Getting started in advertising can seem overwhelming to new business owners. If you aren't careful, you can end up spending too much money on the wrong type of advertising, and not achieve the desired results. Before you start advertising, answer these questions:

1. What is your expected response?
2. Who is your target audience?
3. What is the best way to reach your audience?
4. How often should you advertise?
5. What time of the week, month, or year should you place your ads?
6. How will you measure the success of your advertising?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Make yourself an advertising expert

You can avoid making wrong turns by first understand advertising basics.

I recommend: For a crash course in advertising, check out the U.S. Small Business Administration's step-by-step guide to getting started in advertising. SBA's Primer on Advertising is also a great starting point.

Put software to work

There are software programs that will walk you through the advertising planning process.

I recommend: Try Advertising Plan Pro, and find more free help at Advertising-Notes.com.

Set your advertising objectives

Unless you know what you want your ads to achieve, you can't create a successful campaign. Pinpoint your objectives. For example, are you trying to attract new customers? Encourage existing ones to spend more? Improve your overall image?

I recommend: Find a list of advertising objectives used in the University of Missouri-Columbia's advertising program and learn more about setting objectives from the SBA's Advertising in a Nutshell.

Set you advertising budget

You can set an ad budget several ways: as a fixed percentage of gross sales (often 2-5 percent for small businesses); matching what your competition spends; the task method, in which you spend as much as it requires to meet your goals; and the residual method in which you spend whatever's left after you meet other expenses.

I recommend: For help deciding which method to use visit Tutor2u.com. For more budgeting tips, go to SmallTownMarketing.com and KnowThis.com.

What's your message?

Delivering a simple, clear, and concise message is key to getting a response.

I recommend: Discover the ins and outs of "Making Your Advertising Message Stand Out" from Entrepreneur.com and find out why using a single message can improve results in "The 6 Laws of Small Business Advertising."

Choose your media

Newspapers, cable TV, online - each of these and other media can be effective for an advertising campaign. However, choosing the best media for your campaign depends on your specific objectives and your target market.

I recommend: Discover the advantages and disadvantages of various advertising media at PowerHomeBiz.com and at BusinessTown.com.

Consider hiring a pro

If you're planning an ongoing advertising effort with, you may benefit from hiring an agency. Agencies can help create effective campaigns, select an appropriate media mix and negotiate rates to get you a better deal.

I recommend: For help finding the right agency visit SalesVantage or AgencyFinder.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Clip and save newspaper ads that attract your attention. When you're ready to design an ad, you'll have plenty of good samples.
• •  Humorous radio ads have a higher success rate than non-humorous ones. People love to laugh, so keep that in mind when placing your next radio ad campaign.
• •  Ads that generate immediate response tend to be less effective after time. On the other hand, ads that don't get an immediate response may actually be more effective over time.
• •  An estimated five times as many people read the headlines of ads than read the ads themselves. So make sure your headline is a great one that convinces people to read the rest of the ad.
• •  To ensure you're reaching your target audience, start compiling demographic information on your present customers. Once you learn who they are, it will be easier to create an ad campaign to attract new customers.