Are You Suffering from “Advertising Confusion?”

“I Need Help Advertising My Business!”

By Alan Eason, Principal at AE Communications.
January 31, 2025 —

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A client recently said this to me and ended the sentence with: “Marketing and Advertising scare me to death.”

I have heard the same cry from the hearts of many entrepreneurs. Marketing is hard.

We all get excited when we start our business because there are so many ways to get the word out about us, our products and our services!  So we dive right in.

We work hard to get online. We set up some sort of web page and try to get some business listings. We might even try some paid ads like Google Ads or Amazon ads (if you have an Amazon store). You may have also tried to get ads onto Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok ads, Twitter ads, or other places.

But then it hits us. We are getting overwhelmed! And money is flowing out and maybe not much return is coming in from it.  

We know we have to advertise online but HOW?

There are so many different ways to market on the Internet! How do I choose?  Mistakes are expensive and time-consuming.  We also know there is a lot of free advertising available online But where is it and how do I use it? What is best? What is a waste of time?

Yes, some of the best channels and platforms are free and some you have to pay for. But all are confusing to get into at the beginning. And which of these really reach the people you need to reach with your core message and services? How do you know if it is working? How do you figure out ROI? How do you follow up with contacts online?

The real goal of online advertising is not just getting your message out, but forming audience relationships.

It is possible to simplify things. We need to focus on our audience, our clients and our customers. Relationships are what really matter, especially with entrepreneurs. Yes, it is  important to gain credibility with the public and build your online brand, as well as bring in leads and requests for more information. But the real bonus comes when you can help your current customers become your online referral champions!  (Secret - you do not have to be everywhere to do that. Just go where they are.)

Stay tuned for more in this series on Where Can I get Help?

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Our best wishes for your success!,
Alan