deluxe Company

2. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Here’s What We’ll Cover
•Purposes of Advertising
•Advertising ‘Rights & Wrongs’
•Popular types of advertising
•Key Elements of any good ad campaign
•Building an ad campaign: The Steps
•Getting Press for your campaign
•Resources/Q&A

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Purposes For Advertising
•Inform/Educate
•Allows you to take a position of authority
•Storytelling for your product or service
•Excellent soft sale tool
•Helps you attract new customers over time
•Builds confidence with current customers

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SMB Advertising Rights & Wrongs
Advertising Should Be:
• Informational
• Approachable
• Persuasive
• Built to last over a period of time
• Inclusive of your brand’s
essence
Advertising Should Not:
• Mislead
• De-value the consumer
• Strictly hard sell
• Preachy or righteous
• Filled with too many puns or
jokes
• Replicate or imitate competitors

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And Now Some Food for Thought…

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Prepare to Be Seen: Popular Places to Advertise
• Media (Print/Broadcast/Mobile/Radio)
• Industry specific publications
• Emails
• Trade shows
• Paid Placement
• Social media platforms
• Direct Mail
• Outdoor/Transit – Yes it’s possible for Small Business!

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Start on a Shoestring Instead….
• Flyers
• Postcards/Greeting Cards
• Referrals/Word of mouth
marketing
• Blogging
• Cross promotional
advertising
• ‘Takeaway’ Advertising

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Companies Known For Getting it Right
• Airbnb
• Justin’s Nut Butter
• Radio Flyer
• Popchips
• Wayfair.com
• Jack Daniels Spirits
• Jetblue

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What Makes Any Advertisement GREAT?
• Clearly tells the story
• Visually appealing
• Attempts to be thought-provoking
• Answers a need or desire for the audience
• Includes a Call-to-Action (CTA)
• Adaptable for different target audiences

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Your Ad Campaign – 5Ws + 1H
• What type of campaign will I run?
• Why am I interested in running this ad campaign?
• Where will it be seen?
• Who will be helping me?
• When will it be complete?
• How much time will I dedicate to make it a success?

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Start to Finish: Creating a successful ad campaign
• Begin with an action plan
• Figure out all the details
• Remain realistic with your
timeframe
• Execute plan – consider soft
launch
• Evaluate your ROI over time

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Your Ad Campaign: Begin with a Plan
• Remember to think BIG – scale down later
• Pull inspiration from larger companies in your
industry/sector
• Planning gives you the chance to reset the tone for your
audience
• Use the planning phase to start tailoring creative
elements

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Your Ad Campaign – The Creative ‘Bits’
• Logo/Branding
• Images
• Deliverable specs
• Content (Online + Offline)
• Call-to-Action (CTA)
• Promotional Material
• Printed Collateral
• Online Ads

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Words of Wisdom a Bit Closer to Home
“The internet has leveled the playing field
for small businesses. It is now possible
for small businesses to show up BIG
online and compete in new and better
ways. Make sure customers can easily
find you online. It is a major key to
success for small businesses.” -
Amanda Brinkman – Chief Brand Officer, Deluxe @akbrinkman

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Promotional Products: Yay or Nay?
• Also known as ‘swag’ or ‘grab-bag
swag’ in Marketing
• Inclusive of pens, t-shirts, notebooks,
etc
• Should always feature your logo,
details about business
• Mass production items
• Works well for events, giveaways, etc

16. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Garnering Press for Your Business
• Press Releases/Media Kit
• HARO
• Write a blog post/guest blog post
• Team up with a local charity/non-profit
• Guerrilla marketing tactics
• Cross-promotion (Print & Online)

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Consider Your Timeline
• Most ad campaigns are planned 3-6 months in advance
• Consider launching during off-peak times of the year
• Don’t underestimate the power of a soft launch
• Remember to be realistic about deliverables

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Your Ad Campaign – Evaluating Return on Investment
• Set your own ROI parameters – no one size fits all
approach
• ROI is not just about sales and money made
• Advertising often produces returns over periods of time
• Surveys and feedback from customers also part of ROI

19. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Summary
•Be sure to have a clear understanding of your
purpose
•Remember to inspire, not focus on the hard sell
•Don’t forget – there’s no real limit to places you can
advertise
•The 5Ws and H will help guide your campaign
•Set your own metrics for ROI

20. © Deluxe Enterprise Operations, LLC. Proprietary and Confidential.
Resources
Verticalresponse Blog - http://www.verticalresponse.com/blog/how-
to-create-effective-small-business-advertising/
Chron.com Small Business Basics Series -
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/types-business-advertising-642.html
NIFB – Small Business Resource
http://www.nfib.com/article/15-proven-ideas-for-low-cost-local-
advertising-50356/

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Upcoming Webinars – Register TODAY
• Feb 25 – Does Google Love Your Business?
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Talking
• Mar 10 – Marketing Principles for Nonprofits
Register at Deluxe.com/blog or VerticalResponse.com/more