12 Creative Ideas on Advertising Your Business in 2025

Figuring out how to advertise your business can feel like you're staring at a huge, blank wall, right? It’s a common feeling, especially for small business owners here in the Okanagan. You know you need to get the word out, whether you’re in Kelowna, Vernon, or Penticton, but deciding where to start can feel like a massive task. With so many options out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or maybe a little discouraged by what you’ve tried before. That's totally normal.

Think of this as a friendly chat. We're going to walk through a dozen different ideas on advertising, breaking each one down into simple, actionable steps. No jargon, no buzzwords, just real talk about what actually works for businesses like yours. We’ll cover everything from smart digital strategies to creative ways you can make a splash right here in our local community. We'll explore influencer marketing, guerrilla tactics, video advertising, and more, with practical examples tailored for small businesses, real estate agencies, and tourism operators.

You’ve built an amazing business, and now it’s time to make sure people find it. This guide is designed to give you a clear roadmap of what’s possible. Each idea comes with real-world tips, budget thoughts, and creative hooks to get you started. Ready to find a few fresh ideas on advertising that feel right for you and your goals? Let’s dive in.

1. Influencer Marketing

Let's dive into one of the most powerful ideas on advertising today: influencer marketing. This is all about partnering with social media creators who’ve already built a trusting relationship with their followers. Instead of you shouting about how great your brand is, someone your ideal customer already knows and trusts does it for you. It feels less like an ad and more like a genuine recommendation from a friend.

Think about it… a local Okanagan lifestyle blogger showcasing their weekend at your Kelowna-based hotel, or a Vernon-based fitness enthusiast raving about your new gym. Their authentic content connects with their audience on a personal level, building instant credibility for your business.

How to Make it Work

Ready to give it a try? Here's how to get started.

• Find Your Match: Look for micro-influencers (around 10k-100k followers) whose audience perfectly matches your target customer. Their followers are often more engaged and they're more affordable. A Penticton-based foodie blogger could be perfect for your new restaurant.

• Focus on Engagement: Don’t get mesmerized by a huge follower count. A creator with 15,000 highly engaged followers is far more valuable than one with 100,000 who barely get any likes or comments.

• Set Clear Goals: Give them clear guidelines on what you want to achieve, but also allow for creative freedom. The magic happens when their personality shines through.

• Track Everything: Use unique discount codes (like "KELOWNA15") or special tracking links. This is the only way you'll know for sure if your investment is paying off.

It can feel a bit overwhelming to find the right partners and manage these campaigns. If you'd like an expert to handle the details and ensure you get a real return, we're here to help.

2. Content Marketing

Let's explore another one of the most effective ideas on advertising: content marketing. This strategy is all about creating and sharing valuable, relevant information that attracts your ideal audience. You build trust and establish yourself as an authority by answering your customers' questions and solving their problems.

Imagine a Kelowna real estate agent creating a guide to the best family-friendly neighbourhoods, or a Penticton winery writing a blog post on "How to Pair Okanagan Wines with Summer Barbecues." This approach provides real value first, making customers feel understood and more likely to choose you when they're ready to buy. It's a long-game strategy that builds a loyal following.

How to Make it Work

Ready to become a go-to resource? Here's how to begin.

• Solve Their Problems: Before you write a single word, figure out what your customers are searching for. What are their biggest pain points? Create content that directly addresses those needs.

• Stay Consistent: Develop an editorial calendar and stick to it. Whether it's one blog post a week or a monthly video series, consistency keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more.

• Repurpose Your Best Stuff: Turn a popular blog post into a short video for social media, an infographic, or a checklist. This helps you get the most mileage out of your best ideas.

• Measure What Matters: Keep an eye on website traffic, how many new leads your content generates, and how people are engaging with it. This data tells you what's working and what's not.

Crafting a content strategy that consistently attracts and converts customers takes time and expertise. If you want a partner to help you develop a plan that drives real results, we can build that with you.

