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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS
Small Business Advertising
JUNE 2011
VOL 3, NO 2
The type of advertising chosen by a small business depends on the market the firm is
trying to reach: Local, National, International.
Local Markets. Advertising is non prime- time slots on local television offers great
impact at a cost many small firms can afford. More commonly through, small businesses
with a local market use newspaper & radio advertising &, increasingly, direct mail.
National Markets. Many businesses have grown from small to large operations by
using direct mail, & particularly catalogues. By purchasing mailing lists of other companies’
customers, a small firm can target its mailing, reducing costs. The ability t target an audience
also makes specialized magazines attractive to small businesses.
International Markets. Television, radio, & newspapers are seldom viable
promotional options in reaching international markets because of both their costs and their
limited availability. Most small firms find direct mail & magazine advertising the most
effective promotional tools.
Small Business Personal Selling
Like advertising, personal selling strategies used by small businesses depend on their
intended market.
Local markets. Some small firms maintain a sales force to promote & sell their
products locally. Other contract with a sales agency – a company that handles the products of
several companies – to act on their behalf. Insurance agents who sell insurance for several
different companies are sales agencies.
National Markets. Because of a high costs of operating a national sales force, many
companies have established telemarketing staffs. By combining telemarketing with a catalog
or other educational product literature, small companies can sell their products national &
compete against much larger companies.
International Markets. Small companies can’t afford to establish international offices
in order to conduct businesses. Even sending sales representatives overseas is expensive.
Thus, many small companies have combined telemarketing with direct mail in order to
expand internationally. Small businesses often depend on an interesting or unusual sign to
attract new customers.
Small business sales promotions
Small companies use the same sales promotion incentives that larger companies use.
The difference is that larger firms tend to use more coupons, POP displays, & sales contests.
Smaller firms rely on premiums & special sales, since coupons & sales contests are more
expensive & difficult to manage.
Small Business Publicity
Publicity is very important to small businesses with local markets. Small firms often
have an easier time getting local publicity than do national firms. Readers of local papers like
to read about local companies, so local papers like to write about such businesses. But fierce
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