19 Winning Strategies to Advertise Your Business

We've all been in a creative rut at some time or another—but when your creative rut is tied to your income, the stakes are a little higher.

In this guide, we're going to cover 19 winning strategies that you can use to advertise your business both online and offline. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a budding entrepreneur, these tactics will equip you with the tools to craft robust advertising campaigns that resonate with your target audience and maximize your ROI.

How to advertise your business on Google

Google processes approximately 6.3 milion searches every minute—making it one of the best places to start advertising. Here are a few strategies you can use to reach new potential customers (as well as your existing customers).

1. Use Google Ads to advertise your business

The fastest way to be #1 in the search results is to pay for it—via Google Ads.

Google Ads allows businesses to create ads and target specific audiences to display their products and services on Google's search results, partner websites, and apps. Most of the targeting is done through search keywords or keyphrases, such as 'plumber near me' or 'size 7 green dress'.

The ad formats can range from text-only search results to videos on YouTube, giving advertisers full flexibility over how their ad is received visually.

Since the purpose of Google Ads is to target potential customers at the exact moment when they're searching for a product you offer, Google can be an incredible resource for those looking to kick-start their revenue engine—making it one of the top places for online advertising.

(P.S. We have a full guide on how Google Ads works for those who want to get started today.)

2. Use content marketing to boost your search presence

While Google Ads is a great resource, paying to play still has drawbacks. For example, many small business owners find themselves being outbid on the top ad spots during peak sales times by huge companies like Amazon, Walmart, and others.

However, search engine optimization strategies, such as content marketing, can increase your website's ranking in search results without having to pay Google.

Search engine optimization (or SEO for short) is the process of enhancing a website to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages, aiming to attract more organic (non-paid) traffic.

Blogs (like this one) provide an opportunity to integrate relevant keywords naturally on your website, helping to attract traffic from targeted search queries related to your industry or niche and improving a website's visibility and ranking.

That being said, it isn't as easy as throwing a few words on a page. There are a LOT of blogs out there, and earning the trust and respect of your readers is harder than ever. Make sure you have a solid content marketing strategy and put out helpful and informative content to ensure your readers keep coming back for more.

3. Increase product awareness with the Google Merchant Center

When looking for a specific item, you probably don't want to drive around to 20 stores or search through 100 individual websites. Instead, we want our trusty friend Google to show us exactly what we're looking for and where we can find it in a snap.

And the easiest way for business owners to provide that information is through the Google Merchant Center.

The Google Merchant Center is a tool that allows business owners to upload and manage their product listings for use across Google's shopping services, such as Google Shopping and even Google Ads.

By providing detailed information about your products, including images, pricing, and descriptions, Google Merchant Center can show these items to shoppers when they're searching, improving your chance of attracting a shiny new customer.

Google Merchant Center can also provide businesses with insights into which products are performing well and which are not by analyzing information like click-through rates and conversion statistics. If a specific product has a high click-through rate but a low conversion rate, it might indicate that the pricing is too high or the product page lacks sufficient information.

Armed with this data, a business owner can make informed decisions to adjust prices, enhance product descriptions, or modify marketing strategies to boost sales and improve overall performance.

The cherry on top? This tool is 100% free!

How to advertise your business on social media

Luckily for you, you don't have to do a silly dance on TikTok to sell on social media. Here's an overview of some of the top ways you can generate more sales for your business (without pulling your back out) using social media advertising.

How to advertise your business on Facebook

While organic posts can help boost visibility and sales, that isn't all there is to it. If you're struggling with how to advertise your business on Facebook, try these strategies.

4. Use Facebook Groups to find your audience

People love to connect and bond over a shared interest, and Facebook Groups are one of the most popular places to do just that.

A Facebook Group is a dedicated forum on Facebook where users can join together to communicate about shared interests, engage in discussions, and share relevant content under a common theme or purpose. These groups can be public or private.

As business owners, you can create content centered around the lifestyle your products promote, support for users of your products, or discussions related to your industry. Here's an example using one of my personal favorites, Reaper Miniatures, who sell miniature figures for tabletop roleplaying games.

