Gas Station Advertising

The Power of Word of MouthWord of mouth advertising is one of the most powerful tools a small business can possess.  When the person talking to you about a particular product or service is a trusted friend, you’re much more likely to listen than if it were some stranger, television set, or radio persona.  One great strategy for small business promotion is to get people talking about your business.  Now this is harder than one might think; but for example, if you offer products or services at a discount, or even free for a time, this will increase the likelihood that others will talk about your business. 

You can also offer promotional products or services, and think of creative advertising techniques to make your business visible to your target audience.  Every business should have some kind of The Power of Word of Mouthonline component, even if you’re just a local dry cleaning operation with a simple website.  People start their search for a dry cleaner online, not in the phonebook as they used to.  You might even start a forum or blog for questions and comments about your products and services.  All practices that generate positive conversation about your business are great for sales. 

Most businesses start out small, and let’s face it, even when a business starts out with big funding there is no guarantee that it will succeed.  The key to small business success is getting noticed, but because you can’t afford Super Bowl advertisements, you have to think outside of the box.  Advertise your business in places your customers frequent, but don’t think this just means billboards, posters, and people waving cardboard signs.  Be creative when advertising a small business, think about sidewalk art, gas pumps, dartboards; these advertisements are noticed, while more conventional advertising is often ignored. 

It’s also a great idea to think about advertising online on websites your target customers frequent.  You can have great visibility and in turn, great sales by using contemporary advertising techniques.  If you’re not the advertising type, consider hiring an advertising company to do it for you; the return is often much greater than the initial investment!

How many times have you said, “What a great idea!  I wish I had thought of it!”  Advertising methods are getting more and more innovative these days, and with the rising numbers of people going into business for themselves, no potential location for an advertisement can be ignored.

From gas pumps to automatic teller or tavern gaming machines, there are many nontraditional venues with a captive audience for your business message to be shared.  People will see your contact information over and over again!

There are so many ways to advertise your business that it would be impossible to list them all. Traditional forms of advertising may include purchase of advertising space community coupon packets such as Val-Pak, telephone directories, city maps and local tourist guides, and local area magazines and newspapers.   State fairs, community or church events, or job fairs often have reasonable table or booth rental; if you organize some kind of prize drawing or raffle, you will have contact information for many potential customers.  Donations of your products or services is also an excellent way to get exposure for your business–try local radio stations, TV local information channels, or bingo halls. Ask local restaurants and bars if advertising space is available for purchase on their placemats or beverage coasters.    Have a few T-shirts and tote bags with your business logo on them and hand them out to people you know.  Put a vehicle banner, window cling, or license plate holder on your vehicle that advertises your business name.  Business cards, business card magnets, window clings, and promotional flyers or coupons can be left with any business who gives you permission—some ideas are hairdressers, coffee stands, offices for any medical health provider you might know, banks, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, daycare centers, college campus or trade school student information centers, car dealerships, housing rental offices, and gyms.   

Pacific Media expands on the above-listed possibilities by offering advertising space on gas pumps, dartboards, nightclubs, concert and sporting event venues, movie theaters, and department stores, not just in the form of posters, but on the sidewalk, glass doors, and many more.  When it comes to making your business succeed, marketing and visibility is everything!

One tactic referred to as stealth marketing causes an interaction with the target audience and product without them even knowing they are the target of a marketing campaign. Such a tactic has even included paid actors requesting that a group of people take their picture or even video games with gadgets ‘made’ by a particular company. Some controversy has been caused but this type of non-traditional advertising because certain ways of implementing this type of marketing has said to make the intended audience feel insulted because of the way their marketing ploy was implemented.

But not all non-traditional advertising is created the same. Even with a majority of intended viewers ignoring straight forward advertising there are ways of grabbing consumers attention and the most effective ways of advertising have been geared towards connecting with the intended demographic. Creativity is a huge part of capturing attention but also exposure time, with limited distractions. So where do people spend a significant amount of time that will allow for this type of exposure? Full-color poster bathroom advertising has certainly shown this type of potential with 1 to 3 minute exposure time and the potential for a viewers undivided attention. After all there is not much else to stare at other then then straight in front of you.