Guide
Alternatives to Facebook and Google ads for local businesses.
By the Tap Ads team. Updated .
The main alternatives to Facebook and Google ads for a local business in Australia are letterbox drops, local radio, community papers, local outdoor sites, sponsorships and counter advertising. Each one reaches people offline, near where you trade, and none relies on an algorithm to decide who sees your ad.
Whether you run a real estate agency, a dental practice, a car dealership, an accounting firm or any other local business, below are six ways to reach locals beyond the feeds, what each is best for, what it costs and the catch with each.
The people you want are already nearby. Meet them where they shop, wait and pay.
The formats
Six ways to reach locals offline.
- 01
Letterbox drops
Flyers or catalogues delivered to homes in the suburbs you choose.
- Best for
- A clear offer to every home in your catchment.
- Rough cost
- Low to mid, depending on how many homes and how often.
- The catch
- Many go straight into the recycling, and you can only measure them with a code or coupon.
- 02
Local radio
Ads on commercial or community stations that cover your area.
- Best for
- Building a familiar name across a town or region.
- Rough cost
- Mid, and it takes repeated spots to work.
- The catch
- The audience is estimated, and listeners can't click or scan while they drive.
- 03
Community papers and magazines
Print and online ads in local mastheads, school newsletters and community magazines.
- Best for
- Reaching established residents who read about their area.
- Rough cost
- Low to mid.
- The catch
- Readership varies a lot between titles, and results are hard to track.
- 04
Local outdoor
Bus shelters, small billboards and signs on the main roads near you.
- Best for
- A steady presence on the routes locals use every day.
- Rough cost
- Mid to high, often booked for weeks at a time.
- The catch
- A passing glance, and the audience is modelled rather than counted.
- 05
Sponsorships and local events
Your name on a sports club, school fete, market or community event.
- Best for
- Goodwill, and being seen as part of the community.
- Rough cost
- Low to mid, often part money and part in-kind.
- The catch
- The exposure is seasonal, and it's hard to put a number on the return.
- 06
Counter advertising
Point-of-sale advertising: a full-screen ad on the payment screen in cafés, restaurants and shops near you, shown while people order and pay, with every view counted.
- Best for
- Being a familiar name to locals at the moment they spend.
- Rough cost
- Low to mid. Book a location for your brand alone, or share it with other brands. Ask us for a rate.
- The catch
- It builds familiarity over repeat visits, rather than a same-day response.
Side by side
The formats, compared.
| Option | Best for | Rough cost | Measurement | How local |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letterbox drops | Every home in an area | $-$$ | Codes and coupons | Suburb by suburb |
| Local radio | Town-wide familiarity | $$ | Estimated | Town or region |
| Community papers | Established residents | $-$$ | Hard to track | Suburb or town |
| Local outdoor | Daily routes | $$-$$$ | Modelled | Street by street |
| Sponsorships and events | Community goodwill | $-$$ | Hard to measure | One club or event |
| Counter advertising | The moment of spend | $-$$ | Counted views | Location by location |
Cost is relative: $ light, $$$ heavy. Treat it as a starting shape, not a quote.
Where Tap fits
The ad they see while they pay.
Facebook and Google ads find people while they scroll or search. Counter advertising is point-of-sale advertising: it reaches them in the cafés, restaurants and shops around your business, while they stand at the counter waiting to pay.
You choose the locations, your ad fills the screen, and every view is counted, so you can see where it ran. It keeps your name in front of the same locals week after week.
The basics
Local advertising, explained.
What are the alternatives to Facebook ads for a local business?
The main alternatives are letterbox drops, local radio, community papers and magazines, local outdoor sites, sponsorships and counter advertising. They reach people offline, in the area you trade, and none relies on a social media algorithm to decide who sees your ad.
Is offline advertising worth it for a small business?
It can be, when it reaches the people near you more than once. Offline ads are harder to click, so pick formats you can measure: a code on a letterbox flyer, a dedicated phone number, or counter advertising, where every view is counted at the location.
How much does local advertising cost in Australia?
It depends on the format, how many people it reaches and how long it runs. Sponsorships and letterbox drops can start small, while outdoor sites and radio usually cost more. Counter advertising is booked by location, so you pay for the areas you choose. Ask us for a rate.
See which locations are near you.
Tell us about your business and the suburbs you want to reach, and we'll show you the cafés, restaurants and shops where your ad could run. A real person replies, and there's no obligation.