Today’s advertising market is brimming with media. Before you begin advertising, work on some logistics. It’s important that you know who you are before you begin telling others. 

Start by defining what makes you unique. Ask yourself what sets you apart. Do you have unique services? Do you offer specialty foods? Do you have trainers on staff? Are you a boutique style store? If so, you may want to seek advertisers featuring other boutique-style stores. 

Once you have a list of your unique qualities, consider the message you wish to deliver and to whom you wish to deliver it. Try to condense this message into a single memorable sentence. Let’s say you have five seconds to catch someone’s eye or ear: What do you want them to know about your store in those five seconds? 

Keep an eye on your customers. Who are they? Begin keeping a running list of who makes up your customer base. Are they women? How old are they? What are their hobbies? Don’t be shy about asking them what media they read or listen to. If your store caters to tourists, you may want to concentrate your efforts in local hotels and tourist-friendly media. 

Once you have your message and demographics defined, you will be better prepared to approach the advertisers.

Call the newspapers, magazines and other media in which you are interested in advertising. Start building a marketing budget. Be prepared to make long-term commitments to display advertising. Most advertisers suggest spending 6 percent to 7 percent of your gross sales on advertising. They also recommend you stay with a single message for a year or more; repetition is the key to memory.

A common pitfall with traditional advertising is placing too many ads in too many places. To make the most out of your limited funds, place ads in strategic places. Try to advertise in magazines that match your observations about your customers, or in periodicals that reflect your store’s message.

Another common mistake is advertising in every new thing that comes along. Once you have established your demographic, it becomes easier to evaluate new media. One way to save money and try something new might be to approach one of your vendors for co-op money. Sometimes sharing the burden can make the difference in placing a new ad.

Community print media is multiplying at an exponential rate. There are now niche local market magazines for moms, sports fans, yoga fans, homeowners and pet owners, and more coming daily. Add these magazines to regional and national lists and you will find hundreds of places to run ads. 

Television is becoming difficult to catch viewers as technologies like TiVo limit the number of commercials viewers watch. Radio is seeing some of the same problems as the popularity of iPods and satellite radio increases. How can you find your customers in this sea of information? Numerous opportunities are right around you every day.  Rewards Programs Most people agree that the best form of advertising is word of mouth. You can count on a 50 percent or higher return on a word-of-mouth referral. Compare that to the paltry 1 percent return on direct mail and you can see how important happy customers are to your business. 

Creating word of mouth advertising can be one of the cheapest forms of advertising. It begins with excellent service in your store, as well as a unique shopping experience that will have people wanting to come back. 

One sure way to see customers regularly is to offer a rewards program. Consider this example: You offer customers a card so that if they buy 12 bags of food, they receive the 13th bag free. Let’s say each bag costs $15 and you sell it for $20. When the customer makes their 12th purchase, they will have spent $240 with you and you in turn give them a product valued at $20. Roughly an 8.5 percent discount, and in some states sales tax is more than 8.5 percent. 

Furthermore, if you take your cost in the item and divide it over the time you have had this customer, you will see that it only costs you $1.25 on each purchase. That is a small price to pay to please a loyal customer.  Novelty Items Another way to stay in the minds of customers is to offer branded items. Often you can make very cheap novelty items to hand out to customers. Little mementos will reward the customer and remind them that your store is unique. 

Can lids are perfect for pet stores as novelty items. You can buy customized can lids for less than 50 cents each and give half away and sell the other half. Also, customers love picking up bumper stickers either as reminders your store or to show off their love for animals. Consider the longevity of these items. Every time they open a can, they will be reminded about your store. These items can be stretched even further if you were to use them to thank people in the community who have supported your business.

In-Store Promotions You may want to consider annual events as a form of inexpensive advertising. Turn your store into a party for pet owners and they will have a great time. Word of mouth will begin to spread and next year the party will be even bigger. Offer games and giveaways at these events that work as promotions for your products. 

Keeping your store unique and fresh will always have customers coming back. One way to let the public know about these new items is through a newsletter or e-letter, which are cheap and effective if you have a well-maintained customer contact list. 

Another simple and inexpensive way to show off your store is by creating clever window displays. Your window is your first impression on the public, so you should change your window often and feature new items.  Out of Store There are any number of reasons to pack up a portion of your store and take it on the road. You may be in a seasonal market and have a slow month or two, you may want to meet your public in a local arena featuring pet lovers or you may just want to let people know about your store. 

These events and shows can be expensive, but there are two things you can do about it. Offer items for sale at the event, and Offer coupons toward purchases at your store. The coupons will give you the opportunity to measure the effectiveness of the event. 

If you don’t have the time or manpower to attend these events personally, try working a sponsorship into your budget. Some events will offer sponsorships and then do the advertising for you, either in the form of banners or programs, door prizes or giveaways. 

Advertising is an important part of your business. You should expect to pay more when you first open and then cut back little by little each year you are open. Though the budget will never go away, you can reduce it by trying any of these low-budget options. Remember that the best advertisers for your store are your customers. Keep them happy and show you appreciate them and your business will continue to grow.  

Ric Sommons is the owner of Dolittle’s Pet Stores in South Carolina.