{"id":6868,"date":"2020-03-25T07:00:02","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T05:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/?p=6868"},"modified":"2022-09-05T19:24:29","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T17:24:29","slug":"how-to-create-a-small-business-advertising-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/how-to-create-a-small-business-advertising-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"How to create a small business advertising plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_3-1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-image align_center\"><div class=\"w-image-h\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"475\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_211483681-e1585049241859.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing - advertising plan\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_211483681-e1585049241859.png 680w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/shutterstock_211483681-e1585049241859-600x419.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>Do you own a small business? Maybe you\u2019re a marketer starting out tasked with launching an <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/how-to-successfully-engage-prospects-with-facebook-advertising\/\">advertising<\/a> strategy for a small-business client. Marketing plans across the spectrum all feature basic, fundamental steps that are taken in sequence to execute the advertising plan. Get your notepad and pen. Here are four key activities to undertake when creating an advertising plan:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>1. Define the goals you hope to achieve, as well as the product\/service\/brand element you want<\/strong> <strong>to promote.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cMore sales\u201d isn\u2019t a goal. Who doesn\u2019t want more sales? Be specific about what you are aiming for, and use the SMART method. Goals for your advertising should be specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound. Some common <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/why-so-many-small-business-owners-dont-have-time-for-marketing\/\">small business<\/a> goals include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Finding new customers<\/li>\n<li>Reinforcing brand awareness<\/li>\n<li>Launching a new product\/service<\/li>\n<li>Disseminating positive company information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You should also decide what you\u2019re going to promote. Is it a product? Perhaps you\u2019re just trying to drum up public awareness about your new business? You don\u2019t have to advertise everything at once, so focus on one thing at a time to start off.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. Study your target audience in terms of their personas and where they interact online.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Think about the ideal person for your product or service. Who are they? Where do they shop? Are they tech-savvy? Write down the character traits your perfect customer possesses, and if you have a website \u2013 or social media \u2013 consult your online analytics to see who\u2019s been visiting and interacting. This will help you shape the person you\u2019re selling to by knowing the people you\u2019ve already sold to.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have an idea of the person your advertising will speak to, you need to establish where they are most likely to interact and pay attention to advertising. Are they avid social media users? Do they scroll through search engine-based PPC adverts looking for information? By knowing where your audience interacts, you can better decide on the ideal promotional channels to use as part of your advertising plan.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Vimeo video player\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/285961027?autoplay=0&loop=0&autopause=0&color=00adef&portrait=0&byline=1&title=1&controls=1&muted=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2><strong>3. Set a realistic campaign timeline, and decide on a budget you\u2019re willing to put behind the advertising plan\u2019s execution.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It takes more than just excellent advertising content and a budget to yield marketing results. There\u2019s a right time for everything; the same is true about your advertising. You should also plot out the time it\u2019s going to take you to get the adverts developed, and make sure your third-party content producers know their deadlines. For example, you could plot out your adverts on the days they will go live. Work a month in advance if possible, and make sure you have enough time for development between campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>What should you invest into your marketing and advertising? This will really depend on the amount of time you have to get the leads flowing in. If you need short-term fast results, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising will be best \u2013 and you can control your spend at every step. If the brand already gets by, but a long-term, steady flow of business wouldn\u2019t hurt, investing in SEO and content marketing might be better. It stands to reason that \u2013 when it comes to advertising \u2013 what you put in is what you get out.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4. Choose the channels to advertise through, and create the content for the campaign.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Remember when you created an ideal client persona in step 2? By looking closer at your target audience, you\u2019ll get an idea of where they interact on the internet. Then, it is time for you to select which of these online platforms you\u2019ll be sharing your ad through. Throwing a wide net, or trying to advertise everywhere all at once, might be your knee-jerk reaction. Unfortunately, this is hardly ever successful for small businesses, and will cost an island of money to execute.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have your two or three easy advertising channels (eg: Google Ads and Facebook sponsored content), the next step is to design the content that will form your promotional materials. Who will be designing the artwork? Might they know of a copywriter that can assist with the wording? If you\u2019re doing it all yourself, look at what your fellow industry stakeholders and thought leaders are putting out and replicate that with your own twist and originality.<\/p>\n<p>Now that the adverts have been finalised and everything has been triple checked, all that\u2019s left to do is to push the button and wait for the leads to roll in.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/contact-us\/\">Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Looking to upskill in the art of advertising? Consider a <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/national-certificate-of-advertising-and-digital-marketing\/\">National Certificate of Advertising and Digital Marketing<\/a> from DSM. Contact us when you\u2019re ready to go pro for more information on any of our <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/national-certificate-of-advertising-and-digital-marketing\/\">digital marketing courses<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/national-certificate-of-advertising-and-digital-marketing\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6869 size-shop_single\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Advertising-and-Digital-Marketing-1-600x96.jpg\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing - Advertising and Digital Marketing\" width=\"600\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Advertising-and-Digital-Marketing-1-600x96.jpg 600w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Advertising-and-Digital-Marketing-1-300x48.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Advertising-and-Digital-Marketing-1-1024x164.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Advertising-and-Digital-Marketing-1-768x123.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Advertising-and-Digital-Marketing-1-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_justify\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_2\" href=\"#enquiry\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Enquire Today<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Blog Categories<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">Content Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/digital-marketing\/\">Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/cyber-security-blog\/\">Cyber Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/graphic-design-blog\/\">Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/blog\/public-relations\/\">Public Relations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/blog\/seo\/\">SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/social-media-marketing\/\">Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/web-design-blog\/\">Web Design<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">You might also like<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"w-html\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/social-media-marketing-blog\/zero-moment-of-truth-benefit-social-media-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Use the Zero Moment of Truth to Benefit your Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/your-complete-guide-to-ppc-marketing-basic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Your Complete Guide to PPC Marketing Basics. Find out more.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/you-can-convey-a-lot-of-meaning-with-just-one-graphic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">You Can Convey a Lot Of Meaning With Just One Graphic<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/would-you-make-a-great-marketing-manager\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Would you make a great marketing manager?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-with-bona-magazine-and-the-digital-school-of-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win with Bona Magazine and the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-a-digital-marketing-course-valued-at-r12-000\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win a Digital Marketing Course Valued at  R12 000<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Top Selling COurses<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-digital-marketing-course\/\">Advanced Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/courses\/social-media-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Social media marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-brand-management-course\/\">Brand Management<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/courses\/graphic-design-course\/\">Basic Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-6\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-graphic-design-course\/\">Advanced Graphic design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-7\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-certificate-of-advertising\/\">National Certificate of Advertising<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-8\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-diploma-of-copywriting-course\/\">National Diploma of Copyrighting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Youtube video player\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4mczLjOfPxk?autoplay=0&controls=1&origin=https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za&loop=0&mute=0\" allowfullscreen=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6871,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,262],"tags":[487],"class_list":["post-6868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-digital-marketing-blog","tag-advertising"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}