Social Media Advertising/Visibility?

[StuVT]

Morning all,
As a relatively new business concentrating on the servicing, maintenance, repair, and transportation I'm struggling with getting the business 'out there'.

Back in the day we would have the local papers, shop windows, even the opportunity to advertise in the local cinema before the film started!

With Social Media being so powerful, I'm running out of ideas other than asking FB groups and pages if it is ok to advertise our services, Ads in FB Marketplace etc.

How can I get our company and our services into peoples news feeds? I get the bloody things all the time for businesses and services I may have mentioned or spoken about(!) but not specifically searched for.

Any tips, links or help gratefully received.

Thank you

[Simpo Two]

Local papers and shop windows/noticeboards still exist but I'm not sure how many people read them.

I know nothing about social media but can you identify potential customers in the vicinity? Are you B2B?

[StuVT]

B2B and B2C, my old school brain is thinking leaflet drops, handing flyers out at classic car meets etc, but that seems so small compared to the reach of social media.

[StevieBee]

Social Media can be an exceptionally powerful tool to promote a business - but - requires the application of many things that all cost money; design, video production and the use of the paid-for advertising service which itself requires some time to get to understand, or the appointment of specialists who know what they're doing.

Leaflets are still an effective form of promotion. I harbour the thinking that in an age of digital based promotions, print based marketing can actually be more effective in some situations. I know a mate of mine who started a gardening business and delivered about 1,000 leaflets to homes and picked up five long-term contracts from that.

[Simpo Two]

StuVT said:

B2B and B2C, my old school brain is thinking leaflet drops, handing flyers out at classic car meets etc, but that seems so small compared to the reach of social media.

Well, almost all the adverts I see on Facebook are for nothing I'm interested in, so whilst it may have 'reach' I doubt the accuracy. The reason I asked if you were B2B is because you can telephone a relatively small number of suitable prospects (ie customers you'd like). It's hard work but 100% targeted and also free, as opposed to throwing expensive mud in all directions hoping some sticks.

[StevieBee]

Simpo Two said:

Well, almost all the adverts I see on Facebook are for nothing I'm interested in, so whilst it may have 'reach' I doubt the accuracy.

The thing with Social Media is that it is probably the most accurate form of mass marketing there is. Remarkably so.

The problem is that like many 'app-based' things, the perception amongst many is that they can do it themselves. They might be able to click the right buttons but that's only part of what's needed. You still have to apply understanding of market segmentation, audience profiling and other marketing conventions as we did pre-internet, to get the best from it.

[Simpo Two]

I remember a similar thing 20+ years ago when, as the price of tech fell, the boss would go to Dixons and buy the marketing assistant a camcorder so they could make promotional videos in-house... Free was much more important than Good...!