How to Find New Customers: Advertising

How to Find New Customers: Advertising

Written by Jamie May

Advertising is the most obvious way to find new customers and probably the most expensive way to do it badly. Unlike most prospecting methods, advertising puts your message in front of people who didn’t ask for it and may have no interest in it whatsoever. That’s not a reason to avoid it, but it is a reason to be deliberate about where you spend.

Here’s every major advertising channel and what you actually need to know about each one.

Print Newspapers, magazines, brochures, flyers. Reach has declined significantly but print still works in specific contexts, particularly local newspapers for local businesses, and trade magazines for niche industries where the readership is exactly who you want. A well designed brochure still has a place as a leave behind in face to face situations.

Broadcast TV, radio, YouTube, Twitch. High reach, high cost at the traditional end. Radio remains surprisingly effective for local and regional businesses. YouTube pre-roll and podcast advertising have opened up broadcast style reach at much more accessible price points for small businesses willing to put in the creative work.

Outdoor Billboards, bus shelters, buses, trains. Works well for brand awareness and geographic targeting. If your customers are all in a specific suburb or corridor, outdoor can be very efficient. Not great for complex messages, you have about three seconds.

Paid Search Google Ads and pay-per-click. One of the most commercially effective channels for small business because you’re reaching people who are already looking for what you sell. The targeting is precise and the results are measurable. It gets expensive in competitive categories but the intent of the audience is unmatched.

Social Media Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok. Highly targetable by demographics, interests, industry, job title and behaviour. LinkedIn is the strongest channel for B2B. Meta platforms work well for consumer businesses with a visual product. Budget can be modest to start and scaled based on what works.

Native Advertising Content that looks like editorial rather than an ad. Sponsored articles, promoted posts designed to blend into a feed. Works because people engage with it before they realise it’s advertising. Has to be genuinely useful content or it backfires.

Display Banner ads, pop ups, retargeting. Generally low click through rates but retargeting, showing ads to people who have already visited your website, is a smart and cost effective way to stay in front of warm prospects.

The Takeaway

Don’t spread a small budget across every channel hoping something sticks. Pick one or two that match where your customers actually spend their time, run them properly, and measure the results. Paid search and social media are the most accessible starting points for most small businesses.

Advertising works best when it supports the other prospecting activity you’re already doing, not when it’s the only thing you’re doing.