Small Business Advertising in Melbourne and Geelong: Where to Start

Soulwidth is based in Melbourne, and a lot of our thinking comes from watching local businesses here and down the road in Geelong: cafés in Pakington Street, trades on the Bellarine, studios in Brunswick, shops in Camberwell. Most of them don't need a national campaign. They need the right people within a few kilometres to know they exist, this week.

Here's where to start.

Start with the map, not the platform

Work out where your customers actually come from. For a café it might be two kilometres. For a plumber it might be a whole region. For a gym it's usually wherever people live or work during the week. Every ad platform lets you target a radius around your business. Start tight and widen it if you need to.

Pick one main platform

• Facebook and Instagram: the default for most local businesses. Great for cafés, retail, gyms, studios, real estate and services.
• Google: best when people search for what you do: plumbers, electricians, clinics, "near me" searches. Keep your Google Business Profile up to date too, because it's free.
• Mobile games and YouTube: cheap reach for food, shops, venues and events with a quick yes.
• Digital billboards: screens at bus shelters and shopping centres near you, now bookable by the day. See our guide to digital billboards.

On a small budget, put the paid money behind one platform and use the others for free posts.

Make it obviously local

"Two minutes from the station." "Open till 9 on Thursdays." "Family-run in Highton since 2009" (if it's true). Local details make an ad feel like it's from a neighbour, not a brand, and that's what gets people through the door.

Give it a budget that can work

The platforms need enough results to learn who your customers are. A tiny budget spread across several platforms rarely gets there. Pick a monthly amount you can keep up for at least a few months, and judge it on cost per enquiry, not clicks.

Keep it fresh

The same ad shown to the same suburb for months wears out. A new ad every week, even a small change of offer or photo, keeps people noticing you.

How Soulwidth does it

Soulwidth makes a new ad for you every week from a two-minute voice note, in three versions, targeted to the area you choose. A Soulwidth Ad Expert (SAE) checks every one, you approve it, and we post it with your ad budget behind it. You can also add screens around town and YouTube when you're ready.

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