Traditional Advertising
Newspaper, phone books, radio, and television are the general media outlets that people go to for advertising. The problem with these places is that, as a small business, they may be too expensive for your business budget.
The good part is that you will gain massive exposure and great results through advertising in these places. This author has worked in the media advertising business for over 15 years, so hopefully, I can shed some light on the requirements and where you can get the most bang for your buck!
Newspapers
Newspaper advertising is going to be your best bet as a way to start getting your name out into the community. They tend to be less expensive than the others and you'll have a wider audience.
You control the content of your ad and can make changes to it as changes are needed. The downfall of newspaper ads is that often people just glance at them and then move on to the rest of the paper. Because they appear in black and white, it's difficult to get yourself to stand out without a huge ad and a huge ad will probably be cost prohibitive.
How can you make your ad stand out? First, use graphics along with a catchy tag line. "Scraps R Us make your memories live forever", for example. Provide a coupon in your ad for money off services or products. People love to save money and once you get them as a customer, they'll likely return for more as their needs change.
Don't overcrowd your ad with unnecessary words and phrases. If you provide too much information, the print will have to be smaller to fit in the space provided. People don't like to have to read a lot of words. Be concise and to the point. Use the line "For more information, visit our website at _________" or "Call today to learn more".
We suggest running your ad at least 3 times a week. You don't have to run them every week, but the more exposure you can get at any given time will increase the possibilities of your message getting out there.
Most newspapers offer up package plans that can be affordable for you, so ask what they have available. Don't go overboard and spend more than you can make. Be mindful of how your ads are working for you by asking new customers to indicate where they got your information. That way, you'll know what's working and what isn't.