If you’re selling goods or a service in the countryside, by far and away the best method of advertising is word of mouth. First, it’s free and second, people are more likely to believe it. But word of mouth works both ways. If whatever you’re selling isn’t very good, too expensive, is late arriving or doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, then word will get around just as fast.Word of mouth advertising is fine if it happens.

But other than giving your customers a good service and hoping they’ll tell family, friends and neighbours, there’s not much else you can do to encourage it. So you’ll almost certainly need other methods of promotion or advertising.Advertising is all about striking a balance between how much you spend and what you get back in return. Unless you’re lucky (or very clever), it’s going to be trial and error until you establish what works for you. In the first year or two be prepared to make mistakes and waste money.

In later years, even when you’re more experienced and have learned where to spend the money to get the best responses, you are going to have to keep refining your approach because nothing is ever constant.Either way, brace yourself to spend some money to spread the word because few businesses can get away with doing absolutely no promotional work at all. Don’t think of an advertising budget as eating away into your profit, even though it does. Try instead to remember the hackneyed but still true cliche: you’ve got to speculate to accumulate.

Making Your Name Visible

• A sign-written van. Every time you get in and drive down the road your company name is being seen by a lot of people.
• Carrier bags and packaging. Why do shops always put your tiniest purchase in a bag? Because it turns you into a walking advert for them which has cost them virtually nothing.

• Key rings, pens, sticky notes, calendars. All excellent ways of subliminally getting your name around. These types of items tend to hang around for months.
• Telephone answering machine message. Every time someone phones you, even if it’s a wrong number, they hear your name.
• Letter heads and compliment slips. Every time you write to someone, send out an invoice or respond to a query, your company name and logo is there at the top of the page.
• Business cards. Scatter them everywhere but make sure they’re good quality. Nothing looks worse than an amateur design on cheap cardboard. Don’t try to cram too much information onto them.
• Yellow Pages. Everyone uses these. Some businesses report the majority of their custom comes this way. It helps if you fall into an obvious category because it makes you easy to find.
• Thomson local directories. Also worth being included in.
• Give a talk. Organisations like local WIs are often keen for new and interesting guests to come and talk to members. Many meetings are well attended, and talking to 30 or 40 people in a different community every month is a fabulous marketing opportunity.
• Sponsorship. Think about who your likely customers are going to be and where you’re most likely to catch their attention. If you are a wine merchant, sponsor a menu or a table in your local bistro. Landscaper? Pay for a prominent local verge and do something eye-catching.
• Promotional events. These are most successful for anyone working with food or drink. Wine merchants can hold wine tastings, deli owners can do the same with cheese or olives. It’s trickier to know what to do if you’re a blacksmith or dry stone waller.

• Christmas cards. Send out lots and send them out early. The earlier the cards arrive, the more likely the recipients are to read them. You’ll also save by sending them second class. If you’re a designer or have access to one, then create your own cards because they’ll be more memorable.
• Networking. A toe-curling word, but don’t let that put you off because networking works. Get out there and meet people. Talk to them, be nice to them, ask them questions about themselves, find out what they can do for you and you for them, make links and associations between different groups.