Small business internet advertising can take a number of different forms, some paid and some free. Here are a few options you can consider – depending on your goal and available resources:

Paid Advertising:

The most well known form of online advertising is probably PPC – or pay per click advertising. While it is possible to employ it at a profit, it does have a bit of a learning curve – especially considering Google’s quality standards for the website you send the visitor to.

Another form of advertising, less efficient but also a lot cheaper, is banner advertising – where you simply design a graphic ad, and pay to place it on a busy website. Once again, there are some variables you need to look at, but it is (in most cases) a lot cheaper than PPC, and easier to run at a profit if you know how.

Facebook ads are becoming quite popular – and with good reason. Facebook ads can be highly targeted according to the viewer’s demographics and behavior – and at reasonable prices.

Lastly, there is an “almost forgotten” technique – advertising in ezines (electronic magazines). While it is not always very effective, it is very affordable, and the cost of one or two bad placements is not likely to break the bank.

Free Advertising:

Free small business internet advertising may not cost you money out of pocket – but it will require some effort on your part.

Firstly, simply start posting ads on classifieds sites. While these ads quickly lose their efficiency, they are quick and easy.

If you have a website or blog, you can join a forum that allows a signature file (your own little space underneath each post you make) – and add your website address to it. As you become more and more active on the forum, more and more people will explore the link, and end up on your website.

Become socially active – more than half the U.S. population are already on Facebook. Twitter is still growing as well. In both networks, you are able to insert a link to your website in your profile. While the traffic does not come overnight, it builds momentum over time. Additionally, by becoming involved in Facebook and Twitter groups, you can showcase your knowledge, and build credibility. If you put your mind to it, it is possible to do all your internet marketing on Facebook alone.

Start a blog – but not on a free service. Get your own domain and hosting, and start blogging about your business, what you do and what you offer your clients. Over time, you will start attracting more and more visitors, and eventually the money will start showing. Coupling social marketing and blogging (just tell people on the social network about new blog posts) will speed up the process. Eventually Google and other search engines will start sending you visitors – and at that stage it becomes a pleasure.

So…

Small business internet advertising is going to require either time or money. True, you can always delegate it to an employee. Just keep in mind that, should the employee decide to move on, you need to be able to pick up and carry on where he or she left off.

At the end of the day, however, the internet is huge – and will allow you to reach many more people than you would have been able to do otherwise. Whether it is free or paid will depend on your budget, and the time you have available.