Reaper Miniatures uses their group to host a quarterly painting contest, announce their newest products, address support questions, and see what their customers are most interested in.

You can use the insights from your own Facebook Group interactions to inform your business strategies. What are common questions or feedback about your products? What additional products or improvements are people looking for? These insights can be incredibly valuable for guiding product development and marketing strategies.

5. Run Facebook ads to generate sales

Just like with Google, there's always a pay-to-play option—this time it's Facebook ads.

Facebook ads work by allowing businesses to target specific audiences with tailored messages, leveraging Facebook's vast trove of user data, such as demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.

Advertisers can choose from a variety of ad formats, including video, image, carousel, and more, to engage users in different ways. Facebook also boots some impressive return on investment statistics, with the average between 2:1 and 5:1, meaning that for every $1 you spend you can earn $5 in return.

While Facebook can be difficult to figure out for first-timers, platforms like Madgicx make creating, managing, and reporting on your Facebook ads easier than ever:

• AI Marketer. Don't have time to micromanage your ads? Madgicx's AI Marketer uses artificial intelligence to analyze your advertising data and provide actionable insights you can implement with a single click, making it easier to optimize campaigns for better results​.
• Ad Library. Kick your creative block to the curb with the Ad Library. Tap into the largest Facebook Ad library that provides access to a vast collection of ad examples across every industry, with Pinterest-style boards and a collaborative interface for your team.
• One-Click Report. Stop spending hours collating data and let Madgicx do it for you. One-Click Report has over 13 pre-made marketing templates that capture data from Google Analytics, Meta, Shopify, and TikTok in one place.

If you want to dip your toes into Facebook ads, you can get started with Madgicx free during a 7-day trial.

How to advertise your business on Instagram

6. Collaborate with influencers to generate awareness

If you're having trouble breaking out in a crowded industry, influencer marketing might be the golden ticket for you.

Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands collaborate with online influencers to market products or services, leveraging their following and credibility to reach a targeted audience.

Collaborating with influencers and brands on Instagram starts with identifying the right partners who share your brand values and appeal to your target audience. You can then reach out to these potential collaborators with a personalized, professional proposal that outlines the mutual benefits and the creative vision for the campaign.

While influencer marketing hinges on finding the right influencer/audience combination, you can use GRIN's influencer marketing guide to make this process a lot easier.

7. Host contests and giveaways

While getting Instagram followers can take time, you can get a fast pass by hosting contests and giveaways on your Instagram page.

An Instagram giveaway is a promotional tactic in which brands or individuals offer followers the chance to win a prize by participating in a contest hosted on the Instagram platform.

To gain entry, followers usually complete specific actions such as liking the post, following the account, tagging friends, or sharing the post on their story.

There are dozens of online giveaway tools to help you manage enrollments and track content activities so you can focus on gaining exposure.

How to advertise your business via email marketing

We've all seen some businesses/people go viral overnight. Still, even celebrities face challenges from ever-changing algorithms that can reduce their reach and views with the same volatility that made them famous in the first place.

While email is by no means the least crowded space on the block, email marketing allows you to continually remain in contact with your customers and leads without having to worry about The Algorithm's™ impact.

Here are a few ways you can use email marketing to your advantage:

8. Send abandoned cart reminders

According to Baymard Institute, the average digital cart abandonment rate is nearly 70%. This means you're only making 3 out of every 10 potential sales. By implementing automated emails that remind customers of items they left in their shopping carts, you can effectively bring users back to complete their purchases and recapture that lost revenue.

If you want to pump up those conversion rates, pair your reminder with an extra incentive—like free shipping or an additional discount.

9. Advertise your special offers and discounts

The easiest way to get started with email marketing is to advertise your current specials or limited-time-only products. This goes double for high-volume shopping days like Black Friday, Valentine's Day, etc. Take this incredibly well-made example from Factor_, a meal subscription service.

Adding a huge discount that nearly jumps off the page at you, paired with an overview of just how simple their products are to prepare, is a great 1-2 punch that's sure to knock out tons of revenue.

