No matter the size or location of your market, you can be a preferred resource for local advertisers. If you’re working in a small market advertising area, you face obstacles. There’s lots of competition, budgets may be less than ideal, and business owners often require digital education.
Ultimately, every company in your market needs to advertise regularly. You can be their guide, helping them meet goals and embrace the returns of digital ad campaigns.
Here are five ways to solve small market advertising challenges.
Competition for Clients Is Fierce, So Tell the Best Story
Many companies in your region already have a vendor to buy ads, traditional or digital. These relationships may be deep, but it doesn’t mean they’re getting ROI from their ad buys. Their current provider may be just keeping things status quo without considering changing consumer needs.
These gaps create opportunities to show businesses a new path. Finding leads in small markets may seem like a brick wall. It’s time to shake the foundation and point out what they could be achieving.
Doing some recon on their digital footprint is a good starting point. You may see some obvious wins or tweaks that could improve their advertising ROI.
If you know who they are buying from, you can build your case better. If it’s an agency that’s not local, your story should focus on how you know the market, and they don’t. If they have multiple vendors for traditional and digital, they are likely paying too much and managing too many conversations. You can sell them radio, O&O and digital in one package, which may sound like a perfect solution.
Budget Concerns Keep Businesses from Buying Digital, But They Can Start Small with You
Many companies in your region probably think they don’t have the budget for digital. Some of your competitors may have minimums for tactics, which keep them out of the game.
If you use digital advertising technology without minimums, they can buy from you. They can start as small as $500 a month for some display and geofencing campaigns. They’re cost-effective and perform really well.
Once they see results, they’ll be more apt to spend more with you. What starts as minimal can grow when their ads deliver leads and revenue!
Local Businesses May Find Digital Intimidating, But You’re Here to Help
Digital advertising can be complicated. Business owners get the general idea of advertising as they see and hear ads every day. Serving those ads involves many tasks, but you’ll be doing the work for them. You can easily explain how an ad goes from an order to a reality with this guide. It includes simple explanations of each tactic that aren’t full of technical terms or jargon!
What’s essential for them to understand for most digital tactics is targeting. You’re building an audience with them based on demographics, geography, interests and behaviors. The ideal target criteria are neither too broad nor too narrow. You can ask them questions about their customers and share some targeting options, so they feel part of the experience.
They don’t need to be digitally savvy. They need a trusted resource to take them through the process. You’ll be earning their trust in these conversations, too.
Small Market Advertisers Could Be Stuck in the Past, So Highlight the Present
You may talk to local businesses about advertising; they think they don’t need to do it. They think everyone knows them already, so why bother? That’s a misconception.
Communities are always changing, with new residents making it home. They’ll be looking for products and services, so long-time businesses have an opportunity to hook them.
Another thing to point out is that people may be aware of their brand, but not all that they do. They’ve likely added new offerings and can use advertising to promote them.
The belief that advertising doesn’t matter for established brands is exactly how they lose market share.
They’re Advertising But Have No Idea If It’s Working; They Always Will With You
Whether using a vendor or doing it on their own, some local companies may have no idea if their advertising is working. It could be because the reporting is too complex, or they don’t even receive any.
Being able to recap campaigns with easy-to-understand reporting could be your best play here. Show them some samples and how clear the metrics are. Detailed reports with visualizations give advertisers insights into performance. It’s more than impressions and clicks. They’ll see things that can help with future campaigns, such as what creative and ZIP codes performed the best.
Small Market Advertising: Local Media Sellers Are the Solution
The hurdles you face in selling in a small market are concerning but solvable. By following these strategies, you can be what these businesses really need — a trusted resource that delivers results. For more great ideas, read our post on why radio is the perfect partner for small business advertising.
