Plain-English advertising guides for local businesses.

Advertising Budget by Industry: What Does Your Sector Actually Spend?

What each industry spends on marketing as a share of revenue — from 2% for auto dealers to 15% for SaaS — how much of that actually buys advertising, and what the benchmark cannot tell you.

Advertising Budget as a Percentage of Revenue: What Should You Spend?

The percentage-of-revenue rules businesses actually use — 5-10% established, 12-20% launching — plus the step most guides skip: only about 30-50% of a marketing budget actually buys advertising.

Managed vs Self-Service Advertising: Should You Hire an Agency?

What agencies actually charge, when running your own ads beats hiring someone, and the break-even maths that decides it. Written by an agency, which is exactly why the numbers are cited.

Search vs Social Media Advertising: Where Should Your First Dollar Go?

Search captures demand that already exists. Social creates demand that does not. The real cost difference, the conversion data, and which one to fund first.

Geofencing vs Social Media Advertising: Which Targeting Wins?

Geofencing targets where people physically go. Social targets who they are and what they like. A straight comparison of cost, accuracy, and the goals each one actually serves.

CTV vs YouTube Advertising: Which Video Ad Should You Run?

Connected TV and YouTube are both "video ads on a screen" — and they behave completely differently. What each costs, what each is measured on, and which one fits your goal.

Radio vs Streaming Audio Advertising: Which Reaches Your Customers?

Broadcast radio and streaming audio (Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, podcasts) sound like the same buy. They are not. Where each one actually wins, what each costs, and how to split an audio budget.

Radio vs Social Media Advertising: Which Should You Buy?

A head-to-head comparison of local radio and paid social for a local business — what each one is genuinely better at, what each one costs, and the measurement problem that quietly decides most of these arguments.

How to Split Your Advertising Budget Across Channels

A practical framework for allocating an advertising budget across channels — why you concentrate small budgets, diversify large ones, and how to pick the mix.

How Much Does CTV & OTT Advertising Cost?

What connected TV and OTT streaming ads cost in 2026 — real CPM ranges, minimum budgets, and what moves the price up or down.

How Much Does Geofencing Advertising Cost?

Geofencing advertising cost in 2026 — real CPM ranges, monthly budgets, and setup fees, plus the honest caveats every buyer should know first.

How Much Does Radio Advertising Cost?

What radio advertising costs in 2026 — spot prices, weekly rates, and CPM — plus an honest, even-handed look at where radio is strong and where it is not.

How Much Does Advertising Cost? A 2026 Breakdown by Channel

What advertising actually costs in 2026 — real CPM ranges for search, social, streaming TV, geofencing, and radio, plus how to turn them into a budget.

Why Diversifying Your Advertising Channels Matters (And Why One Channel Is Never Enough)

Running advertising on only one channel is the marketing equivalent of investing your entire 401(k) in one stock. Here is why a diversified advertising portfolio outperforms — and how to build one.

Advertising Is an Investment, Not Just an Expense

Most business owners treat advertising like a cost. The IRS, your accountant, and decades of brand-equity research see it differently — and so should you.

How Much Should a Small Business Spend on Advertising?

A practical, no-fluff guide to what small businesses should actually budget for advertising — by industry, stage, and goal.

Radio Advertising vs Digital Advertising: Which Works Better for Local Businesses?

A clear comparison of radio and digital advertising for local businesses — strengths, weaknesses, costs, and when to pick each.

What Is Geofencing Advertising and How Does It Work?

A plain-English guide to geofencing advertising — how the technology works, what it costs, and when it is worth using.

Local Strategy

Best Advertising Options for Rapid City Businesses

A practical guide to the advertising channels that work best in Rapid City — and how to choose the right mix for your business.

How Streaming Audio Advertising Works

Streaming audio explained — Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, podcast platforms — what it costs, how to target, and when it makes sense.

CTV vs OTT Advertising: What Business Owners Should Know

A simple explanation of CTV and OTT advertising — what they are, how they differ, what they cost, and how to use them.

How to Build a 90-Day Marketing Campaign

A practical, week-by-week framework for building a 90-day local marketing campaign that actually produces leads.

Radio

Why Frequency Matters in Radio Advertising

Frequency is the most under-rated lever in radio advertising. Here is why it matters, how much is enough, and how to budget for it.

Analytics

How to Know If Your Advertising Is Working

A practical guide to measuring whether your advertising is actually producing results — and what to do when the data is unclear.

The Best Marketing Mix for Local Service Businesses

A proven channel mix for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and other local service businesses — what to spend where, and why.

How YouTube Advertising Can Help Local Businesses

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. Here is how local businesses can use it efficiently — without big production budgets.

Why Radio and Digital Advertising Work Better Together

Pairing radio with digital advertising consistently outperforms either channel alone. Here is exactly why — and how the combination works.