As published at Manifest

Advertising may seem like a strategy for large businesses with equally large budgets and manpower. However, most small businesses see the merits of advertising, too.

The Manifest recently conducted a survey of 529 small businesses from across the U.S. about their advertising habits and found that nearly all small businesses advertise (87%). The survey analysis featured IPNY’s, named as an advertising agency leader, very own Tim Smith as an expert source on these findings. The results show that advertising is an important strategy for businesses of all sizes.

Small Businesses Advertise on a Variety of Mediums

Small businesses are likely to advertise on multiple mediums, but digital advertising is the most popular. Digital advertising, including social media and online channels such as Google search, is important in reaching customers where they are throughout much of their day – online.

Many people say that businesses should focus their efforts on other social media channels, but that isn’t true – 86% of small businesses that advertise on social media invest in Facebook advertising. That’s 35% more than the second-most-popular channel, YouTube. “People say Facebook is dying, but by and large, it’s the biggest social platform in the world,” Smith said.

Traditional Advertising Still Works for Many Small Businesses

Although small businesses are more likely to advertise on digital mediums, many still value traditional advertising such as TV, print, and radio.

In fact, 57% of small businesses use traditional advertising. Because TV, radio, and print ads have been around for so long, consumers are more likely to trust traditional advertising than digital. Advertising on traditional channels also helps small businesses reach consumers when they’re not on social media or online, such as while on their commute, watching TV, or listening to the radio.

Generational Differences in Advertising Habits

Unsurprisingly, millennials are more likely than older generations to advertise their businesses on digital mediums. “Millennials grew up online,” Smith said. “To even reach them, you have to go online, and millennials understand that.”

What is surprising is the fact that millennials are also more likely to advertise on traditional mediums such as TV and radio.

Older generations have likely already tested out the traditional advertising mediums and figured out what works and what doesn’t – if a business tests out a TV ad and finds it to be unsuccessful, it is unlikely to continue spending money on TV advertising.

Millennials, on the other hand, are more likely to use traditional mediums because their businesses are young, and they therefore do not yet know which advertising mediums will work for their business.

Small Businesses Should Advertise

Advertising isn’t just for large companies. Small businesses can benefit from advertising by reaching the most consumers possible and enticing them to make a purchase. If you don’t advertise, odds are, your competitors are and are reaching more of your target audience than your business.

AdForum.com recently interviewed IPNY Founding Partner and Creative Director Jill McClabb

“The industry is still a good ol’ boys club but women are beginning to break through the glass ceiling.”

Tell us about your role at IPNY:

As one of the five founding partners at IPNY, I feel very fortunate to be doing what I love everyday. Beyond my overall responsibilities as a Creative Director, I also oversee all of IPNY’s production, including anything from print to video. Building an agency from the ground up is a dream come true, but it means having to wear many different hats.

How did you first get into the industry? What was it like then versus now?

While pursuing a bachelor of fine arts the University of Texas, it became quickly apparent that I could be headed for a life as a starving artist or find another way to use my talent. So I began taking advertising/design/photography classes and discovered that the challenge of these art forms was exhilarating. Upon graduation I moved to New York, because at the time that was the place to be. And I’m still here.

Over the last decade or two the advertising industry has gone through dramatic changes, with digital being the biggest driver. Early in my career, the goal for every art director was a fantastic print campaign, now print is less and less a part of our business. OOH is still thriving as is TV but you have to be on top of digital innovation.

What are some of the challenges that women still face in the industry?

The industry is still a good ol’ boys club but women are beginning to break through the glass ceiling. When I first started in the business, women were not allowed to work on cars or beer accounts. Fortunately that has changed but there are still a lot of barriers to attaining top ECD roles at agencies. Some of it’s driven by clients and some by senior executives at agencies.

Tell us about a project or initiative you are working on. What do you hope to ultimately achieve?

We are working with a very exciting client that is focused on the issues surrounding the First Ammendment. The organization’s goal is to encourage civil discourse, as a way to move conversations away from hate reteroic. Additionally, we are looking to educate and inform citizens about what the first amendment means, so eveyone can live their freedoms more fully. What a grand project to work on! Nice to meld advertising with “for good”.

How does your office culture support women and creativity?

Despite having four other male partners, I can honestly say gender never plays any part in our decision making. We hire people by their talent, not their sex. I actually think advertising has been more welcoming to women than most businesses.

What professional achievement are you most proud of?

Launching The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society brand six years ago. They were an unknown charity at that time. But they did fantastic work in the area of blood cancer, both in terms of funding research and supporting people with the disease. The campaign launched with the line “Someday is Today” which perfectly captured the hope that defines cancer research today.

How do you plan to inspire the next generation of women?

The best way to inspire is to continue to do good work. Women have no where to go but up!

It isn’t often an essay comes along that confronts our accepted ideas about advertising with such eye-opening intelligence. This one quietly exploded a few weeks ago in the Financial Times. We didn’t want it to escape your notice. Is it true that the domination of advertising by technology has led to a world in which “no one knows what we do anymore”? Is digital advertising really the marketing miracle it’s been touted to be for the last 15 years? Do people really want to engage with your brand or do they actually have little interest in your brand at all? What accounts for the recent unexpected vitality of the TV ad?