There is no "one size fits all" approach when it comes to advertising. Companies may have different interpretations of what "effective" means too. For example, one company may define effective as reaching the largest audience possible; another may think increasing brand awareness is effective advertising; and another may decide that return on investment is the ultimate measure of effectiveness. Regardless of how you define what makes an ad "effective," several advertising tactics appeal to various schools of thought.
Outdoor Advertising
Outdoor advertising is using things such as signs and billboards to advertise your business. According to "Entrepreneur" magazine, outdoor advertising can be an effective advertising method for many people because they reach more people per dollar than any other media.
Email Advertising
In terms of return on investment, email advertising is one of the most effective promotional methods. According to a 2008 economic impact study from the Direct Marketing Association, the average return for email marketing in 2008 was $45.06 for every dollar spent. Email marketing is inexpensive to implement too. Sign up for a free account with an email marketing provider, including Vertical Response, Constant Contact or Mail Chimp. Then, send weekly emails to your customers with special offers for your products and services.
Radio Advertising
"Entrepreneur" says radio reaches the second most people dollar-for-dollar. Another reason radio is effective is you can target stations that align with the demographic characteristics of your target audiences.
Direct Mail
Direct mail can be a highly effective advertising method for many companies because it is one of the most targeted marketing tactics. You can work with a direct mail vendor to develop a list of specific customer traits you want to target. For example, you can create a list of men between the ages of 25 and 30 who make between $50,000 and $75000 per year, are early adopters of technology and who are interested in health and fitness.
Paid Search
According to eMarketer, as of 2009, 68 percent of B2B marketers thought paid search advertising was an effective method for generating leads. "Paid search" refers to using search engines that include Google, Yahoo and Bing to strategically place ads that appear when consumers search for specific key words.
