The arrival of spring means many things to local business owners. For some, it means a slow-down in business after the winter months. For others, like landscapers, it means your phone is seeing a serious uptick in customers requesting consultations.

Regardless of your particular business’s seasonality, there are some new trends in the small business advertising space you should take advantage of. Use these tips to bolster business if it’s slow or cash in on the recent increase in demand.

Our Advertising Spring Cleaning To-do List
  • Prioritize mobile. More than half of all searches take place on mobile devices like cell phones. That’s because local shoppers are constantly on the move. Thanks to this trend, Google has adjusted its algorithms to reward mobile-friendly websites and content, posting these sites higher up in search results than other non-mobile-friendly pages. To get with the times, clean up your mobile strategy. Optimize your website, social presence, online advertising and business listings.
  • Incorporate video (and live video). With the introduction of video ads on Facebook and greater video integration into platforms like Instagram, video is taking over social media one tiny, tiny screen at a time. Facebook is even on pace to join YouTube as a top-ranking video platform online. With these advancements, it makes sense to invest in video ads on social. Try incorporating informal videos of you doing your thing or of relevant content to your business. Keep them short, and forgo aggressively loud sound. Oh, and don’t forget to measure how users are responding so you can adjust if needed.
  • Beware of ad blocking. Desktop web users can now block banner ads if they wish to do so. It may sound crazy, but it’s a reality. To get around this, diversify your media and online advertising efforts. Pursue native advertising opportunities (see below), or create content that’s as useful and valuable as possible, and incorporate it into advertising that’s able to circumvent ad blockers.
  • Incorporate native advertising. Native advertising is content paid for by a business that’s integrated into a publication’s or other platform’s regular content. It also provides greater value to end users than the typical ad. Because it’s not as obtrusive as typical banner ads and other forms of online advertising, users are less likely to skip over the ad content.
  • Engage with your audience. Make best friends with those viewing your ads and interacting with you online. This tactic is two-fold. First, ensure your advertising is personalized and targeted to your ideal end customer. If you find it’s working, continue to target these customers with as personalized experiences as possible. Second, make sure you’re interacting on social sites. Open up your posts to comments, and solicit feedback. Discuss reviews and ratings honestly, and address any issues as soon as they arise. The more human or “real” your business comes across, the more likely potential customers are to trust what you’re saying.

Aside from the tips above, whip out your feather duster and let’s make sure your basic online advertising practices are squeaky clean.

Here are a few of the most popular online advertising resources:
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