3. Video Advertising

Let’s talk about one of the most engaging ideas on advertising: video. From captivating YouTube pre-roll ads to quick, snappy TikToks and Instagram Reels, video lets you tell a story and connect with your audience in a way that static images just can't. It combines visuals, sound, and motion to create an experience that sticks with people long after they’ve scrolled past.

Think about a quick, 30-second video tour of a stunning West Kelowna real estate listing or a behind-the-scenes look at how your Penticton cafe makes its signature latte. Video builds a personality for your brand, showing the people and passion behind the business. It’s a powerful way to make a memorable first impression.

How to Make it Work

Ready to press record? Here's how to get your video strategy rolling.

• Hook Them Fast: You have about three seconds to grab someone's attention. Start with your most compelling shot or a question that piques their curiosity.

• Think Mobile-First: Most people will see your video on their phones, so film vertically. This format fills the screen and feels much more natural on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

• Add Captions: A surprising number of people watch videos with the sound off. Adding captions ensures your message gets across no matter where they're watching.

• Have a Clear CTA: What do you want people to do after watching? Tell them! End your video with a clear call-to-action, like "Visit our Vernon showroom" or "Book your tour today."

Creating video content that looks professional and actually gets results can be a big undertaking. If you want a partner to handle the strategy, filming, and editing to ensure your investment pays off, let's talk.

4. Email Marketing

Let's talk about one of the most reliable ideas on advertising: email marketing. This is your direct line of communication to people who have already raised their hand and said they want to hear from you. You're building a relationship in their inbox, delivering value, and staying top-of-mind.

Imagine… a Kelowna winery sending a monthly newsletter with upcoming events and a featured wine, or a Penticton real estate agent sharing new listings with an exclusive group of buyers. These targeted messages land directly where your audience is paying attention, making your brand a familiar and trusted part of their routine. It's a powerful way to nurture leads and drive repeat business.

How to Make it Work

Ready to connect with your audience directly? Here’s how to get started.

• Build a Quality List: Never buy a list. Offer something valuable, like a discount or a helpful guide, in exchange for an email address. This ensures you're talking to people who are genuinely interested.

• Craft Compelling Subject Lines: Keep them short, intriguing, and under 50 characters to avoid getting cut off on mobile devices. A great subject line is the difference between an open and a delete.

• Segment Your Audience: Don't send the same message to everyone. Group your subscribers based on their interests or past purchases to send hyper-relevant content.

• Personalize Your Message: Go beyond just using their first name. Mention a past purchase or a service they were interested in to show you're paying attention.

Choosing the right platform is key to making this all work smoothly. You can learn more about the best email marketing platforms to see which one fits your business. If you need a hand setting up a strategy that truly connects, we're happy to chat.

5. Social Media Advertising

If you want to find new customers, you need to go where they are… and these days, they're scrolling through social media. This is where paid social media advertising comes in. It's one of the most effective ideas on advertising because it allows you to get your message directly in front of a highly specific audience. You’re placing your ad right in their daily feed.

Imagine a winery in West Kelowna running stunning video ads on Instagram Stories, targeting tourists currently visiting the Okanagan. Or a B2B service provider in Kelowna using LinkedIn ads to reach local decision-makers in specific industries. It’s all about precision, allowing you to connect with the exact people who are most likely to become your next customers.

How to Make it Work

Ready to get your ads in front of the right people? Here’s your game plan.

• Define Your Audience: Get super specific. Who are you trying to reach? Think age, location (like Penticton or Vernon), interests, and online behaviours. The more detailed your buyer persona, the more effective your ads will be.

• Use Compelling Visuals: Social media is a visual world. Your ad needs a scroll-stopping image or a short, engaging video to grab attention. A blurry photo or a boring graphic just won't cut it.

• Test and Optimize: Run A/B tests with different images, headlines, and calls to action to see what resonates. Check your analytics regularly and put more budget behind the ads that are performing well. You might be surprised at what works!

• Track Your Conversions: Install the Facebook Pixel or LinkedIn Insight Tag on your website. This is crucial. It lets you see exactly who is clicking your ad and then taking action, like making a purchase or filling out a form.