10. Offer exclusive deals for signups

Nobody needs another email, but you can make them want one by sweetening the pot. Offer exclusive rewards to your email subscribers to thank them for their loyalty and encourage more sign-ups.

11. Send a monthly newsletter

If you can't get yourself in the newspaper? Make your own! Or, in today's terms, an email newsletter.

You can use a newsletter to update your customers on new products, upcoming events, or even any educational content they may be interested in that's relevant to your brand.

By providing value outside of a direct sales motion, you can keep your audience informed and engaged with your brand over time (and, hopefully, top of mind when they go to make a purchase).

13. Create post-purchase follow-ups

If you've ever shopped for a new phone, you know the sale doesn't end at the phone itself. Typically you'll want to order things like a case, screen protector, headphones, or even adapters. As a business owner, you can inspire these purchases by sending follow-up emails after purchase to thank customers and offer additional related products.

How to promote your business using directories and review sites

Launching a new website is a refreshing feeling; however, that nice feeling is sure to fade if you find yourself without any website visitors. This is where online directories and review sites can come in handy.

14. Create directory listings for your business

Business directories are like modern digital phone books, where businesses provide their contact details, services, and other pertinent information. The strategy for these is simple: add your business details on places like Google Business, Bing Places, or even the digital version of the Yellow Pages (and make sure you optimize your listing for SEO).

15. Ask your customers to review your business

Review sites, on the other hand, allow customers to post reviews about their experiences with businesses, which can significantly influence a business's reputation and trustworthiness.

These sites can be general or niche-specific, depending on the focus of the service or industry. Yelp, TripAdvisor, and G2 are all examples of specific review sites, but even some directory listing sites above have review features.

Since this strategy requires a little heavy lifting for your customers, you can always make leaving a review seem more attractive by offering product discounts in exchange for an honest review. The more positive reviews you have, the more likely prospective customers will be to give your site or business a visit.

How to promote your business locally

It's a digital world these days, that's true. However, according to Forbes, around 30%-40% of customers head straight into their Maps app to find information on a local business. visit a place of business within 24 hours. Getting in front of your target audience (on and offline) is still as valid today as ever.

To that end, here are some great strategies you can employ to advertise your business locally.

16. Participate in local events

Whether it’s a fair, market, or festival, participating in local events can help raise awareness about your business. You can simply sponsor local events or get more involved by setting up a booth of your own.

17. Host workshops or classes

If YouTube has taught us anything, it's that people love to create nearly anything you can imagine—even an organ made entirely out of Furbys. Offering free or paid workshops related to your business can not only attract people to your location but can also provide an additional revenue stream.

Stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby, American-based craft supply stores, take full advantage of this strategy by hosting crafting classes throughout the year or hosting a space for birthday parties.

18. Advertise with local media outlets

While you may not be able to get a prime-time ad slot during the Super Bowl, getting a feature in your local news segment or newspaper isn't as hard as you think.

If your business addresses a community need, participates in local events, or launches innovative products, pitch your local media outlet a story about it. You'll also want to ensure a press kit is ready to go should they need additional information for their piece.

19. Collaborate with other local businesses or small business organizations

One of the biggest perks of owning your own business has to be all the great people you meet along the way. To increase your sales, you can always partner with businesses that complement but don't compete directly with yours.

If you're a local bakery near a bookstore, you could work with the owner to create an offer where customers who purchase a book at the bookstore receive a voucher for a free coffee when they buy any pastry at the bakery.

If that isn't possible, local governments or colleges typically have a small business development committee that helps local businesses succeed by providing resources for managing and advertising their business. Reaching out to these organizations and getting involved in their workshops and courses can lead to even more opportunities to grow.

Conclusion

You can't afford to choose only online or offline marketing strategies in 2024. Whether it's leveraging the precision of digital ads and the expansive reach of social media, or tapping into the tangible, trust-building power of print media and face-to-face interactions, each method has unique strengths.

By integrating these approaches, businesses can create a comprehensive advertising campaign that reaches customers at multiple touchpoints, enhancing visibility and engagement.

As markets continue to evolve, staying adaptable and open to both traditional and digital methods will be key to crafting successful, impactful advertising strategies that drive growth and build lasting customer relationships.