Advertise your business
Benefits of advertising
Advertising is a marketing activity that can help you to reach out to potential customers and encourage them to buy your products or services.
An effective advertising campaign can help you to:
- increase customer reach
- build customer awareness of your business and brand
- promote the benefits of your products or services
- communicate information about your business
- increase sales and demand
- gain an advantage over your competitors.
What to include in your advertisements
For your advertising to be successful you need to set yourself apart from your competitors and grab your audience's attention. Identify your target market and tailor your message to connect with those customers.
When creating your ad:
- use a powerful headline
- tailor your message to suit your target audience
- talk about the benefits of your products or services
- have a call-to-action for the audience to take
- use exciting images and testimonials if relevant
- always deliver on what you promise.
Types of advertising
Examples of advertising media include:
- digital channels (including websites and social media)
- television
- radio
- print (for example, in specialist magazines read by your target audience)
- cinema advertising
- billboards and transit signs
- door-to-door sales.
With a range of choices, finding the best advertising mix for your business can be challenging. The advertising you choose should depend on:
- your business
- your budget
- the types of media your target audience accesses.
For example, social media may be a free or low-cost way to advertise, but is used differently across different age groups. Make sure your target audience accesses your advertising platform. You may benefit from using a mix of media.
Digital advertising
Digital advertising allows you to reach a larger target audience, all over the world, 24 hours a day. You can focus your efforts on your ideal buyer and build a community around your product or service. You can reach your customers and your customers can engage with you in a two-way format.
Some digital options include:
- social media advertising
- mobile app advertising
- email marketing
- online promotion through website banner ads, display ads, keywords and video.
With digital advertising, you can:
- track your customers
- analyse their buying behaviour
- customise your message to their preferences.
Legal obligations when advertising
There are regulations and laws you need to know before you begin advertising your products and services. Knowing the law will help you to avoid the severe penalties that apply to businesses that mislead customers. When advertising and promoting your business, make sure your information is always accurate and truthful.
When promoting your products or services, make sure any branding, statement, quote or any other representation is not false or misleading.
Component pricing is advertising or displaying the price of a product or service in separate parts. For example, displaying the single price of a car and listing additional on-road costs separately. If you advertise using component pricing you must also provide the full price inclusive of additional costs in a more prominent way.
Bait advertising is advertising a product at a certain price without a reasonable supply. It's illegal if your business sells a product knowing you won’t be able to meet demand.
Bill posting is attaching a brochure or other promotional material to a piece of public property. Some states have designated bill poster locations and others require a permit. Find out if you need a permit on the Australian Business Licence Information Service (ABLIS) website.
Handing out brochures, flyers or promotional materials on public property typically requires a permit from your state or territory government. You can download a permit form from the Australian Business Licence Information Service (ABLIS) website. Under state environment protection legislation, it may be illegal to place advertising material on a vehicle.
If you want to use music in your advertising or even play music in your business, you need to get a licence with the Australasian Performing Right Association Limited (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society Limited (AMCOS). To find out more visit the APRA AMCOS website.
When you price your products or services or advertise a price, you need to comply with pricing regulations and display the price clearly and accurately. Read more on developing a pricing strategy and displaying prices.
Signage (including 'A' frames, sandwich boards, or permanent signs on buildings, footpaths or roads) is regulated by your state or territory government. Before you erect a sign, you need to apply for a permit. In some circumstances you may also need public liability insurance.
You can download a permit form from your state or territory government through the Australian Business Licence Information Service (ABLIS) website.
Before you send out advertising material via email, you need to ensure you comply with the Spam Act 2003. Under the Act it's illegal to send unsolicited commercial electronic messages without consent.
Spruiking is where an operator entices walk-in traffic by marketing products or services to passers-by (for example, with a microphone). Spruiking is regulated at the state level and may require a permit. Find out if you need a permit on the Australian Business Licence Information Service (ABLIS) website.
Advertising therapeutic goods
Advertisements to consumers for therapeutic goods (including medicines, medical devices, diagnostics and digital health technology) must meet the requirements of the therapeutic goods legislation, including the:
- Therapeutic Goods Act 1989
- Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code (the Code)
The Code sets the requirements advertisers must meet to ensure advertising for therapeutic goods is socially responsible and does not mislead or deceive the consumer.
Advertisements also need to comply with other relevant laws, such as the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Before you advertise therapeutic goods, it is your responsibility to understand the legislative requirements.
Use a decision tool to identify if your product is under therapeutic goods legislation.
Check out Therapeutic Goods Administration advertising hub.
Watch a video to help you understand advertising requirements of therapeutic goods.
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