It’s a fact- Micro Business Ownership is on the rise. Research figures released from the ABS state that as of June 2004, small businesses with only one operator accounted for 72.6% of all small businesses- up from 68.5% in 2003. If you find yourself identifying with the above, then read on. I’m about to show you 7 ways to help build your micro business that you’ve started, and to make your advertising dollar go further.

1. What do you want from your advertising? Why are you advertising in the first place? Is it to gain more customers/clients, or maybe to increase your database (or to start building one). Are you trying to raise awareness of your brand? Take the time to really think about what you want out of your advertising- first. This will help you to define your target market and write your advertisement piece.
   
   
2. Know your target market. Who are they? And don’t just say the general public! You may have more than one particular market- this is ok. Just ensure that you choose only one market per advert. The worst thing you can do is write one advert and try to get everyone in from it. In saying that, if you want more customers- you need to work out your most profitable ones, and then market to them. For example- a Baby Goods store found that they had 2 main customers who walked in their door every day. They were the first time parents, and the first time grandparents! After doing some thorough research into their past 3 months worth of sales, they concluded that it was actually the first time grandparents that gave them the most profit. Note here, that the word ‘profit’ is used, rather than the most sales. This business can then devise an advert appealing to grandparents. By targeting their most profitable, customers, they can increase the effectiveness of their advertising- rather than focusing on the main bulk of their buying customers.
   
   Your target market can be made up geographically- (i.e. a bakery may look for anyone within a 10klm radius of their shop) or it can be made up demographically (i.e. - new mums, business owners, women, football fanatics etc). You can then narrow that down even more to new mums with girls, or boys; AFL fans, or Rugby Union fans etc. The more you narrow it down, the more targeted your advertising will be.
   
   
3. Write your advert. Use the above steps to come up with the first few pieces of your advert. Your headline should capture the attention of your target market. For example- “Are you a Mum?” or “Calling all painters!” The very next line should be the ‘hook’ Tell the readers why they need to keep reading. I.e. - “Attention new Mums- Here’s how to get more sleep” or you can lead in with some facts. IE- “Recent research suggests new mothers are not getting enough sleep”. Then outline the benefits to the reader if they continue on reading your advert. I.e. - “find out how to get more sleep now!”
   
   The headline and intro are generally the only pieces of writing that get scanned by a reader- you need to make them good, for the reader to keep reading. Make it Clear, Bold and outline benefits!
   
   
4. Include Incredible Offers. If you want to attract new customers, then make your offer great! Especially if your business is online, and you are advertising into an offline medium. You need to make the reader get up and go and turn the computer on, and type in your website name. 5% discount just won’t cut it! Giving something away for free is one of the best offers. It doesn’t have to be a product of yours- try to build relationships with other business owners who share the same target market, but are not competitors. For example: Diva Promotions has formed with Fix My Business to offer clients of Diva Promotions a Free ½ hour PR Session with any campaign booked. Now Diva Promotions wins as they get new customers, and Fix My Business wins as they get to build on their database and showcase themselves for potential clients. The value of giving that ½ hour away could be worth so much more to Fix My Business!
   
   When organizing something like this, keep in mind that the situation needs to be a Win-Win for everyone involved- including the potential customer!
   
   Ensure you include a call to action and deadline in your offer. People always hate to feel they are missing out on something and the deadline will compel them to act. For example- ‘Hurry- competition closes next Friday! Call/Visit/Email today to ensure you don’t miss out!” Ensure you tell the customer how to contact you and try to make it a few different ways.
   
   
5. Submit your advert. Ensure you put yourself in the shoes of your target market. What publications do they read? What websites do they visit? Etc. Try to spread your selection over a few mediums. Preferably online and offline- this will ensure your ‘eggs are not in one basket’ so to speak. Don’t be afraid to ask for an advertising discount. The longer you advertise with the, the more of a discount they may give. They can only say no!
   
   
6. Test your advertising and measure your responses. Before you commit to a large advertising budget, test a few different methods to see if they work. I.e. - before sending 5000 inserts into a magazine, ask them if you can send around 300 to test. If this doesn’t get any kind of response, then you’ve saved yourself a bit of money! If you don’t already, start asking everyone single person you come into contact with where they heard about you. They won’t mind telling you and you can get a much clearer picture of where your money is best spent!
   
   
7. Final word. Remember that marketing and advertising is ongoing! It’s not just something that you do a few times per year. You should ideally be spending 50% of your time on marketing and advertising your business to ensure its’ growth. If people don’t know about your business- how can they buy from you?? People need to see your advert or brand at least 5 times before they will act upon it, so ensure you are consistent. Remember, if you’ve not done a comprehensive advertising plan before, getting it right can take many months! Be prepared for the long haul and always budget for advertising every month! Continue to measure and adjust what is not working. This can be in the form of changing a headline, or changing an offer, or moving the advert to another publication. It’s a matter of trial and error. Build your momentum and constantly keep your eye on it- Never Set and Forget!
   
   

Emma Rhoades owns advertising business Diva Promotions. She aims to give women with their own micro business highly targeted, cost-effective advertising campaigns. Visit www.divapromotions.com.au today to book into your next campaign and start growing your business! Emma can be contacted via the website, admin@divapromotions.com.au or 1300 76 36 76.