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Social Media Advertising vs Traditional Advertising

Social Media Advertising vs Traditional Advertising

Advertising media in America had its inception almost three hundred years ago when Benjamin Franklin published the Pennsylvania Gazette which included print advertising. In 1922 WEAF NY offered ten minutes broadcast radio time for $100.00. In the late 1940s television was the new addition. About a decade ago we saw the emergence of a new medium online marketing.

I’ve read many articles online extolling the superiority of social media marketing over traditional advertising. There are strengths and benefits to each form of advertising. The one major benefit to small business owners is the low cost and flexibility of social media. Choose a comprehensive strategy that works for you.
When creating ad copy there are certain elements that are basic to different forms of advertising media whether using print advertising, direct mail, email or an online landing page. The fundamentals remain the same.

1. Make the offer, give the prospect a reason to learn more about the product or service.
2. The headline explaining the key benefit or offer you are making.
3. Include an image, one or two striking pictures that illustrate the offer.
4. The body of the ad includes details about the offer, details about the store or product and any other information you want to highlight.
5. A call to action. Set a time limit, clear and concise instructions for what the readers should do.
6. Include contact information with the logo.

Please leave comments on topics would be interested in reading.

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Social Media Marketing for Small Business

Social Media Marketing for Small Business

Modern advertising has traditionally been the domain of print, broadcast and direct mail media. These forms of advertising have required large financial expenditures that were out of reach for most small businesses. Print promotions required an advertising agency to create artwork, and write copy adding to the cost of the ad. Television advertising requires scriptwriters, artists, film crews and other support personnel again, a major expense.

The internet has ushered in a new dawn with the advent of social media marketing which has no financial expense, just the cost of your time. This democratization of advertising and sales promotion had given small businesses the ability to reach a large audience. Software to create graphics, photos and video are available at very reasonable prices. An example is an ad created by my former students who were marketing management majors at Penn State. They had limited experience with camcorders, editing software, and scriptwriting, but they created a commercial for a small business.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6aaptd5ean0x5i8/Our%20Family%20Cafe.mp4?dl=0
With some effort, you can do the same.

Here is a list of the top social media marketing sites.
1. Facebook (www.facebook.com) Best for B2C (business to consumer)
2. Twitter (www.twitter.com)
3. LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) Best for B2B (business to business)
4. Instagram (www.instagram.com) Best for selling visually-oriented products.
5. Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) An image curation website
6. Youtube (www.youtube.com) video-hosting website
7. Yelp (www.yelp.com) Crowd-sourced review forum
8. MailChimp (www.mailchimp.com) email marketing service