20 minutes to read the article.

The oral evaluation will start at

2.15 pm
ADVERTISING
1. Overview
Advertising is a way of marketing your business in order to increase sales or make your
audience aware of your products or services. Until a customer deals with you directly
and actually buys your products or services, your advertising may help to form their first
impressions of your business.

This guide gives advice on where and how to advertise, and what advertising can
achieve. It also shows you how to manage the advertising process and ensure you get
value for money.

2. Advertising: the benefits

Advertising can:

 provide basic information such as your contact details and website address
 increase sales by telling potential customers about your product or service
 tell customers about changes to your service, new product launches, special
offers and improvements
 prompt specific action - perhaps getting customers to visit your premises or
website, or use a discount voucher by a specified time
 remind existing customers about your business
 change people's attitudes and perceptions of your business
 help to create or develop a distinctive brand for your business
 generate awareness of your business
 develop a particular market niche or position

Target your customers

Decide whether your target audience is local or regional, national or international, or a

mixture. Before selecting a type of media, you should find out from the media business
and other independent sources about their circulation or audience figures. Basically,
you need to know how many, where and who to. Figures can normally be broken down
into age groups, average income and other useful indicators.

Remember you have a duty to ensure that your advertising is legal, decent, honest and
truthful. The Advertising Standards Authority has information on advertising codes.
3. Types of advertising

Local advertising

Advertising locally can benefit any business, especially small businesses and sole
traders. Examples of local advertising include:

 leaflet drops
 supermarket boards, postcards in shop windows
 advertising space rented at railway stations, bus stops or on buses,
roundabout islands, leisure centres or doctors' surgeries
 local organisations' newsletters, programmes and magazines
 a sign outside your business premises
 local and regional newspapers, magazines and directories