How to Advertise my Business Locally in London
With a population of over 8 million residents, London is highly one of the fastest paces and growing cities in the world. Advertising in London can be very competitive as many people from London have a busy lifestyle and are always in a rush, in which you must be able to catch their eye. However, this remarkable city is popular and full of rich culture and leisure, in which the locals and thousands of visiting tourists are always looking for something new…
Here are 3 helpful tips on how to advertise your business locally in London:
1. TFL (Transport for London):
What makes London very significant and unique from other cities is their public transport system. Tourists, locals and commuters benefit from the tube, bus, over ground, DLR, tram and TFL rails easily, connecting people across the city and the majority’s main form of transportation.
Many businesses take this advantage of the popularity with TFL, to advertise their products/services around each public transport service.
This includes setting up their ad on the panels above the seats of the tube, up and down the side walls of the underground escalators, as well as having large posters around the underground walls (Figure 1). In addition to the tube and rail services, TFL’s popular red bus is also a common ground for advertising and promotion. During a journey, it’s very common to get bored and watch your eyes wander around your surroundings, with this in mind your ad could cross by thousands of people. (Figure 2) The bus is a very iconic addition to London
culture and many tourists enjoy capturing the buses on their camera’s, and instantly sharing their photos on social media such as Instagram, snapchat and Facebook. With your ad on the bus this allows you to be potentially be captured on the photos and shared with others and online who might catch an eye with your ad. Furthermore, usually bus shelters in London have boards in where you can advertise. As well as advertising via TFL, the London black cabs are always a good alternative, especially if you’re trying to reach an international market as the cabs are a popular form of transport amongst many tourists. You can place ads on the exterior and interior of the cab, as see in (Figure 3).
2. In person promotion & handing out leaflets:
Handing out leaflets can always be a hit or miss in London, as locals are always in a rush and don’t have time to stop. However, this can be seen as a very effective way for showcasing that you are approachable and informative, especially if you consider locating somewhere where your target market might be. For example, if your service is a currency exchange, you could locate nearby famous landmarks like the London Eye where tourists are likely to be. By having a member of staff handing out leaflets, people can easily have access to information about your product/services on the go and ask any further questions. Sometimes a person could take a leaflet and maybe leave it behind somewhere, in which can be passed onto another potential customer who might be interested. Leaflets can be easily distributed amongst a lot of people and can be passed onto a huge variety of audiences.
3. Billboards:
Go big or go home, is always key in advertising in London. And what better way to do that, is billboards, as they are large in size, eye-catching and can’t be avoided (figure 4). With hundreds of commuters and tourists passing by in the city, your billboard ad would be viewed by a wide audience and can consisted with repeated viewers as it is displayed all day. This increases the chance of viewers to remember your ad, especially if you are creative and your ad can be brought up in someone’s discussion with friends, family and colleagues if done well. Be as creative, experimental and bright as you can with graphics/media/colour scheme and have catchy bold phrases/wordings, as this could motivate viewers to photograph your ad and instantly share it on social media or send to friends or family.
For more information click: http://www.timenspacemedia.com