Navigating the difference between platforms can be tricky. To explore this further, you can learn more about advertising on Google vs. Facebook to see which is a better fit for your specific goals.

6. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Let's talk about one of the most direct ideas on advertising: Search Engine Marketing (SEM). This is all about getting your business seen the moment a potential customer is searching for exactly what you offer. By paying for sponsored listings on search engines like Google, you can jump to the top of the results page, capturing high-intent users who are ready to take action.

Think about it… someone in Kelowna searches for “local real estate agent” and your ad appears first. Or a tourist visiting Penticton looks for “best wineries near me” and your winery’s ad is right there, ready to guide them in. It’s powerful because you’re meeting customers at the precise moment of their need, making it a highly effective way to drive traffic and leads.

How to Make it Work

Ready to capture that search intent? Here’s how to get started with SEM.

• Start Specific: Begin with high-intent, lower-volume keywords. Think “emergency plumber Vernon” instead of just “plumber.” These searches show a clear and immediate need.

• Create Compelling Ads: Your ad copy needs to be snappy and persuasive. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) like “Get a Free Quote Today!” or “Book Your Tour Now” to encourage clicks.

• Optimize Your Landing Page: Create a dedicated landing page that matches the ad’s promise and makes it incredibly easy for visitors to convert. Don't just send them to your homepage.

• Track Your Results: Set up proper conversion tracking from day one. This allows you to see exactly which ads and keywords are bringing in business, so you can double down on what works.

Managing Google Ads and optimising for a high Quality Score can get complex. If you want an expert to manage your campaigns and ensure your budget is delivering real results, we're here to help with that.

7. Guerrilla Marketing

Let's talk about one of the most creative ideas on advertising: guerrilla marketing. This is all about using surprise and unconventional tactics to create a big impression on a small budget. You're creating an experience or a moment so memorable that people can't help but talk about it and share it.

Imagine a pop-up art installation along the Kelowna waterfront sponsored by your real estate agency, or a cleverly placed piece of street art in downtown Vernon that gets everyone talking about your new cafe. It’s advertising that doesn't feel like advertising; it’s a conversation starter that generates organic buzz.

How to Make it Work

Ready to get unconventional? Here’s how you can pull it off.

• Be Clever, Not Costly: The best guerrilla ideas rely on creativity, not a massive budget. Think about what would genuinely surprise and delight people in your community. A flash mob in Stuart Park? A trail of branded rubber ducks leading to your Penticton shop?

• Make it Shareable: Design your stunt to be photographed and shared on social media. The goal is for your initial effort to be amplified online by everyone who sees it. Make it visual, interesting, and easy to capture.

• Align with Your Brand: Your tactic should make sense for your brand. An edgy, artistic stunt might be perfect for a modern boutique but could feel out of place for a traditional accounting firm. Ensure the message is clear and positive.

• Plan Your Documentation: Have your own team ready to take high-quality photos and videos. This content is gold for your social media channels, website, and future marketing, capturing the buzz for those who missed it in person.

Executing a guerrilla campaign takes careful planning to get right. If you want a partner to help brainstorm and manage a campaign that gets people talking, we're full of creative ideas.

8. Affiliate Marketing

Imagine having a team of dedicated salespeople who only get paid when they make a sale for you. That’s the core of affiliate marketing, one of the most performance-driven ideas on advertising available. It’s a system where you partner with bloggers, content creators, and other businesses (your affiliates) who promote your services. When their audience makes a purchase through a unique link, the affiliate earns a commission. It’s pure results-based marketing.

For instance, a popular Okanagan travel blog could feature an article about "The Best Kelowna Wineries to Visit" and include a special affiliate link to book a tour with your company. Readers click, book, and the blogger gets a percentage of the sale. You get a new customer and only paid for a confirmed booking.

How to Make it Work

Ready to build your own sales team? Here's a simple plan.

• Find Your Partners: Seek out local bloggers, community websites, or complementary businesses whose audience is a perfect fit for you. A Vernon-based real estate agent could partner with a local home staging company, for example.

• Offer Competitive Commissions: Your commission rate needs to be attractive enough to motivate your affiliates. Research what similar programs offer and find a sweet spot that works for your margins.

