If you run a small business on the Costa del Sol, you’ve probably been told to advertise everywhere: Instagram, Google, Facebook groups, flyers, magazines, radio. Nobody has the time or money for all of that. So which ones are actually worth it?
Here’s an honest look at the main ways small businesses advertise on the coast, what each is good at, and how they work together. Yes, we’re a radio station, but radio isn’t the answer to everything, and we’d rather you spent your money well.
First, know who you’re talking to
The coast isn’t one audience. Your customers might be English-speaking residents who’ve lived here for years, Spanish locals, second-home owners who come a few times a year, or tourists here for a week. Each group finds businesses in different ways.
A tourist on holiday searches on their phone. A long-term resident asks a neighbour or a Facebook group. A Spanish family might never see your English Instagram posts. Before choosing where to advertise, write down who your best customers are and how they found you. The answer usually points to two or three channels, not ten.
Google: be there when people search
When someone types “dentist Estepona” or “tapas near me”, you want to appear. A complete, up-to-date Google Business Profile, with photos, opening hours and reviews, costs nothing and is often the most valuable thing a local business can do. Paid Google ads can add to that, but they get expensive quickly in busy categories.
Google is great for people who already know what they want. It does little to make people want you in the first place.
Social media: show what you do
Instagram and Facebook are good for showing your work: the dishes, the finished kitchen, the happy customer. Local Facebook groups can bring real word of mouth, as long as you join in rather than just post adverts.
The catch is time. Social media only works if you keep it up, and paid posts are easily scrolled past.
Print, flyers and magazines
Local magazines and flyers still reach some people, especially older residents. They can work for a specific area or event, but it’s hard to know who saw them, and they end up in the recycling quickly.
Radio: make people know your name
This is where radio fits in. Radio is not the best way to catch someone who is searching right now. It’s the best way to make sure that when they do need a plumber, a restaurant or an estate agent, your name is the one that comes to mind.
On an English-speaking station like Chilli FM, with more than 150,000 listeners from Gibraltar to Nerja, your ad is heard by the international crowd that lives on the coast, over and over, while they drive, work and relax. That repetition is what builds a familiar name, and familiar names get the call. You can read more in why radio advertising works on the Costa del Sol.
How they work together
The channels work best as a team. A typical example: someone hears your name on Chilli FM for a few weeks. One day they need what you sell, so they search for you. They find your Google profile with good reviews, look at your Instagram, and call. The radio didn’t make the sale on its own, but without it they might never have searched for you.
So if you can only do a few things well, we’d suggest:
- a proper Google Business Profile, kept up to date
- one social channel you actually enjoy using
- something that builds your name, like radio, so people go looking for you
Keep the message the same everywhere
Whatever mix you choose, say the same thing in all of it. If your radio ad talks about your new Sunday menu, put it on Instagram and your Google profile too. When people meet the same message in different places, it sticks.
Want to add radio to the mix?
If you’d like to know how radio could fit your business, see the types of radio advertising we offer, or read how to plan a campaign on a small budget. When you’re ready, tell us about your business on our advertising page and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote.
