Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Seven Effective Marketing Methods for Our Ad-Cluttered, Digital Age In a competitive climate, it's critical for small businesses to market effectively. Here are seven popular marketing methods and why you should consider them.

By Carol Tice Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

7 Effective Marketing Methods for Our Ad-Cluttered, Digital AgeSmall-business owners have more options today for how to market their products and services than ever before. That means it's more confusing than ever, too. But in a competitive climate, marketing effectively is critical.

So what types of marketing have the most impact in our ad-cluttered world? Here are seven methods to consider:

1. A well-crafted press release. Submitting to big press-release sites, such as PR Newswire or PRWeb, can not only get your business some media coverage, but also really boost your website's rankings in search engines.

2. Outsourced sales forces. Users of this approach report that the return on investment is higher than when housing and supporting staffers, probably because salespeople perform better when they're not being micromanaged.

3. Email marketing. Email remains the killer app. With a basic website, you can capture email addresses, send a newsletter, keep your name in front of prospects, and make that sale.

4. Digital coupons. The virtual version of this old-school marketing ploy is gaining fast on physical coupons. New tools are evolving digital coupons into a powerful real-time lead conversion tool, so look for this method to only get better.

5. Picking up the phone. With all the digital marketing going on, you could stand out from the pack if you actually talk to prospects.

6. Integrating social media, mobile, and internet. As digital marketing proliferates, companies that pull all their marketing together into a cohesive whole get the advantage.

7. Pay-per-click ads. Have they gone out of style? Not if you're in industries that perform well in this venue, including local service providers, sellers of obscure products, and software providers. And $7.2 billion in 2011 Adwords purchases by small businesses suggests that some businesses must be seeing it pay off.

What marketing methods are paying off for your business? Leave a comment and let us know your approach.

Carol Tice

Owner of Make a Living Writing

Longtime Seattle business writer Carol Tice has written for Entrepreneur, Forbes, Delta Sky and many more. She writes the award-winning Make a Living Writing blog. Her new ebook for Oberlo is Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Franchise

The McRib Is Back, But Only at Select McDonald's — Here's Where to Find It

This scarcity is nothing new. In 2022, McDonald's announced a "Farewell Tour" for the McRib, suggesting that it might be the last time customers could get their hands on it.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Business News

This Is the Goal-Setting Method Shohei Ohtani Learned in High School That Helped Get Him to the World Series

The MLB superstar's success did not come as a surprise to him. He had a plan.

Business News

This New Restaurant Is Banking on One Dish — Because It's the Only Entrée on the Menu

The new hotspot is gaining buzz on social media for its innovative yet super simple concept.