• Provide Great Resources: Make it easy for them to succeed. Give your affiliates high-quality photos, pre-written descriptions, and promotional banners to use. The less work they have to do, the better.

• Track Your Results: Use affiliate management software to create unique tracking links for each partner. This allows you to see exactly who is driving sales and to pay commissions accurately.

Setting up and managing an affiliate program takes careful planning and ongoing relationship management. If you want an expert to build a program that drives real revenue, we can help you get started.

9. Retargeting/Remarketing

Ever feel like an ad is following you around the internet? That’s retargeting, and it’s one of the most effective ideas on advertising you can use. This strategy focuses on reconnecting with people who have already visited your website but left without making a purchase or enquiry. It’s like a gentle, digital tap on the shoulder, reminding them about what they were interested in.

Think about it… someone in Penticton browses your real estate listings for lakeside properties but gets distracted. Later, while scrolling through their news feed, they see a beautiful ad showcasing those very same homes. This keeps your brand top-of-mind and gives them an easy way to come back and finish what they started. It's a powerful way to recapture lost leads.

How to Make it Work

Ready to bring visitors back? Here’s how to get started.

• Segment Your Audience: Don't treat all visitors the same. Create separate campaigns for people who viewed a specific product, those who abandoned their shopping cart, and those who just visited your homepage.

• Cap Ad Frequency: Seeing the same ad a dozen times a day is annoying. Set a frequency cap to limit how many times one person sees your ad, preventing ad fatigue and keeping the experience positive.

• Tailor Your Message: Speak directly to each segment. For cart abandoners, you could offer a small discount. For someone who viewed your Vernon hotel's booking page, show them an ad about your seasonal packages.

• Exclude Converters: Be sure to stop showing ads to people who have already made a purchase or filled out your form. It saves you money and prevents you from advertising to someone who is already a customer.

Setting up the tracking pixels and audience lists can be a bit technical. If you want to learn more about the specifics, you can dig deeper into how to set up AdWords remarketing. Or, if you'd rather have an expert handle it for you, we can do that.

10. Partnership and Co-Marketing

Let's explore one of the most clever ideas on advertising: teaming up with another business. Partnership and co-marketing is about joining forces with a non-competing brand that serves the same audience you do. Instead of marketing alone, you pool your resources and audiences to get more bang for your buck. It's a win-win that builds credibility and extends your reach instantly.

Imagine your Penticton winery partnering with a local cheese shop for a joint tasting event, or a Kelowna adventure tour company creating a special package with a nearby hotel. You both get exposure to a new, highly relevant customer base, and the customer gets a unique, valuable offer. It feels less like an ad and more like a helpful local collaboration.

How to Make it Work

Ready to find your business bestie? Here’s a simple guide to get started.

• Find a Complementary Fit: Look for businesses whose products or services naturally pair with yours. A West Kelowna real estate agent could partner with a local moving company or a home staging expert. The key is to offer combined value.

• Align Your Audiences: Make sure your partner’s customers are the people you want to reach. Your brand values and customer profiles should overlap. There’s no point in partnering if the audiences don’t match.

• Define the Details: Get everything in writing. Clearly outline who is responsible for what, how costs will be split, and what the goals of the campaign are. A simple agreement prevents headaches later on.

• Promote it Together: Create a joint promotional plan. You can cross-promote on social media, send a co-branded email to both of your lists, or even share the cost of a local ad.

Finding the right partner and managing a campaign can be tricky. If you need a hand brainstorming ideas or executing a strategy that benefits everyone, let's connect and find a great fit.

11. Podcast Advertising

Let's talk about one of the most intimate and effective ideas on advertising available: podcast advertising. This involves placing your brand message directly into the ears of a highly engaged and loyal audience. Instead of a flashy visual ad that can be scrolled past, your message is delivered by a trusted host during a commute, a workout, or while doing chores. It’s like a personal recommendation whispered directly to your ideal customer.

Imagine a popular Okanagan outdoor adventure podcast host talking about how your Penticton-based sporting goods store has the best gear for their next hike. Their listeners trust their opinion, making your brand an instant and credible part of their conversation.

