When it comes to advertising as a small business, competing with larger companies can feel like an uphill battle. However, being small comes with unique advantages that can help you deliver tailored solutions and adapt quickly to changing market trends. Below are six small business advertising tips that can help you maximize your marketing efforts, even on a limited budget.
1. Understand your mission and target audience.
Successful advertising starts with a clear understanding of your business’s mission and audience. Ask yourself these questions:
- Who is your ideal customer?
- What is the size of your total addressable market?
- How does your product or service meet their specific needs?
Take the example of Nyssa Care, a brand focused on postpartum care. Inspired by her personal experiences, their CEO Eden Laurin created products designed to address gaps in the market. Although the brand has expanded into related categories like period recovery, it has remained true to its core audience.
At a past Advertising Week NY event, Laurin emphasized the power of consistency.
“One thing I’ve learned is to always stay consistent with your brand identity and stay consistent in how you show up to your audience,” Laurin said. “Depending on the platform or where they find you, they know what to expect, and then trust is built that way. That has helped us to break through the noise.”
Quick Tip:
Define your mission and audience through research, surveys, and interactions with your target market. Consistent messaging builds credibility and makes your brand recognizable.
2. Use audience insights to guide marketing decisions.
Social media and platforms like Amazon provide small businesses with access to valuable audience insights. These tools can help you refine your understanding of customer preferences and pain points.
Jeffrey Cohen from Amazon Ads suggests reading reviews of both your products and competitors’ products to uncover customer concerns or alternative uses for your items.
“You have this vision of what your ideal customer profile is,” Cohen said at Advertising Week NY, “and then you need to work to validate it through additional conversations, testing products in the market, and what I would call larger research projects.”
Quick Tip:
Comb through customer reviews and interactions on your digital platforms to identify patterns. Use this information to improve your products and refine your marketing strategy.
3. Tailor your messaging to specific customer needs.
One-size-fits-all messaging doesn’t work in today’s diverse marketplace. Tailor your content to resonate with specific customer segments.
For example, Tea Drunk, a brand focused on premium loose-leaf Chinese tea, communicates differently to customers who need education about tea versus self-proclaimed tea connoisseurs.
Founder Shunan Teng describes their messaging strategy as a “matrix,” reaching audiences ranging from foodies looking for luxury drinks to casual shoppers curious about tea’s lifestyle benefits.
Quick Tip:
Segment your customer base by behavior, preferences, or needs. Create customized messages for these groups to ensure your content feels relevant and personal.
4. Educate and inspire through your content.
Content marketing is an affordable way to nurture relationships and build trust with your audience. Place your focus on education and inspiration, using content to guide customers at every stage of their buying journey.
For instance, share engaging articles, videos, or social media posts that answer common customer questions, showcase your product’s unique value, or demonstrate its use in real life. Cohen advises brands to ensure messaging remains consistent across all channels, whether it’s on Amazon, your website, or your social platforms.
“A lot of times, we see brands set things up on Amazon differently than they would on their own site, but that’s not what the customer wants to see,” he explains.
Cohen recommends creating uniform shopping experiences everywhere customers engage with your brand.
Quick Tip:
Develop a consistent content plan across all channels and formats. Include brand stories, tutorials, or customer testimonials to inspire confidence in your offerings.
5. Stay nimble with your marketing strategies.
Flexibility is essential for staying competitive as a small business. This is particularly important when budgets are tight or when competitors start targeting your audience.
Laurin from Nyssa stresses the need for creative thinking, explaining, “We’ve absolutely gotten burned by putting too much budget on one platform or in one channel.”
Quick Tip:
Regularly monitor campaign performance and adjust strategies as needed. Diversify your efforts across multiple channels to minimize risk.
6. Collaborate with other small businesses.
Partnerships can help boost your visibility and reach. Collaborating with other small businesses — even competitors — can be mutually beneficial.
For example, Tea Drunk forms partnerships with companies specializing in other types of teas, such as Japanese or European varieties. These alliances expose them to wider audiences and open up opportunities for joint projects.
Quick Tip:
Seek out businesses with complementary products or services and explore ways to collaborate, from cross-promotions to co-branded events or joint product bundles.
Final Thoughts
Advertising as a small business is not about having the biggest budget — it’s about being strategic, authentic, and adaptable. Start by understanding your mission and audience, use insights to refine your strategy, and craft tailored content that speaks directly to your customers’ needs. Stay flexible, explore collaborations, and maintain consistency across every touchpoint to build trust and long-term loyalty.
This article was originally published October 2023. It was last updated July 2025.
