Remember those “word problems” you used to have to do in math class? Here’s one for you:

Apples are worth $1 each. You can either get 10 apples for free or 100 apples for $10. Which is the better value?

Free is always the easy choice, but 100 apples for $10 is clearly a better investment, right? You should be thinking about your digital small business marketing with the same mindset. You have to “pay to play,” but the value of your investment will improve exponentially when you do.

Of course the concept seems elementary when explained in those terms, but some still might not fully grasp the value in real-life terms. Many indoor tanning businesses are still reluctant to pay for marketing that they previously thought of as free, but that won’t stimulate growth. Pay-for-play digital marketing is one of the most affordable and effective ways to promote your business.

You’re willing to pay for billboards, radio, TV and other traditional advertisements because you’ve always had to. Don’t shy away from paid digital advertising just because you used to do it for free; it can still be far more affordable and often more efficient than traditional media today.

There are many options for digital advertising, but the ones that have the biggest impacts for tanning businesses are Facebook and Google AdWords. As marketing guru Georganne Bender says, now Facebook is traditional advertising. And, Google has become synonymous with Internet searches.

Facebook has changed to force businesses to pay them for effective promotions. You can be a Facebook content master, but your organic results will still pale in comparison to the attention you’d garner by paying just a few dollars for an ad or promoted post. Even if you’ve amassed thousands of Facebook followers, only a small percentage of them are going to see your posts organically.

You can also use organic search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to help your Google results, but competitors that are paying for Google AdWords will still show up above you when potential clients search for “tanning salons” or other terms. Instead of thinking, “why should I pay for something that I can do for free?” consider how much you can benefit from these affordable and efficient advertising options.

In a recent SmartTan.com poll, just 21 percent of indoor tanning businesses said they promote their business with Google AdWords. More, but still not much over half of salons said they use paid advertising options on Facebook. Realistically, these numbers should be 100 percent in 2017. Salons know they need to spend money on marketing, and traditional marking should certainly be a part of everyone’s mix, but some are still limiting potential growth by remaining reluctant to pay for the right digital marketing options. Those that are embracing it are reaping the benefits.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.