How to Make it Work

Ready to tune in to this powerful channel? Here's how to start.

• Find the Right Show: Look for podcasts whose audience demographics and interests align perfectly with your target market. A local Kelowna real estate podcast could be a goldmine for a home staging business.

• Insist on Host-Read Ads: A scripted ad read by an announcer can work, but the magic happens when the host reads it in their own voice. It feels more authentic and less like a commercial break.

• Create Unique Codes: Provide a specific discount code for each podcast you partner with, like "OKANAGANLIFE10". This makes it easy for listeners to remember and for you to track which shows are driving sales.

• Keep it Conversational: Write your ad copy to sound like a natural part of the show, not a stuffy corporate announcement. Give the host talking points, but let their personality bring it to life.

Finding the right podcasts and negotiating placements can be a lot to manage. If you need an expert partner to get your message heard by the right people, we can help you craft a winning audio strategy.

12. User-Generated Content (UGC) Marketing

Let's explore another one of the most powerful ideas on advertising: letting your customers create the ads for you. That's the core of User-Generated Content (UGC) marketing. It’s about encouraging your happy clients and fans to share photos, videos, and reviews, and then showcasing that content. It’s authentic, builds incredible trust, and creates a genuine community around your brand.

Imagine a Kelowna tourist sharing a stunning photo of their family enjoying your winery, or a Penticton homeowner posting a video testimonial about the fantastic job your landscaping company did. This kind of content acts as powerful social proof, showing potential customers that real people love what you do. It's word-of-mouth marketing for the digital age.

How to Make it Work

Ready to put your customers in the spotlight? Here’s a simple game plan.

• Create a Branded Hashtag: Come up with a unique and memorable hashtag for your business (like #OkanaganAdventuresWith[YourBrand]) and promote it everywhere.

• Run a Contest: Offer a prize for the best photo or video submission featuring your product or service. This is a fantastic way to kickstart content creation and build excitement.

• Make it Easy to Share: Clearly tell people what you're looking for and where they can post it. Feature the best submissions prominently on your website and social media channels.

• Always Ask for Permission: Before you re-post a customer’s content, always reach out and get their explicit permission. It shows respect and builds good will.

Building a system to collect, manage, and feature UGC can feel like a full-time job. If you want a partner to help you turn customer love into a powerful marketing engine, we'd love to help.

