What to say to people who ask for free advertising
My business is less than five years old and I am always learning new things.
Sometimes, the simplest things come to me and I think to myself:
“Why didn’t I think of that YEARS ago?”
Right now, we are still in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and many small businesses are struggling.
I was recently asked to allow free advertising for a yoga instructor’s online classes. This particular instructor had offered some free classes to the medical community, which was lovely and generous. However, if I allowed her a free ad, that would mean I would need to also allow free ads to any business that was also helping out.
And right now, this means almost every small business.
People forget that WE are small businesses, too.
So, after explaining the “slippery slope” problem, I also sent the following message, which you should feel free to copy and adapt for your own business.
“I am a small business, too, and during this pandemic, about 75% of my time is spent basically volunteering by managing [the group], getting helpful info out on [the business website], providing special free opportunities in a specific thread designated for restaurants in the group, etc. I can’t also start giving away free advertising or I will need to shut my small business and the group down. I think people often forget that I’m also a business with a family to feed.”
