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BB OPINION “TRADITIONAL ADS VERSUS SOCIAL MEDIA ADS we three radio shows 2 zmy shows. With the Plobal © economic changes, 5 seen many sponsors weave & their advertising cam- 6 hunker down fo: eco- nomic pullbacl Everyone has lots of bra- vado and motivation when the going is easy, but when the going gets tough, they cave, fold, and Complain about "hard time Let's look at ‘how to in- your business pres- an r brand some say is on the cusp of a recession. What should you do? Should you not ad- vertise at all to save money —or should you advertise now because no one else is, and it could be easier to stand out and get noticed? Traditional advertising, CHRISTINE IBBOTSON Column like print, radio, and televi- sion or virtual advertising, ones social media, rch optimization (SEO), and pay. per-click advertis- ing (PPC)? As a small-busi- ness owner, it's hard to monetarily quantify the value in averting. al- though we that it must be done iyo ‘you want to printed hard copy publica- tion such as a newspaper, magazine, or journal, like- ly to be read by a targeted audience. Most experts agree that onaverage, you willreceive a 120 per cent return expand their brand. L Print m: ting makes information easier for readers to ret: a- tion that already has the reader's musta and brand -ognition. it always holds a renders “attention, increasing the likelihood that they view your ad and fain your message. What about social me- dia, SEO, Google ads, or PPC? Some social media platforms are totally free. ‘his is a great way for you to connect with your poten- ial customers. However, it is some- keep your followers en- gaged. Does it produce more business? That is difficult to quantify. It certainly can give you brand recognition with your base customers. To give you an example, I have been using Insta- gram and Facebook for years, and have recently just started YouTube. I can tell you it is quite challeng- ing to really put yourself out there, and having done are great "free" plat- forms to get your message out and connect with your audience or customersona re personal let YouTube, Instagram and Facebook will increase brand presence and provide validation to your xisting customers, but does it actually create mon: ey in the and drive sales up? I'm not so sure. Many small business owners go a step further and spend thousands of dollars on SEO or PPC to increase their likelihood of being found first when you do an internet search for a product or service. Marketing companies charge exorbitant fees for EO, that by doing so, you willbe guaranteed increase your presence in multiple search engine platform: Increasing your website ranking on the internet to- day is not easy. It takes a long time to do it and will quire consistent strate- gies to meet evel changing internet algo- rithm requirements. You will also be re- quired to do constant post- ings of marketing content (usually in the form of blogs) with specific key- words for your industry. Costs for SEO/PPC range from $1,000- to $15,000-per- month on average. be honest, having done all of the above for years, I personally the best wa} ‘ine your business is to get back to the basics. You need to strategi- cally target your money and spend only on specific ad- vertising that you feel will generate a profit. You also need to get out of your comfort zone and our community. local events, put ads in your local newspaper, start cold-calling, hand out fly- ers, engage with your tar- seted customers, host an open- ‘working event, or r phone u na all your base clients and havea chat (but don't forget to ask fora rral before you hang up). You probably already know what you need to do to increase sales and ex- pand your brand, so, why not make 2023 your best year ever? Christine Ibbotson is a national radio host, You- Tuber and author of three finance books, including Canadian bestseller "How to Retire Debt Free & Wealthy." Visit askthemo- neylady.ca, send a question to info@askthemoneyla- dy.ca or check out her You- Tube channel: ASK THE MONEY LADY — Your Canadian Finance Coach. DIRECTORY, u’d like to advertise your place of worship in this feature " please email Fio EW eaetele(tucorye-tuestiexe) Cbetebestceltmeoteel OAKVILLE ADVENTIST COMPANY UNITED CHURCH REV. TED VANCE akville Pentecostal Virtual Worship Services on Zoom: SUNDAY JANUARY 1ST: FA postolic Centre Zoom ID : 867 6764 2331 Happy New Year! worship Sunday at 10AM OAKVILLE Saturdays 10 AM - 1:00 PM PENTECOSTAL Wednesdays 7:00 PM Led by APOSTOLIC CENTRE ‘Thursdays 6:30 PM It’s your choice: WORSHIP LIVE AT 10AM! masks are now optional Pastoral Services Available for Community (St. Paul's United Church) kville, ON In-person worship resumes July 9th, 2022. inday Service As of July 9°, 2022 - choose beth In R VIEW ON-LINE SERVICE 12:30 - 3PM Worship Service ro a ee fraicienninele-ii eae ol ol SERVIC! ‘Sunday Evening: ‘and virtual zoom services. ON YOUTUBE LATER 7:30-9PM (Via Zoom Virtual Platform) Services may be accessed virtually and in person Click on “Covid-19 Safety Protocols: jlenabbeyunitedchurch.com “We Press On” ‘Tel: 289-830-6717 Z) To help your Church minister to 80 many, lease send e-transfers donations slenabboyuntedchurch com ‘Thank you and God Bless you! Strictly followed.” Tel: 416-892-8123 irk Ewen (Senior Pastor) Fax: 1-866-281-5983 Pastor Carl Cunningham (Associate Pastor) Bishop M. Brissett Pastor Dean Lashington (Lead Elder) ‘Twitter: @Oakvillesda Email: mjbrisse@yahoo.ca JESUS IS LORD Email: oakvillechurchsda@gmail.com [fq insidehalton.com