Comparison of 12 Advertising Ideas

Channel	Implementation complexity	Resource requirements	Expected outcomes	Ideal use cases	Key advantages
Influencer Marketing	Medium–High: sourcing, contracts, creative alignment	Influencer fees, campaign management, tracking tools	High engagement, social proof, short-term conversions	Product launches, lifestyle/beauty, niche audiences	Authentic endorsements, niche reach, strong engagement
Content Marketing	Medium–High: strategy, production cadence, SEO	Content team, SEO/tools, time investment	Long-term traffic, brand authority, lead generation	B2B thought leadership, SEO growth, customer education	Sustainable organic growth, trust, lower CAC over time
Video Advertising	High: production, platform specs, editing	Production budget, talent, distribution spend	Strong engagement, brand recall, higher conversion potential	Product demos, storytelling, mobile-first campaigns	Emotional impact, high completion and recall
Email Marketing	Low–Medium: segmentation and automation setup	ESP, list building, copy/design resources	High ROI, direct conversions, retention	Retention, promotions, personalized offers	Highly measurable, low cost, scalable personalization
Social Media Advertising	Medium: targeting, creative testing, optimization	Ad spend, creatives, platform analytics	Rapid reach, scalable conversions, measurable KPIs	E-commerce, direct response, audience building	Precise targeting, fast scaling, diverse ad formats
SEM (Search Engine Marketing)	Medium–High: keyword strategy, continuous bids	Paid budget, PPC expertise, analytics	Immediate visibility, high-intent traffic, conversions	Intent-driven sales, local services, time-sensitive offers	Control over visibility, measurable ROI, scalable spend
Guerrilla Marketing	High: creative planning, logistics, legal risk	Low monetary cost, high creative/time input	Potential viral buzz, strong awareness spikes, PR	Local activations, brand personality plays, limited budgets	Low cost per impression, memorable experiences, PR lift
Affiliate Marketing	Medium: program setup, partner onboarding	Commission budget, tracking platform, affiliate outreach	Pay-for-performance sales, scalable acquisition	E-commerce, SaaS referrals, performance-driven channels	Low upfront risk, broad publisher reach, measurable payouts
Retargeting / Remarketing	Medium: pixel setup, segmentation, sequencing	Ad tech, creative variations, sufficient site traffic	Higher conversion rates from warm audiences, improved ROAS	Cart abandonment, product viewers, mid-funnel recovery	Efficient CAC, targets high-intent users, cross-channel reach
Partnership & Co‑Marketing	Medium–High: partner selection, coordination	Shared budgets, joint creative, legal agreements	Expanded reach, shared costs, co-branded assets	Complementary brands, joint launches, audience expansion	Cost sharing, credibility via association, access to new audiences
Podcast Advertising	Low–Medium: show selection, spot negotiation	Ad spend, creative scripts, promo codes/tracking	High-attention reach, brand affinity, niche targeting	Audio-first audiences, long-form content, commuter listeners	Intimate host endorsement, engaged listeners, trackable offers
UGC (User‑Generated Content) Marketing	Low–Medium: campaign setup, moderation, curation	Community management, incentives, content tools	Continuous authentic content, increased trust and conversions	Community-led brands, lifestyle products, social campaigns	Low production cost, authentic social proof, higher engagement

So, What's Your Next Move?

We've just unpacked a whole tool chest of ideas on advertising, from the digital powerhouses like social media and SEM to the clever, on-the-ground tactics of guerrilla marketing. It's a lot to take in, I know. You've seen how a tourism board in Penticton could use stunning user-generated photos to build a campaign, or how a Kelowna real estate agent can leverage hyper-local video tours to connect with buyers before they even step foot in a home. The possibilities are genuinely exciting.

But here’s the most important takeaway: you don't need to do everything. Seriously. You just need to be in the right places, at the right time, with a message that truly resonates. The most successful campaigns are the ones with the clearest understanding of their audience and the most authentic approach.

From Ideas to Action: Making It Real

So, how do you turn this big list of possibilities into a focused, actionable plan? It starts with a little bit of honest reflection. Think about your business, your customers, and your own team's strengths.

• Who are you really talking to? Go beyond demographics. What do they care about? Where do they hang out online and offline? If your audience is primarily on Instagram, then pouring resources into podcast ads might not be your best first move.

• What's your authentic story? The most powerful advertising ideas are extensions of your brand's truth. If you're a family-owned business in Vernon known for incredible customer service, a campaign built around genuine client testimonials (UGC) will feel more impactful than a slick, corporate-style video.

• What can you realistically manage? Be honest about your time and resources. Content marketing is incredibly effective, but it requires consistency. If you can only commit to one great blog post a month, that's a perfect start. Executing one idea exceptionally well beats trying to do ten things halfway.

Choosing the right ideas on advertising is about finding the sweet spot where your audience's attention, your brand's story, and your available resources all meet. Start there. Pick one or two strategies from this list that spark a little excitement for you. Maybe it's finally setting up that retargeting campaign you've been thinking about or reaching out to a complementary local business for a co-marketing partnership.

The journey of building a powerful advertising strategy is a marathon, not a sprint. It involves testing, learning, and refining your approach based on real data. What works today might need a tweak tomorrow, and that’s perfectly okay. The key is to just get started, measure your results, and build momentum from there. Every small win, every piece of customer feedback, and every new insight helps you get closer to a marketing machine that truly works for your business.

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Feeling inspired but a little overwhelmed by the "how"? That's what a partner is for. At Navigator Multimedia, we've spent over 30 years helping Okanagan businesses turn great ideas into real, measurable results. Let us help you build a custom advertising plan that fits your business perfectly; reach out to us today to start the conversation.