How to advertise your business online
Start with where your buyers look, not with an ad platform.
Facts checked 11 Oct 2026 · by the AdSworn team
To advertise your business online, start by writing down where your buyers look before they buy: the Google searches they make, the sites and videos they read, the newsletters they open. Then pick one channel that reaches them, set a budget you can afford to lose while you learn, tag every link so you can count customers, and run it for 4 weeks. Keep what brings customers, drop what doesn't. Search ads, social ads and fixed-price sponsorships each fit a different kind of buyer.
A plan in five steps
- Write down where buyers lookAsk your last ten customers how they found you and what they read first.
- Pick one channelThe one closest to those answers. One channel, measured properly, teaches more than four at once.
- Set a test budgetAn amount you can learn from without hurting the business.
- Tag every linkUTM tags, so your analytics shows which ad brought which customer. See track results with UTM tags.
- Judge on customers after 4 weeksCost per customer, not clicks or likes.
Which channel fits your buyer
| If your buyers… | Try | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| Search Google for what you sell | Search ads | Per click, by auction |
| Can be described by job, age or interest | Social ads | Per view or click, by auction |
| Read about the problem before buying | Sponsorships on the pages they read | A fixed price per term |
| Follow a creator or newsletter in your field | A creator or newsletter sponsorship | A fixed price per video or send |
Searches like "advertise my business" cost advertisers over $100 a click in the US (DataForSEO, October 2026), because so many businesses compete for them. That's why a fixed price on a page your buyers already read can be the cheaper way in.
| Page | Audience, last 4 weeks | Banner / 4 weeks | Featured / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Top 7 Logo Makers – Reviewed and Rated – Logo Design Magazinelogodesign.org | 130 page views | $25 | $270 |
| The Best Freelance Marketplaces (UPDATED 2026)hatchwise.com | 162 page views | $25 | $335 |
| The History Of The MrBeast Logohatchwise.com | 375 page views | $25 | $195 |
| My Honest Review of Design Shifu Unlimited Graphic Designs [Updated for 2026] – Logo Design Magazinelogodesign.org | 38 page views | $25 | $150 |
| The 12 Best Online Video Editors of 2026 (Free and Paid)Flocksy | 200 page views | $25 | $2,000 |
| The History Of The Amazon Logohatchwise.com | 191 page views | $25 | $150 |
Getting recommended on pages your buyers read
On AdSworn you describe what you sell, and see pages and videos whose readers search for it, each with its traffic read from Google. You book a banner from $25 for 4 weeks or a sponsored post from $75 for 12 weeks, pay the listed price, and get a report of every view and click.
| Real search | AdSworn's reading | Clicks, last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| “best logo maker” | Buying intent | 14 |
| “mr best logo” | Buying intent | 6 |
| “best logo makers” | Buying intent | 4 |
| “best logo creator” | Buying intent | 4 |
| “mrbeast logo” | Research | 30 |
| “mr beast logo” | Research | 27 |
| “amazon logo” | Research | 14 |
Straight answers
What is the best way to advertise a small business online?
Start where your buyers look before they buy, pick one channel that reaches them, tag your links, and judge it on customers after about 4 weeks.
How much should a small business spend on advertising?
Start with a test budget you can learn from without hurting the business, then put more into the channel with the lowest cost per customer.
Where can I advertise my business online?
Search ads, social ads, sponsorships on the sites and videos your buyers read, and newsletter or creator sponsorships.
How do I know if my advertising is working?
Tag every link with UTM parameters and count customers per channel in your analytics, then compare cost per customer.