Promote Your Local Business Using Traditional Media

by Sharon Fling

Pick up any magazine and turn to the back. What do you see? Pages and pages of ads, some big, some small ... and almost all of them end with a website address. Same thing with your local newspaper classifieds. The ad gets your attention and the website gives you all the details.

What about radio and TV? Surely you've noticed how every commercial ends with the invitation to visit www.someurl.com for more information. My kids sure have -- they know they can go to www.pbskids.org and print out coloring pages for their favorite TV shows.

This method of using traditional media to promote websites has become commonplace, with good reason: it works. It's the perfect way to get the most out of your advertising budget. Use small print ads or short commercials to drive consumers online for more information.

An added benefit of using traditional media is the naturally targeted audience each delivers. Whether by geography or interests, print, radio and TV offer the best sources for targeted audiences of all types and sizes.

LOCAL NEWSPAPER

Your local newspaper is a natural place to advertise if you want to reach a geographically targeted population. It has an established audience, documented circulation, and measurable ad results. Most newspapers are online, and will usually include your ad in both print and on the Web for the same price. A link to click on makes it even easier for consumers to visit your site -- nothing to remember, no typos to make. The online version of a regional or local newspaper should be easy to find - look in the paper, the website address is probably on the first page. If you need help, visit www.hometownnews.com

LOCAL RADIO

Radio is another affordable way of getting your message out to a local population. Each station appeals to a certain demographic, and like the newspapers, have built-in audiences. Prices can range from a few dollars to hundreds, depending on size and location. Most radio stations now have their own websites to inform listeners of station news, program listings, and promote upcoming events. To find the radio stations for your area, go to http://www.radio-locator.com

CABLE TV

Broadcast TV might not be in your budget, but cable TV is surprisingly affordable. Cable TV is very targeted, with the ability to reach certain demographics as well as by neighborhood or zip code. A certain number of commercials per hour are usually made available to local businesses for a nominal fee (or even fr^ee). As for producing your commercial, there are plenty of small production shops that can help you, and rates are reasonable because there's lots of competition. For more information, check out this excellent article by Kevin Nunley, "How To Advertise Your Business On Cable Tv--Big Results, Low Cost": http://www.drnunley.com/ARTCL34.htm

LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH

As always, remember the job of your website is to get your visitor's email address so you can keep in touch. Don't let all of your hard work go to waste. Once you get them there, offer incentives, coupons, special mailings, or information -- whatever it takes, get that email address! That's when the fun or building a relationship really begins.

Sharon Fling is managing editor and owner of the premier website for local search engine optimization. Join her website to take your local business onto the net successfully!