Many artists ask if they should be advertising to build their business. I think advertising is great and can be a helpful promotional tool. But it’s not worth advertising if you don’t have the expendable budget.
My advice is to save advertising, whether on Google AdWords, in a trade publication or in a dedicated trade show directory, for when you have begun to exhaust your promotional tool list – all the other items, such as exhibiting at a trade show, keeping up with social media, refining your website and creating feature articles for trade and consumer magazines and relevant internet sites.
What I don’t like to see is advertising be put ahead of all the other promotional tools which are, frankly, more cost efficient and often more effective (obviously depending on the media and your goals).