There’s an adage that rings true, whether your lifting weights, writing or marketing. That is, you have to start somewhere. When I first started with weights I wasn’t lifting my bodyweight, much less hundreds of pounds. When I sat down to write this, it wasn’t fully formed in my imagination. It’s the same advertising your small business. You’ve got to start off small and work your way up. Just because you’re thinking small doesn’t mean you can’t get big results, though.

Keep It Simple - Everyone wants to start out on top. It’s just human nature. The same advertising that works for the big boys isn’t going to be as effective for you. Don’t blow your budget on television ads, magazine ads or elaborate telemarketing campaigns, when you can achieve greater local results with direct mail ads, flyers and postcards. Sure, you can only fit a few phrases on a post card, but that’s more than that telemarketer is likely to get out before being hung up on.

Don’t Use the Buckshot Method - In other words, don’t throw all your ads on the proverbial wall to see what sticks. Plan one or two ads that you can target at your desired customers. With focused marketing, you won’t over-saturate consumers with your message and you won’t waste resources on consumers outside the reach or scope of your business.

Evaluate to Elevate - Always measure the effectiveness of your advertising dollar. Its ok to not see “next day” results, but don’t waste time on a marketing method that hasn’t paid off in months. Have sales increased in the period since you started your marketing campaign? Are you seeing new faces in your store? Are customers mentioning the ads to you? All of these questions are valid measures of marketing success. The best measure of all, though, is the increased profits in your ledger book.

Be Adaptable - When you see that your marketing isn’t working for you, think before you act. Its easy to blame the ad and start from scratch, but the medium you choose isn’t the only factor in an ad’s success. Look at the imagery you are using, the design, the format and the message. Any one of these could be what’s holding your marketing back. Don’t be afraid to make tweaks here and there to see what is most effective and what gets the best response from your customers.

We all have to start somewhere, but the advertising you do now will create the foundation for future growth. Keep these marketing tips in mind and you’ll soon find your small business isn’t quite as small as it used to be.