Your products and services are amazing, and your main goal as a small business is to make sure your potential customers know that too. Getting the word out has become a challenging endeavor as competitors crowd the marketplace, so what can you do to stand out? Rather than resorting to the same tactics that everyone else in your industry is using, why not try these secret small business advertising techniques instead? Here are seven fun and exciting ways to increase your advertising, boost your results, and increase sales:

Sponsor a Local Event

Sponsoring a fair, festival, sports team, or other event helps establish your brand as a pillar of the community, connecting name recognition to excitement and fun. Whether you go big by donating toward something large-scale, such as a parade, or donate some small products or vouchers to a charity raffle, your neighbors will appreciate the gesture. Getting your brand and logo on a banner or frame-ready flyer also makes for great “artwork” on your headquarters’ walls.

Host an Online Contest or Giveaway

Your customers - both potential and established - likely follow you on social media or visit your website occasionally. Capitalize on this attention by hosting an online contest, with a prize selected from your stock or services. Part of the entry process should involve collecting their email for newsletter signups, and requiring them to share or like a specific page. This will increase the “reach” of your giveaway exponentially for every entrant. Because this promotion can’t, by definition, reach customers that aren’t following and visiting you yet, make sure to advertise it through wide-reaching advertising mediums like radio.

Work with an Influencer

Partnering with someone else’s star power has been a tried-and-true advertising technique for decades, whether it’s a local celebrity or an internet star who would likely use products like yours. An influencer already has a large audience of people poised to trust them, so working with one can be a smart allocation of your marketing budget. Note: Be sure to verify data like follower counts, platforms used, and demographic reach to ensure a great fit with your potential influencer partner beforehand.

Create “Refer-a-Friend” Promotions

The advice and recommendation of friends and family is a level of brand loyalty that money can’t buy - although it’s possible to influence. Rewarding existing customers who recommend a new customer is great for business and also makes them feel valued. Discount coupons, free items, or gifts-with-purchase are ways to flesh out a program and entice people to spread the word. Track customer referrals with customized links online or imprinted discount cards in person, and you’ll always know who your biggest fans are.

Create Live Stream Videos at Work

Livestreaming the behind the scenes experience at your company is a great way to make loyal customers, and fans feel like they’re in your inner circle. Mix it up by letting individual employees take over the stream each day and show off their skills or favorite products for a unique twist. Offer a newsletter signup button on your live stream platform of choice, and you’ll even get relevant marketing data to use later. Note: Always be sure to tuck any potentially sensitive information, like job applications or financial info, out of sight of the camera to prevent mishaps.

Email Marketing

Remember those emails you collected for the contest and during the live stream? This is where they’ll come into play. Send out a weekly newsletter to your customers detailing new arrivals in the store, special sales, and deals reserved only for newsletter subscribers. By building interest in upcoming products before they arrive, you’ll be taking some uncertainties out of new launches, ultimately leading to more profitable sales numbers.

Reward Facebook and Yelp Reviews

Your reviews on platforms like Facebook and Yelp are an essential part of the first impression you make on potential customers. Google reviews are also critical, as the insights they provide feed to devices like smartphones and smart speakers in the home. Place signs in the store to encourage your customers to leave reviews,  and give them incentives for doing so. You can print and frame positive reviews, or use them as a prominent image on your website. If you struggle to move physical customers into your digital world, you could also tie in reviews as a condition of your contest entry process.

The best small businesses, even those driven by word of mouth, still need advertising to thrive. This may include broadcast tools like radio to reach a wide audience,  or digital formats to engage with existing customers. Use these seven advertising ideas and partner up with a reputable company like Zimmer Radio to get more bang for your proverbial marketing buck. Soon you’ll have a healthy roster of eager customers to serve.